Reflections of South African Student Leaders
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Reflections of South African Student Leaders Student African South of Reflections The book is important for current and future leaders of higher education institutions as it provides insights into the thinking, aspirations, desires, fears and modus operandi of student leaders. A ‘must read’ for current and future student leaders. – Prof. Narend Baijnath, Chief Executive Officer, Council on Higher Education Reflections of South African Student Leaders 1994-2017 brings together the reflections of twelve former SRC leaders from across the landscape of South African universities. Each student leader’s reflections are presented in a dedicated chapter. Key topics covered in the chapters are: Reflections of • Personal background and context of getting involved in student leadership South African • Role as member of the SRC, SRC model, SRC electoral system • Involvement of political parties in student politics and the SRC • Ongoing communication and consultation of the SRC with Student Leaders the student body • Relationship with university management and support from student affairs • Co-operative governance and student representation in 1994 to 2017 university governance & Bhengu Webbstock Luescher, • Main challenges, student grievances and demands • Reflections on #FeesMustFall, #EndOutsourcing and #RhodesMustFall • Lessons for current and future leaders of higher 1994 to 2017 education institutions Thierry M Luescher, Denyse Webbstock & Ntokozo Bhengu FEATURING Kenny Bafo, Hlomela Bucwa, Lorne Hallendorff Mpho Khati, Kwenza Madlala, David Maimela Zukiswa Mqolomba, Prishani Naidoo, Jerome September Muzi Sikhakhane, Vuyani Sokhaba and Xolani Zuma Reflections of South African Student Leaders 1994 to 2017 Thierry M Luescher, Denyse Webbstock & Ntokozo Bhengu FEATURING Kenny Bafo, Hlomela Bucwa, Lorne Hallendorff, Mpho Khati, Kwenza Madlala, David Maimela, Zukiswa Mqolomba, Prishani Naidoo, Jerome September, Muzi Sikhakhane, Vuyani Sokhaba and Xolani Zuma Published in 2020 by African Minds 4 Eccleston Place, Somerset West, 7130, Cape Town, South Africa [email protected] www.africanminds.org.za and Council on Higher Education (South Africa) 1 Quintin Brand Street, Persequor Technopark, Pretoria, 0020 Tel: +27 12 349 3840 [email protected] www.che.ac.za 2020 African Minds All contents of this document, unless specified otherwise, are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors. When quoting from any of the chapters, readers are requested to acknowledge the relevant author. Cite as: Luescher, T.M., Webbstock, D. & Bhengu, N. (Eds) (2020). Reflections of South African Student Leaders, 1994 to 2017. Cape Town: African Minds. ISBN: 978-1-928502-09-8 eBook edition: 978-1-928502-10-4 ePub edition: 978-1-928502-11-1 Copies of this book are available for free download at: www.africanminds.org.za www.che.ac.za ORDERS: African Minds Email: [email protected] Or the Council on Higher Education Email: [email protected] To order printed books from outside Africa, please contact: African Books Collective PO Box 721, Oxford OX1 9EN, UK Email: [email protected] contents Tables and figures .............................................................................................. iv Abbreviations and acronyms ................................................................................v Acknowledgements ............................................................................................ ix Preface ............................................................................................................... xi Chapter 1 A quarter-century of student leadership ....................................... 1 Chapter 2 Muzi Sikhakhane ........................................................................ 18 Chapter 3 Prishani Naidoo .......................................................................... 40 Chapter 4 Jerome September ....................................................................... 61 Chapter 5 Kenny Mlungisi Bafo .................................................................. 81 Chapter 6 David Maimela ......................................................................... 106 Chapter 7 Xolani Zuma............................................................................. 129 Chapter 8 Zukiswa Mqolomba .................................................................. 156 Chapter 9 Kwenzokuhle Madlala .............................................................. 175 Chapter 10 Lorne Hallendorff .................................................................... 199 Chapter 11 Hlomela Bucwa ........................................................................ 