Dear UFS SRC

At the beginning of the current SRC's term I wrote them this letter. I thought I should publish it here as well. Much has happened since I first wrote this letter and I think I should reiterate my point: Please don't sell us out.                       

7 September 2015

Dear SRC 2015/2016

You probably have more “congratulations” than you have space for but let me add one more: Congratulations on crossing the minor hurdle of actually being elected, interesting times are about to begin for you all and I wish you well in your tenure of office.

As some of you may have realised from campaigning and circuses, this is no play thing so this letter is not just a congratulatory one; it is also one of appeal. My appeal is in three parts, I hope you are patient enough to read it to the end and take heed.

We the People

The official report is that the number of students who voted in this year’s Bloemfontein campus elections has increased by 0.7% from last year’s elections. We cannot derive any joy from this because I’m certain the number that actually voted is a lousy fraction of the total student population. Therefore we cannot ignore that it speaks to a clear disconnection between students and the leadership that should represent it. The lazy among us choose to see that as evidence that students do not care but judging merely from the turn-out at the SRC announcement, we cannot accept this. It is imperative that we restore students’ trust in the institution that is the Student Representative Council otherwise others might raise the argument that the SRC sits illegitimately since it really just represents the interests of the minority. There are many reasons why we can’t let this happen- I’ll let you figure them out on your own. The silence of the students and apparent lack of interest is the loudest we can cry to you. It is not our job to seek you out and tell you what is wrong; we didn’t campaign to become students however you campaigned to be our representatives.

My hope for this term is that we will see the SRC contribute to student life in a meaningful and tangible way. Please seek out the things that are important to us and throw your weight in representing us in the highest echelons of the university where decisions about us have been made before without even the slightest consideration as to whether those decisions will benefit us or put us at a disadvantage. Also be sensitive and informed enough to not let elitism blind you to the needs of the students; which brings me to my next point…

The Blazer

Please don’t let the blazer become a symbol of your newly acquired status and then allow it to work as a barrier between you and the students you should be representing. I ask this because we have been sold out way too many times by people who perhaps had the best intentions for the improvement of student life but upon assuming office and gaining relevance to the powers that be, got side-tracked and blinded by the social elevation. Please remain relatable and respectful to all students; it is the only way we can build trust between each other. Please don’t lose touch, we are still the same people with whom you were humble enough to smile at and engage with when you needed our votes; we are still worthy of your respect and time. This brings me to my final point:

The Work

Please don’t allow yourself to get so busy that you get nothing done. Keep the main thing, the main thing. You are of no use to us if you can’t keep a balance and fail. We don’t want that for you. Before we get into motivational territory, let’s move on. There is no such thing as “it’s not my responsibility/portfolio” in leadership, you are a team. Remain abreast with what’s happening in your council and on campus; and as far as you can, get involved. You’ll be amazed at what merely attending an event by one of the associations can do. This is a two-way, show us you care and we’ll give you love right back!

In conclusion, please don’t sell us out guys. This can’t be about the money or the trip only. Someone joked recently that for them when they get into the voting booth, it’s about who they would like to see go overseas next year. Isn’t it the saddest thing that students already assume that you won’t serve their interests? That they immediately think this is a self-promoting gig for you? It breaks my heart and I hope that this letter will accelerate your efforts to build a trust relationship between students and the SRC.

Yours in average studentness,

Mosa Moerane

PS: I have included a list of issues that I hope will receive your attention in this term of office. This is not an arrogant demand but a request based on various interactions with students like me. They are obviously not the only problems we face; there are many more that you will encounter while in office.

ISSUES FOR THE SRC’S ATTENTION

·        DEREGISTRATION: Many of us face massive financial hurdles while in university. The majority of students here simply cannot afford it yet do not qualify for the initiatives that are in place to assist such as NSFAS and No Student Hungry. We are told that our parents earn above a certain salary bracket as if we would be applying for these things if our parents’ salaries were sufficient. Let’s not be blind guys, university is a luxury very few South Africans can actually afford. Please help us in one, keeping the tuition fees standard for at least 3 years and two, ensuring that final year students do not get deregistered. For many of us here, being at university is the only way we are going to break the chain of poverty in our families. So when we end a students’ study career, it isn’t just them that we affect, we shatter the hopes of their whole family. To do that to someone so close to the end of their studies is simply inhuman. So many of us rely on loans, but it gets to a point when no one will help you anymore. So many of us rely on stokvel pay-outs but that is often just once a year. Some of our parents have retired so that they can get their retirement pay-outs. That means pouring out their entire life’s work for a single year of tuition fees, accommodation fees, textbooks, grocery, clothes. And remember, a parent can only retire once. What happens with the rest of those years? We can do more guys. We have to do more.

·        LANGUAGE POLICY REVIEW: There is a need to create a bigger awareness for this review amongst our peers. This process demands our full participation so that we don’t end up with a negotiated settlement that disadvantages the majority. There are various reasons why we should get involved with this and I hope you will discuss these amongst yourselves. If not, I’ll write a separate letter.

·        ACCOMMODATION: The lack of adequate housing for students in and around campus is preposterous. The recently built accommodation facilities that are within safe walking distance of the university are designed to exclude the majority of students by making rent far out of their reach. It is undeniable that a comfortable living space can make all the difference to one’s studies, yet the students at this university are expected to see living and studying comfortably as a privilege. It is not and I hope this SRC will accelerate the process of acquiring safe, affordable and comfortable accommodation for all students.

·        IRAWA: Irawa prides itself on being “the student voice since 1944” but much like the student voice on campus, it has been silenced. I appeal to you to revive it and let it regain its integrity. It cannot operate as a management mouthpiece; we have the Monday Bulletin for that. The Irawa has previously served as a reliable news provider and even launched a few careers for media and journalism students. One such example is TimesLive writer Reabetswe Khoabane who used to work at the Irawa during her days here at the University of the Free State. It is also then a training platform giving practical skills to students who would otherwise not get any. A point that university education is often scrutinized for. Then along with practical skills surely Irawa writers should also gain qualities such as uprightness and being principled?

·        TRANSPORT: It is simply unfair that 15 years into a new millennium the university hasn’t figured out a way to transport students to and from campus safely and efficiently. We are all competing for the same degrees yet others are expected to compete from an obviously disadvantaged point. It is unfair that people have to make the choice between their studies and their safety when they want to make use of the study logs in the evenings. Some people walk all the way from downtown daily because the travel cost is simply too high. And what about the students from Thaba-Nchu and Botshabelo who have to get up at 4a.m. to leave their homes at 5a.m? Who speaks up for these students? This needs the SRC’s urgent attention to ensure that we have a lasting solution.

·        DEVASTATINGLY GOOD-LOOKING SRC MEMBERS: I kid. Not about the good-looks. About you needing to address this. It’s cool with us.