New SRC constituted

The Economic Freedom Fighters Student Command (EFFSC) member was named president at the SRC’s constituting meeting, which was held on the evening of 29 May. Tshabalala heads an interim SRC that will be in office until 31 October 2017.

Khululwa Mthi, chair of the Philip Kgosana (UCT) branch of the Pan-Africanist Student Movement of Azania (PASMA), takes the vice-president’s seat.

In total, six of the new SRC members are from the EFFSC, five from PASMA, one from the South African Students Congress (SASCO), and three are unaffiliated to any political party. Many of the new student leaders were at the forefront of political activism on campus in recent years, including in the Fees Must Fall movement.

Of 19 354 students who were eligible to vote during the week-long election season in April, 3 481 chose to make their mark. This 18% turnout fell short of the minimum 25% poll requirement.

In cases like this, the Election Commission submits a report on the election result to the Student Parliament and the University Student Affairs Committee (USAC). USAC must, taking into account the poll obtained and the views of the Student Parliament, make a recommendation to the Council as to whether to recognise the 15 members who received the most votes as an interim SRC or take some other appropriate action to constitute an SRC or an interim SRC.

With this having been done, the interim SRC has the powers, rights and obligations of an ordinary SRC except that it may not propose amendments to the SRC constitution. It will be bound by a simple majority of the Student Parliament at a meeting of the Student Parliament at which there is a quorum.

Another election will be held in October this year to choose the 2017/2018 SRC members.

See the list of portfolio allocations for the interim SRC…