214 Chapter 12 Vuyani Ceassario Sokhaba ........................................................ 230 Chapter 13 Mpho Khati .............................................................................. 253 Chapter 14 Continuities and discontinuities in student leadership: Has co-operative governance failed? ......................................... 277 About the editors ............................................................................................ 311 Index .............................................................................................................. 313 tables and figures Table 1 Selection criteria and participants......................................................... 11 Table 2 Participants’ involvement in student politics at South African public universities...................................................... 13 Figure 1 Word cloud of student leaders’ reflections........................................281 IV / Reflections of South African Student Leaders abbreviations and acronyms AGM Annual General Meeting ANC African National Congress ANCYL ANC Youth League ASB Afrikaanse Studentebond AZAPO Azanian People’s Organisation AZASCO Azanian Student Convention BA Bachelor of Arts BAdmin Bachelor of Administration BCom Bachelor of Commerce BEC Branch Executive Committee BSocSci Bachelor of Social Sciences BTech Bachelor of Technology CA chartered accountant Cape Tech Cape Technikon CFO Chief Financial Officer CHC Central House Committee CHE Council on Higher Education COSAS Congress of South African Students CPUT Cape Peninsula University of Technology DA Democratic Alliance DASO Democratic Alliance Students Organisation DG director-general DHET Department of Higher Education and Training DP duly performed (certificate) DUT Durban University of Technology DVC deputy vice-chancellor EFF Economic Freedom Fighters EFFSC EFF Student Command IV / Reflections of South African Student Leaders Abbreviations and acronyms / V eNCA eNews Channel Africa FFACT Forum for Further Accelerated and Comprehensive Transformation GC General Council GEAR Growth, Employment and Redistribution HE Higher education HESA Higher Education South Africa (now: USAf) HR Human resources HSRC Human Sciences Research Council IEC Independent Electoral Commission IF Institutional Forum IFP Inkatha Freedom Party ILSA International Law Student Association ISM International Socialist Movement LLB Bachelor of Laws MA Master of Arts ManCord Management Coordination Committee MEC Member of the Executive Council MEDUNSA Medical University of South Africa MISTRA Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection MP Member of Parliament MUT Mangosuthu University of Technology MK Umkhonto we Sizwe NCHE National Commission on Higher Education NEC National Executive Committee NECC National Education Crisis Committee NEHAWU National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union NEUSA National Education Union of South Africa NMU Nelson Mandela University NRF National Research Foundation NSFAS National Student Financial Aid Scheme NUSAS National Union of South African Students PABASA Pan African Bar Association of South Africa PAC Pan Africanist Congress of Azania PASMA Pan Africanist Students’ Movement of Azania PASO Pan Africanist Student Organisation PenTech Peninsula Technikon PLT Practical Legal Training PQM Programme and qualifications mix PYA Progressive Youth Alliance RAG Remember and Give RDP Reconstruction and Development Programme VI / Reflections of South African Student Leaders Res student residence RCL Representative Council of Learners SA South Africa SAB South African Breweries SACP South African Communist Party SADESMO South African Democratic Student Movement SALSA South African Liberal Students Association SANSCO South African National Students’ Congress SAQA South African Qualifications Authority SASCO South African Students’ Congress SASO South African Students Organisation SATSU South African Technikon Students’ Union SAUS South African Union of Students SAU-SRC South African Universities Students’ Representative Councils SC senior counsel SG secretary-general SHAWCO Students’ Health and Welfare Centres Organisation SMS short message service SPU Sol Plaatje University SRC Students’ Representative Council SSAC Student Socialist Action Committee SSSC Student Support Services Council SU Stellenbosch University TB tuberculosis TEFSA Tertiary Education Fund for South Africa TVET Technical and Vocational Education and Training UCSA United Christian Students of South Africa UCT University of Cape Town UDF United Democratic Front UDW University of Durban-Westville UFS University of the Free State UJ University of Johannesburg UNISA University of South Africa UP University of Pretoria USA United States of America USAf Universities South Africa