After the director of the Department of Student Affairs (DSA), Dr Matete Madiba, announced the dates of the SRC 2023 elections on 25 July, the DSA held an SRC elections workshop. The purpose of the workshop was to provide necessary information to prospective candidates. Dr Madiba gave a brief overview of the DSA’s role in the election process, which is to facilitate this process. She stated, “The Department of Student Affairs is not only responsible for the elections of the SRC but also of other key committees such as RAG, STUKU, Student Culture, Student Wellness and ManDown.” She also mentioned that among UP’s 124 societies and 29 residence houses, the SRC is the highest form of student governance. Additionally, Dr Madiba stated that although candidates are allowed to state their party or societal affiliation, UP is one of the few South African universities with candidates running for council independently.
According to Dr Madiba, the process of elections and running for office can take a toll on students’ mental health. Therefore, she advised candidates to utilise the university’s counselling unit and mentioned that the current SRC members had been provided with the contact details of the HOD of the student counselling unit. Dr Madiba assured the candidates that the DSA would support them during the process of the elections. “We want to support you and serve you”, she asserted.
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) provided essential information and insights on key electoral processes and activities. The IEC announced that the voting will take place electronically. According to them, this form of voting has proven to be “highly efficient, accurate, fast, and reliable”. On the day of elections, students will receive voting login details on their UP Tuks Gmail account, after which they can proceed to the IEC portal to cast their vote. The 2023 SRC elections will be administered in terms of the Constitution of Student Governance (CSG), which can be found on the DSA and SRC websites as well as under the SRC ClickUP module.
The nomination for candidates opened on 25 July and close on 5 August, and the IEC indicated that all nominations should be made on the SRC ClickUP module. The publication of the final elections candidate list is scheduled for 12 August. The CSG stated that no campaigning may take place before the official opening of campaigns, also scheduled for 12 August.
Former SRC President David Kabwa provided prospective candidates with key strategies on how to navigate the ins and outs of planning and implementing a successful campaign. One important campaign strategy involves what Kabwa has dubbed the “politics of aesthetics”: personal aspects that promote you as a candidate. According to Kabwa, a candidate’s appeal gives them an added advantage on the campaign. Another fundamental strategy that Kabwa discussed was the “initiative-based campaign”: a kind of “campaigning before the campaign”, where a candidate chooses a cause to focus on during their election campaign. Furthermore, Kabwa cautioned candidates to carefully identify their objectives and define their message. According to him, “your manifesto should be so simple that it can be defined by a hashtag”.
For more information, candidates can contact the IEC and SCU via the following means:
IEC Mobile: 071 200 2381
IEC Email: electionssrc@gmail.com
SCU Mobile: 0800 747 747
SCU Email: studentcounselling@up.ac.za
History, Archaeology and Setswana student at the University of Pretoria. An avid reader and lover of news writing and broadcasting. I have a passion for African indigenous languages and history. A prospective world-class journalist and scholar
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