Zara Leask Baggesen
The elections for student government are well underway at Stellenbosch University (SU), and student leaders are imploring the student body to exercise their right to vote. Stressing the importance of participation in this voting cycle, members of the Students’ Electoral Commission (SEC) and Student Parliament outlined the link between increased voter turnout and meaningful representation in an interview with Die Matie.
“Voting is one of the most direct ways students can influence the future of the university,” says Shaun Matthysen, the Chief Student Electoral Commissioner at SU. Matthysen says that representing the needs of the student body includes “discussions with university management, [advocating] for student interests, and [contributing] to decisions that affect academic life, student wellbeing, campus services, and the overall student experience”.
The role of Student Parliament extends far beyond simply holding leaders accountable. According to Solomzi Mphambo, Speaker of Student Assembly 2025/2026, the parliament maintains that “cultivating the democratic process” remains a priority. “Our role is not just oversight, but is to also empower students to participate in the voting process”, Mphambo explains. Student leadership factions continue to implore students to attend the caucuses held in order to “see the leaders that you want to elect and actively engage with them”, Mphambo tells Die Matie.
Mphambo further emphasises that functional governance requires voting “for all leadership positions”, and ensuring your vote is not confined to the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) alone.
Matthysen says, “A misconception is that one vote cannot make a difference; history shows that elections can be decided by very small margins, and every vote contributes to the legitimacy and representativeness of the result.”
Choolwe Mulaisho, the Director of Media and Marketing Campaigns for the SEC, elucidates the discrepancy between dissatisfied students and those who vote. “As we’ve seen in previous years, when people are not involved in whatever is happening on their campus, it leaves [the] majority of the student body feeling disgruntled.”
Mphambo adds, “We’re very quick to throw eggs and to criticise the leaders we elect, without participating in the electoral process.”
These statements highlight the importance student leaders place on voter participation, arguing that engaging in the electoral process lends legitimacy to criticisms of leadership and any perceived shortcomings.
“Regardless of who you support, I encourage every eligible student to take part, cast their vote and strengthen our shared commitment to student democracy,” Matthysen responds when asked to share a message to the student body,
