SRC leadership effects significant personal growth for former president

The University of Cape Town’s (UCT) 2023/2024 former Students’ Representative Council (SRC) president, Hlamulo Khorommbi, has left his position armed with significant personal growth and a sense of having optimally fulfilled this important student governance role.

This was Khorommbi’s second stint in the SRC, his first role being as sports and recreation coordinator for 2022/2023. His student leadership roles extend even further back, however; as a third-year physiotherapy student, he was also a member of the Faculty of Health Sciences’ Students’ Council.

These are positions he has taken extremely seriously, but when reflecting on his latest leadership role, he says that for him, academics has always come first: “One comes to UCT for academic purposes because of its status as the best university in Africa. Our parents and guardians send us here so that we can return with a degree.”

Taking on a role as a student leader will have an impact, he admits, because “leadership takes a lot of time from you”.

“You won’t make everyone happy, but decisions must be made nonetheless.”

“That is something I’d want to say to student leaders entering the space. You have to remain strong.”

Another challenge is accepting that, given the diversity of students at UCT, it is impossible to make everyone happy all the time: “UCT is a very diverse university and, as a leader, you must represent them all. Every time a decision is made, it is with the knowledge that you won’t make everyone happy, but decisions must be made nonetheless,” Khorommbi explained.

Born and raised in Tshidzini, Thohoyandou, Khorommbi didn’t arrive at UCT with any expectations about a role in student leadership.

“But I arrived in a space where it’s often difficult for a black child or someone like me to thrive. I felt I could be part and parcel of those who can make an impact at the institution to ensure that the experience of black students becomes less challenging,” he noted.

Opportunities to serve

“I’ve been through faculty committee leadership and served twice on the SRC, and the point is to always feel you can do more. When you feel you can do more, then you will always find yourself growing in positions, having more of an impact and looking for greater opportunities to serve, which is what I did. For me, it’s also for personal growth in issues of governance,” he added.

During his time on the SRC, Khorommbi served under three vice-chancellors, including one interim. While this meant it was a time of instability, he is proud that the new vice-chancellor, Professor Mosa Moshabela, was appointed during his term, and other critical executive vacancies filled.

“These will bring stability and cohesion to the university going forward,” he said.

Khorommbi and his team worked hard to increase their visibility and be ready to respond to the frequent questions about their roles and responsibilities. They achieved this through mass communication emails, mass meetings and engaging with students in residences.

“We were on the ground engaging. We’ve tried our best to bridge the communication gap which exists,” he said.

Challenges

Challenges including student funding, housing, student wellness, safety and security, and fundraising remain at UCT, despite the efforts of the 2023/2024 SRC, Khorommbi conceded.

“This year, we arranged for temporary accommodation at the beginning of the year so that students didn’t have to sleep on campus. We went as far as we could with the fee block too. And if we can resolve matters without protest, then we must strive for such resolutions,” he said.

Despite the tough times as a student leader, it was a very fulfilling journey for Khorommbi: “People will agree that I never led a dictatorship; I was accessible. I listened to people. They said I was harsh, but that’s in the context of decisions being made, and accountability.”

Going forward, he intends to focus on his academics, but will continue contributing to the betterment of society, especially in the field of healthcare in South Africa.

He’d also like to remain part of the country’s higher education landscape, contributing to improved accessibility to tertiary education for disadvantaged students, including through programmes to address historical debt and funding issues.

The new SRC officially took office on 1 November 2024, with Thando Lukhele to serve as the new president until 31 October 2025.