List of priorities for the SRC
By Emma Giles, Zirquinn Phillips and Azile Kraziya
The first official agenda point of the student plenary sitting on 4 March was to determine a list of broad priorities for the Student Representative Council (SRC). The Student Assembly has the power to “determine a list of broad priorities, before the incoming SRC is elected, which the SRC must adhere to in compiling their budget and planning their activities,” according to Chapter 5.2 of the Student Constitution.
This should happen “before the incoming SRC is elected”. However, this did not happen because a student plenary sitting had not taken place in almost two years.
The Student Representative Council (SRC) and SRC managers sit together at the student plenary sitting on 4 March in the Merensky Building. Photo: Emma Giles
Alysa-Abby Kekana, the Provincial Convener of the South African Students Congress (SASCO) in the Western Cape, raised a point of clarity. She said that up until the sitting the SRC had not released documentation with a list of their priorities or their mission and vision.
On 30 March, Kekana said to Die Matie that minutes of previous SRC meetings had also not been released which were “crucial to shape the discussion because the students needed to have sufficient context on what it is that the SRC [had] already been discussing”. This would ensure that the conversation delivered an output that the students wish to see, said Kekana.
“Without that information, it made it very difficult for us to give input because, up until that point, we had no idea what was happening at an SRC level,” said Kekana.
After being acknowledged by Solomzi Mphambo, the Speaker of the Student Assembly, a student raised a point of priority for the SRC about the rising prices in the Neelsie Student Centre and within catering companies of residences.
Kekana raised a point about ensuring a contingency plan for student debt and food insecurity. She also said the Centre for Student Counselling and Development (CSCD) is under strain because there is only one social worker. She asked the SRC to ensure that the social worker is supported to be able to assist everyone.
Kekana then called for the SRC to brief attendees on their broad list of priorities that they have compiled. Mphambo asked the spokesperson of the SRC to comment.
The Chairperson of the interim Student Representative Council (SRC), Simiso Langa, raises her hand at the student plenary sitting on 4 March at the Merensky Building. Other SRC members and SRC managers are seated around her. Photo: Emma Giles
In response, Simiso Langa, the Chairperson of the interim SRC, acknowledged the concern and explained that there had been a delay in uploading the relevant documents, partly due to the Stellenbosch University (SU) website upgrade at the end of 2025. The delay was administrative rather than intentional and steps were being taken to ensure the documentation becomes accessible to students, she said.
Langa said that the SRC is using a SharePoint platform, which is integrated with the SRC’s social media platforms, to make such information available.
Langa then proceeded to read out the SRC’s vision with the following three pillars:
1) Transformative and student-centred leadership.
2) Integrity, accountability, and good governance.
3) Collaborative impact and sustainable excellence.
Langa explained what was meant under each pillar: “Under the first pillar, we as an SRC commit to advancing a transformative student experience by placing students at the centre of all SRC advocacy, decision making, and action.
“Under the second pillar, we lead with integrity and accountability to build trust between students, the SRC, and the institution.
“Pillar three, we strive for excellence through collaboration, critical engagement, and grounded work that delivers tangible outcomes for the student community.”
On 30 March, Kekana said to Die Matie that, after the sitting, she engaged with an SRC member who provided her with some insight about what was being discussed around food insecurity, and support for the social worker. That context showed her that “work is being done in that regard”. She had yet to see the outcome of these discussions, but at least there are discussions being had, said Kekana.
Kekana also said to Die Matie that, regarding historic debt and student debt, “there still needs to be a lot more done”. While there was insight given into the SDWG by the SRC Treasurer, Sinawo Sangovana, at the sitting, “we must ensure that the ground is laid so that there is sufficient work being done to prevent a similar instance from occurring next year”, said Kekana.
Kekana said that the SRC needs to engage with the relevant stakeholders, such as the Development and Alumni Relations office, to begin to alleviate pressure for next year’s “crisis of historic debt”.
Despite multiple attempts to contact Simiso Langa, Die Matie received no response by the time of publication.
