Over the past few years, the safety of students housed at the University of Venda (Univen) remained questionable as they were terrorised by burglars, robbers and, in some cases, young women were raped – either on their way to or inside their rooms at night. But it seems that Univen's new president of the student representative council (SRC), Gudani Lloyd Tshaamano, has big ambitions to see things improve for the students.
Tshaamano, also known as "President Speaking Here", was elected as SRC president last Friday (14 October), after his party, The Economic Freedom Fighters Student Command (EFFSC), won this year's SRC elections with 5 226 votes to Sasco's 2 963 votes.
Tshaamano said they had already started dealing with the issue of safety last year, when the EFFSC took the power from Sasco. "The safety of our students is a priority; we want to have 24-hour security that will patrol the residential quarters where our students are staying, as well as the routes the student use when they are not on the campus," he said.
Another concern the SRC wants to address is the issue of bursaries. "We are planning on visiting the NSFAS' head offices in Cape Town to solve the matter of dual registrations and other issues preventing students from getting funding. While we are at it, we are also pleading with the management to help students who are not funded with food parcels."
Tshamaano also shared his plans to make sure that female students get free sanitary pads. "Our students are poor and some of them cannot afford sanitary towels. We cannot distribute free condoms, but not pads. Sex is a choice, menstruation is not," he said.
The EFF congratulated Univen's student command. "We congratulate the EFFSC battalion, led by "President Speaking Here" (Tshamaano), for emerging victoriously to take on the responsibility of leading the university's SRC. A mammoth task lies ahead of them, but we are confident that they will execute the mandate given by the students and apply their experience in leading the university for two consecutive years to advance service delivery for all students," said the EFF in a media statement.