‘New body will kill student politics’

Some leaders at NMMU come out against interim structure which will temporarily take place of SRC

An interim structure put in place to fulfil the vital role usually undertaken by the student representative council (SRC) at NMMU would see the downfall of student politics and activism at the university.

This was the view of some student leaders on the proposed 10-member structure set to deal with issues facing students for the next 10 months.

The interim structure was devised as SRC elections could not take place last year.

The interim structure will be answerable to the student governance and development (SGD) office, a body that administers funds on behalf of student organisations and organises leadership development programmes.

The annual SRC elections at NMMU should have taken place in September last year but were cancelled amid #FeesMustFall protests which led to a six-week-long closure of the university.

NMMU spokeswoman Zandile Mbabela said SRC elections would take place once a review of the SRC constitution was finalised.

“The inability to conduct elections essentially laid bare some inadequacies within the SRC constitution in that it does not anticipate a situation where elections cannot be held,” Mbabela said .

“It does not have the necessary guidelines to deal with an extension of an existing SRC term, nor does it make provision for interim arrangements should elections not be held.”

The interim structure would comprise two students from each of the four recognised political party affiliates on campus – Daso, Sasco, the EFF and Udesmo – as well as two nonpolitical students.

Former SRC president and Daso representative Nicholas Nyati said the proposed interim student leadership structure was seeking to kill student politics.

Nyati said he was convinced the university was trying to strengthen the powers of the student governance and development (SGD) department which answers to university management.

“This structure is not elected by students, therefore it will not carry a mandate by students but rather a mandate from the dean of students and the SGD, both bodies that get their mandate from management, not students and students are the biggest stakeholders in the university,” Nyati said. “The amendments are going to favour the SGD and in that way you are killing the student’s voice on campus.”

Nyati said the SGD would have deciding power rather than the SRC.

According to Mbabela, the SGD office helps provide and promote capacity building in terms of student governance, leadership and co-curricular activities among the student community. Various members of staff and students work in the office.

Udesmo chairperson Zukisa Fuzani echoed Nyati’s sentiments, saying the structure would leave thousands unrepresented.

“The way that this structure will be put in place is not democratic; students are not being afforded the chance to elect their own representatives.

“Not everyone will be afforded the chance to express their views in the SRC, for example the international office will not be represented,” Fuzani said. Mbabela disagreed. She said: “The structure is made up of leaders of existing, recognised student formations.

“They were elected to those positions by students and are therefore in a position to effectively represent them.”