The incoming 2019/2020 Student Representative Council (SRC) has been encouraged to listen to the voices of students.

This was the message from guest speakers during the swearing in and Inauguration Ceremony for newly elected SRC members hosted by the Division of Student Affairs at the Auditorium on the Bellville campus recently.

The event was opened with a fine music by a marimba band from Chis Hani High School from Khayelitsha. Addressing the incoming student leadership,Director for Institutional Transformation, Social Cohesion and Diversity, Nonkosi Tyolwana said: “Today is the day that marks the rights of passage and entry of your leadership into the governance structure of the institution.

“This is indeed a position of authority which we shall not assume lightly, nor take for granted.” Tyolwana added that it’s time for the incoming leadership to act on the high ambitions of the institution and “make sure that every man and woman thrive”. She reminded them that students’ voices were significant in how they perform their duties. “What will count in your era is not the mere fact you have served in the 2020 CPUT SRC, but it is the difference you have made to the lives of students under your leadership. That difference will determine the significance of your legacy,” Tyolwana said.

Dean of Students, Prem Coopoo applauded the new leadership and said: “I would like to congratulate the new SRC for being elected today to be the voices of students. Listen well to students’ needs more than your needs. We all recognise you as representatives of students.” Tyolwana also paid tribute to the outgoing 2019 SRC to whom she said they had left an indelible landmark in the history of the institution.

Advocate Anzel Laubscher who officiated the swearing in of the SRC members told them, that they have embarked on a journey to be the voices of students. “A good leader does not make popular decisions but good decisions.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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For the first time ever at CPUT, the majority of students elected to the Student Representative Councils (SRC) are women.

This year has seen the male-female ratio of the SRCs on CPUT’s various campuses rise to 22:50 from 53:20 in 2019. The last two years have seen a steady growth of women who get elected into leadership. In 2018 the ratio was 8:22.

For the first time ever, this year the Central SRC President is a woman and her name is Phinda Swaartbooi.  

Just like their mother organisations in parliament, the students’ political structures at CPUT have made a commitment to ensure that women feature prominently in leadership positions.

Advocate Lionel Harper, Head of the Department of Student Governance and Leadership (DSGL), says this move by the student structures serves to ensure that social issues that affect women students such as gender-based violence are advanced and that women get into programmes that were usually dominated by males.

“Moreover, Student Affairs management and [the CPUT] Council have strongly supported more female participation on all student structures and committees, and the staff in DSGL take gender equity matters very seriously,” adds Harper.

He says the collective efforts by the University’s stakeholders are yielding positive results in respect of more female students aspiring to occupy leadership roles at CPUT.

The Department of Student Affairs has further implemented a special mentoring programme for the female student leaders beginning with academic mentoring and later focused on specific leadership and general broad-based transformation coaching by three highly competent CPUT staff members. 

“This mentoring is also being extended to the male student leaders so that all student leaders receive high level mentoring/ coaching in addition to the induction and training that DSGL provides for all the 53 SRC members and the Faculty Representatives,” says Harper.

He adds that the Department also anticipates higher numbers of female students becoming Faculty representatives in the future.

For the individual profiles of the women elected to the Local SRCs please see the university’s official Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/cput.ac.za

Written by Kwanele Butana
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Phinda Swaartbooi is the newly-elected President of the Central Student Representative Council (CSRC) and the first woman in the history of CPUT to occupy the position.

Phinda has been deployed into the office by the South African Students Congress (SASCO) after incumbent president Skhulule Mpetsheni could not complete his term.

She says the fact that she is the first female President at CPUT has not yet sunk in to her as she was not even aware of this feat until she saw her picture posted on social media with the caption, "First female President".

“I want to thank the organisation SASCO for the deployment, the movement has shown that indeed there is no social revolution without the liberation of women as alluded to by Thomas Sankara,” she says. “The struggle for women in leadership and the fight against the patriarchal system must continue and advance.”

Phinda adds that her source of inspiration is God and the support from her family.

She commenced her studies at CPUT in 2016 when she enrolled for a Diploma in Landscape Technology, but later changed courses when she realised that her core passion was assisting people and advocating for human rights. That was how she developed passion for her current course, Nursing Science, for which she is in her third year of study.

The 27-year-old is a staunch SASCO member who previously served as Political Commissar with a mandate to organise students to work towards transformation and advocate for a single co-ordinated system in institutions of higher learning that is non-racial and non-sexist. She assures the CPUT community that the role of the CSRC is to serve and represent the interests of students with integrity, accountability, transparency and accessibility to their fellow students.

• For the duration of Women’s Month, we will be profiling several high profile CPUT women whose achievements and activities help us to become One SMART CPUT.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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The Student Representative Council (SRC) represents the more than 33 000 students enrolled at CPUT in all of the university’s various decision-making bodies and committees.

Responsible for student governance in the institution, the SRC is composed of the Central SRC (CSRC) and five Local SRCs, which are based on the Bellville, Cape Town, Mowbray, Athlone and Wellington Campuses.

CSRC Secretary-General, Vuyisa Mgulwa says they intend to help students with registrations issues as well as their lack of food.

“To this effect the South African Council of Churches has made commitment to the national body of SRCs that it will help to address students’ financial needs,” says Vuyisa.

CRSC Deputy President, Phumlani Mpofu, says the SRC will play a more active role in the orientation of new students.

Phathindwe Ncamase, Bellville Local SRC chairperson, says they will run workshops to educate first year students about the application process for the National Financial Aid Scheme as well as the interpretation of its loan terms and conditions.

Students can visit the Local SRC offices in the Student Centers at the Bellville and Cape Town Campuses, at the SRC office on the Wellington Campusand the Sports Hall at Mowbray Campus.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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Registered students will once again get an opportunity to exercise their democratic right to vote on 24 and 25 October 2024 when the SRC elections will be held.

Several structure such as the Pan Africanist Student Movement of Azania, Economic Freedom Fighters Student Command, South African Students Congress, Anonymous Hope, Africanist's People legal forum, and independent students will be participating in the elections. The Division of Student Affairs (DSA) has appointed IEA, KDBS to run the elections. The official Elections website can be accessed at www.cputsrcelections.co.za and has ample information on the Elections. The Department of Student Governance and Leadership Development also provided the Electoral Commission with logistical support to reach out to their constituencies.

The Department of Student Governance and Leadership Development has been running a series of dialogues such as debates on the government of national unity and the Imbizo on “what competencies and skills will candidates require in the student governance space”.

Sammy Elie, Head of Student Governance and Leadership Development, said all registered students are encouraged to participate in the elections. The campaigning and manifesto will be launched today, 22 October 2024. “Let us deepen constitutional democracy and ensure all eligible students participate in elections,” Elie said.

Students are encouraged to see the CPUT election website for provisional lists.

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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