Higher education students will have to juggle between casting their votes in Wednesday’s general elections and sitting down for mid-year exams.
Some universities have also imposed a moratorium on gatherings on campus ahead of the exams, with student political formations relying on events off campus as a last push to encourage their peers to vote.
Other institutions are restricting canvassing and campaigning on campus to strictly after classes or at the conclusion of the academic programme for the day.
The temporary suspension of public events at the University of the Witwatersrand came into effect on May 20 ahead of the exams, which begin tomorrow and continue on Friday.
At the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), canvassing and campaigning on campus by student formations are limited to late afternoons at the end of the formal academic programme for the day.
The University of Cape Town (UCT) also prohibits any gathering or activities on campus during exams. The exams at UCT started on Thursday and will continue through the week, except on May 29, which is also a public holiday.
UCT student representative council (SRC) president Hlamulo Khorommbi said when the date of the elections was announced, he called on the university executive to review the academic calendar.
“I was not successful in getting the institution to consider how the exams will affect the students’ ability to exercise their right to vote. We have students who will be writing the day before and the day after the election. If those students are behind with their work, they may not be willing to wait in long queues to vote,” he said.
Khorommbi of the EFF Student Command (EFFSC) said UCT also did not have a voting station within the campus, which would further discourage those who were writing the next day to go and vote.
TUT institutional SRC president Mashila Phihlela said in an election year, institutions had to play their role in supporting the democratic programme.
“As the SRC we have raised the matter of the academic timetable with the senate to say can we not review it so that students can exercise their right to vote.”
Exams at TUT start on June 3. The institution is South Africa’s biggest contact university with almost 60 000 students.
TUT, which has six campuses in three provinces, has an institutional SRC led by the EFFSC. Two campuses are under the leadership of the ANC-aligned South African Students’ Congress (Sasco), one fully under the EFFSC, two under an EFFSC-led coalition and one under a Student Christian Organisation-led coalition.
Final-year BCom student Ntsako Nhone did not register to vote. “I did not register. It is an
irresponsible thing to do. I knew the elections were coming. I kept procrastinating to register,” said the 22-year-old, acknowledging that he was also aware of the option to register online.
Even the Electoral Commission of SA’s awareness campaign at the Auckland Park campus did not nudge Nhone to register. “I will do better next elections,” he said.
At Central Johannesburg TVET College (CJC) in Doornfontein, a small group of EFFSC and Sasco members were taking stock of their day as the date of the elections drew near.
No party regalia was in sight except for an odd red cap and T-shirts. Mikateko Tebane, Monareng Tebalelo and Master Khotha were among the few that wore their party colours. “The party must be well-presented and visible wherever fighters are present,” said Khotha.
Sandile Zondo, who was collecting the canvassing sheets, said they were mobilising students to attend the activation programme, which took place on Friday in Braamfontein.
CJC has seven campuses in Ellis Park, Parktown, Alexandra, Crown Mines, Riverlea, Langlaagte and Troyville.
A voting station will be at UJ’s Doornfontein campus.
