Reflections of South African Student Leaders 1994-2017 brings together the reflections of twelve former SRC leaders from across the landscape of South African universities. Each student leader’s reflections are presented in a dedicated chapter that draws closely on an interview conducted in the course of 2018/19 which was followed by an interactive process of co-editing, correcting, and approving the chapter between the researchers and the student leaders.Key topics covered in the chapters are:Personal background and context of getting involved in student leadershipRole as member of the SRC and the role of the SRC in the universitySupport received from the university and student affairsStudent governance model, SRC electoral system, and inductionThe involvement of partisan student organisations and political parties in the SRCRelationship with the student body, communication, conscientisation and mobilisationStudent representation in university governance structures (‘co-operative governance’)Main challenges, student issues and demandsStrategies and tactics of student politics, representation and activismReflections on the 2015/16 student movement: #RhodesMustFall, #FeesMustFall, #EndOutsourcing, etc.Lessons for current and future student leadersThe biographical impact of the student leadership experience
Relectîons of South Afrîcan Student Leaders1994 to 2017
Thîerry M Luescher, Denyse Webbstock & Ntokozo Bhengu
FE ATURING Kenny Bao, Hlomela Bucwa, Lorne Hallendorf Mpho Khati, Kwenza Madlala, David Maimela Zukiswa Mqolomba, Prishani Naidoo, Jerome September Muzi Sikhakhane, Vuyani Sokhaba and Xolani Zuma
Reflections of South African Student Leaders
1994 to 2017
Thierry M Luescher, Denyse Webbstock & Ntokozo Bhengu
FE AT UR I NG Kenny Bafo, Hlomela Bucwa, Lorne Hallendorff, Mpho Khati, Kwenza Madlala, David Maimela, Zukiswa Mqolomba, Prishani Naidoo, Jerome September, Muzi Sikhakhane, Vuyani Sokhaba and Xolani Zuma
Pubîsed în 2020 by Arîcan Mînds 4 Ecceston Pace, Somerset West, 7130, Cape Town, Sout Arîca îno@arîcanmînds.org.za www.arîcanmînds.org.za
About te edîtors ............................................................................................ 311 ïndex.............................................................................................................. 313
tabes and figures
Table 1Selection criteria and participants.........................................................11
Table 2involvement in student politics Participants’ at South African public universities......................................................13
Figure 1Word cloud of student leaders’ reflections........................................281
IV/Relectîons o Sout Arîcan Student Leaders
abbrevîatîons and acronyms
AGM ANC ANCYL ASB AZAPO AZASCO BA BAdmin BCom BEC BSocSci BTech CA Cape Tech CFO CHC CHE COSAS CPUT DA DASO DG DHET DP DUT DVC EFF EFFSC
Annual General Meeting African National Congress ANC Youth League Afrikaanse Studentebond Azanian People’s Organisation Azanian Student Convention Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of Administration Bachelor of Commerce Branch Executive Committee Bachelor of Social Sciences Bachelor of Technology chartered accountant Cape Technikon Chief Financial Officer Central House Committee Council on Higher Education Congress of South African Students Cape Peninsula University of Technology Democratic Alliance Democratic Alliance Students Organisation director-general Department of Higher Education and Training duly performed (certificate) Durban University of Technology deputy vice-chancellor Economic Freedom Fighters EFF Student Command
Abbrevîatîons and acronyms/V
eNCA FFACT
GC GEAR HE HESA HR HSRC IEC IF IFP ILSA ISM LLB MA ManCord MEC MEDUNSA MISTRA MP MUT MK NCHE NEC NECC NEHAWU NEUSA NMU NRF NSFAS NUSAS PABASA PAC PASMA PASO PenTech PLT PQM PYA RAG RDP
eNews Channel Africa ForumforFurtherAcceleratedandComprehensiveTransformation General Council Growth, Employment and Redistribution Higher education Higher Education South Africa (now: USAf) Human resources Human Sciences Research Council Independent Electoral Commission Institutional Forum Inkatha Freedom Party International Law Student Association International Socialist Movement Bachelor of Laws Master of Arts Management Coordination Committee Member of the Executive Council Medical University of South Africa Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection Member of Parliament Mangosuthu University of Technology Umkhonto we Sizwe National Commission on Higher Education National Executive Committee National Education Crisis Committee National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union National Education Union of South Africa Nelson Mandela University National Research Foundation National Student Financial Aid Scheme National Union of South African Students Pan African Bar Association of South Africa Pan Africanist Congress of Azania Pan Africanist Students’ Movement of Azania Pan Africanist Student Organisation Peninsula Technikon Practical Legal Training Programme and qualifications mix Progressive Youth Alliance Remember and Give Reconstruction and Development Programme
