The South African Students’ Congress (SASCO) has encouraged students living at Thuto Residence to participate in the upcoming Student Representative Council (SRC) elections, saying meaningful change on campus depends on students exercising their democratic right to vote.
Although the planned residence visit was postponed, SASCO said the initiative forms part of a broader door-to-door campaign aimed at engaging students directly, raising awareness about the SRC elections and listening to the challenges they experience in their residences.
The organisation said the campaign is intended to create a platform where students can openly discuss issues affecting their daily lives, including whether their basic needs are being met and whether they are being treated fairly in student accommodation.
According to Mr Tumelo Kekana, an Information Technology final-year student and SASCO Branch Executive Committee (BEC) member, engaging students at their residences allows the organisation to better understand the realities they face and identify ways of advocating for solutions.
“We want students to understand that the power to bring change is in their hands. They cannot expect change if they do not participate in the SRC elections by voting,” said Mr Kekana.
He said the planned door-to-door campaign is intended to reach students who may not attend meetings, giving them an opportunity to raise concerns about their living conditions and student life.
“You cannot refuse help that has come knocking at your door. We want to hear directly from students about the challenges they face so that we can work towards addressing them,” he said.
He added that the campaign would also allow SASCO to assess whether students’ basic needs are being met and whether they are being treated fairly in their residences.
A new date for the residence visit will be communicated once arrangements have been finalised.