Intimidation forces suspension of SRC elections at UP

Hopes of free and fair elections for a new student representative council (SRC) at the University of Pretoria (UP) were dashed on Tuesday after the polls were disrupted before being suspended.

This was after the UP’s Department of Student Affairs (DSA) as well as the Independent Elections Facilitators of Southern Africa (IEFSA) held a meeting after a group of consisting of Pan Africanist Student Movement of Azania and Economic Freedom Fighters Students’ Command (EFFSC) members intimidated students waiting in queues at voting stations.

“The DSA and IEFSA shares the same sentiment that the environment has become very unfriendly and therefore the aspect of free in the ‘free and fair elections’ has evaporated on account of the disruptions that occurred during the day‚” said deputy chief electoral officer Wesley Maringa.

He told TMG Digital that the Hatfield campus was the worst affected.

“The decision on when the elections will resume lies solemnly with the university. The university needs to sit down and agree on the terms and demands will come and deliver manpower and we will roll it out‚” Maringa said.

 The South African Students Congress (Sasco) told TMG Digital on Monday that the EFFSC had called for a total shut-down of the university following higher education minister Blade Nzimande’s announcement on fee increases.

 Sasco said they were not in favour of a shut-down of the university‚ nor the disruptions of elections on Tuesday.

Earlier on Tuesday‚ polling was suspended for a few hours after the same group disrupted a few voting stations.

The university said that students and staff were at no time in danger‚ but urged students who were victimised to come forward. — TMG Digital