VI/Relectîons o Sout Arîcan Student Leaders
Res RCL SA SAB SACP SADESMO SALSA SANSCO SAQA SASCO SASO SATSU SAUS SAU-SRC SC SG SHAWCO SMS SPU SRC SSAC SSSC SU TB TEFSA TVET UCSA UCT UDF UDW UFS UJ UNISA UP USA USAf USF UWC UZ VC Wits YCL
student residence Representative Council of Learners South Africa South African Breweries South African Communist Party South African Democratic Student Movement South African Liberal Students Association South African National Students’ Congress South African Qualifications Authority South African Students’ Congress South African Students Organisation South African Technikon Students’ Union South African Union of Students South African Universities Students’ Representative Councils senior counsel secretary-general Students’ Health and Welfare Centres Organisation short message service Sol Plaatje University Students’ Representative Council Student Socialist Action Committee Student Support Services Council Stellenbosch University tuberculosis Tertiary Education Fund for South Africa Technical and Vocational Education and Training United Christian Students of South Africa University of Cape Town United Democratic Front University of Durban-Westville University of the Free State University of Johannesburg University of South Africa University of Pretoria United States of America Universities South Africa United Student Front University of the Western Cape University of Zululand vice-chancellor University of the Witwatersrand Young Communist League
Abbrevîatîons and acronyms/VII
acknowedgements
Reflections of South African Student Leaders, 1994 to 2017îs a coectîon o te re ectîons o 12 ormer student eaders wo were în posîtîons o eadersîp în Sout Arîcan pubîc unîversîtîes – typîcay as presîdents o Students’ Representatîve Councîs (SRC) or as executîve members o înstîtutîona SRCs between 1994 and 2017. For te Councî on Hîger Educatîon (CHE), te book îs a contînuatîon o îts Re ectîons Project. ïn 2016, te CHE pubîsed te re ectîons o eîgt ormer vîce-canceors and deputy vîce-canceors în te bookReflections of South African University Leaders, 1981 to 2014. For te Human Scîences Researc Councî (HSRC), îts partîcîpatîon în te project îs part o researcîng te îstorîca dîmensîon o te post-aparteîd student movement to enrîc îts project ‘Te New Sout Arîcan Student Movement: From #RodesMustFa to #FeesMustFa’. A te researc materîa generated rom tîs project wî be made avaîabe or secondary anaysîs to oter researcers wo are înterested în student eadersîp în Sout Arîca. Te reposîtorîes cosen or te data are Sout Arîcan Hîstory Onîne (or open data) and te HSRC Data Curatîon Unît (or data tat requîre etîcs cearance prîor to access). A project o tîs magnîtude reîes on te goodwî, support and expertîse o many. As te edîtors-cum-autors o te book, we woud îrst o a îke to tank a te ormer student eaders wo contrîbuted to tîs book and wo are acknowedged ere as te co-autors o teîr respectîve capters. We woud aso îke to acknowedge specîîcay te contrîbutîons o:
• Ms Tanîa Fraser, admînîstratîve oîcer o te HSRC în Cape Town, wo as tîreessy ensured tat te project comes to ruîtîon by managîng ît îrst rom te HSRC’s sîde and eventuay or bot te CHE and te HSRC ater Marc 2019.
Acknowedgements/IX
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Mr Nkuueko Makubu, researc întern în te HSRC and master’s student at te Unîversîty o Cape Town, wo as greaty assîsted us în settîng up întervîews, co-conductîng some întervîews, ceckîng transcrîpts and communîcatîng wît student eaders. Ms Genevîeve Sîmpson, ormer senîor manager în te Monîtorîng and Evauatîon Dîrectorate o te CHE, or managîng te project rom te CHE’s sîde untî te end o 2018, încudîng îaîsîng wît te student eaders and settîng up întervîews, transcrîbîng and ceckîng transcrîpts and generay keepîng te project on track.
We woud aso îke to tank: Leîg-Ann Naîdoo o te Unîversîty o Cape Town and Saeem Badat o te Andrew W. Meon Foundatîon, wo eped us deveop seectîon crîterîa and an înîtîa îst o potentîa întervîewees, te HSRC Researc Etîcs Commîttee, te transcrîbers, and varîous coeagues wîtîn te CHE and te HSRC wo ave supported tîs endeavour. ïn tîs respect, we woud îke to mentîon especîay Dr Amanî Saîdî o te CHE. Fînay, te HSRC îs grateu or undîng receîved rom te Andrew W. Meon Foundatîon, grant number G-1802-05403, wîc contrîbuted to te reaîsatîon o tîs project.