MARGEAUX ERASMUS
The Student Representative Council (SRC) will now be established, following the release of the 2011/2012 student governance election results.
This follows the conclusion of the AfriForum Youth and University of Pretoria court case, where the judge ruled that the results of last year’s election must be released immediately and an SRC established on those results.
In the statement, the university explained that once the student parliament has been formally constituted, they will elect the president, vice-president, treasurer-general and secretary-general for the SRC from current student parliament members. Then 17 other student parliament members will be elected to fill the 21 remaining seats that make up the SRC.
Until the SRC is formed, the Temporary Student Committee (which has been acting as an interim SRC during the courtcase) will remain in office.
Mthokozisi Nkosi the TSC Chairperson said that many TSC members took part in last year’s student elections and will continue in student governance, if the results permit.
Nkosi told Perdeby that the TSC was a vibrant group who had much to offer to UP and that, “[It is] unfortunate that many [current TSC members] won’t serve with us on the new SRC.”
The process of forming the SRC was halted last year because of the pending court case between AfriForum and UP. In court, AfriForum accused UP of acting unconstitutionally when they declared the 2011/2012 student governance elections null and void because of alleged illegal campaigning by AfriForum Youth.
On 24 February, Judge Rabie ruled in favour of AfriForum. He ordered the immediate release of the 2011/2012 student governance elections and the formation of the 2012 SRC within 14 days of the court ruling.
The SRC will be announced as soon as they have been elected.
