Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
2013/14
VOTERS GUIDE
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U O Y E K MA M r ! K AR
ELEctions
INDEX
INTRODUCTION SRC general elections Where to vote? Message from the electoral office Message from the outgoing president DASO DASO manifesto DASO candidates INDEPENDENTS Independent candidates & manifestos PROJECT W Project W manifesto Project W candidates PYA PYA manifesto PYA candidates 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 9 18 19 33 34 35 45 46 48
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Remember that your vote is a secret!!!!! No preference is indicated on the ballot card. NB : Please use the pencil provided to cast your vote. There are 15 seats available on the SRC Committee and so when you receive your voting ballot card, you will be allowed to mark the numbers of 15 candidates whom you would like to see leading the SRC. If you like, you can Vote for less than fifteen preferred candidates, but not more than 15 because that will render your vote a spoilt one and thus disadvantaging your preferred candidates.
WHERE TO VOTE?
POLLING STATIONS Voting will take place as follows; Tuesday 27, Wednesday 28, and 29 August 2013 LOCATION Harold Holmes library- (outside) Piazza Great Hall Stairs Matrix (Next to Pentz Bookshop) FNB (next to Mayas Caf) Adler Museum Main Foyer CAMPUS Education Campus East Campus East Campus West Campus Medical School TIME 09:00 17:00 09:00 19:00 09:00 19:00 09:00 19:00 09:00 16:30
Please note that that voting will only be upon producing a valid 2013 student card.
DASO
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DASO MANIFESTO
1. Safety for all
The severe economic and social consequences of being affected by crime are serious, and can range from being unable to attend lectures due to physical injuries, high levels of post-traumatic stress which impacts negatively on studies. A DASO SRC will ensure that all areas of the campus must be well monitored by CCTV camera. The security at the University entrances needs to be enhanced by requiring proper identification of students entering and leaving by vehicle. The University must integrate campus security systems SAPS.
2. Student Forum
YOU are taking the time to elect a good SRC to represent YOU. DASO acknowledges this fact and assures all Wits students that a DASO SRC will establish an effective communication system with students on all campuses. A DASO SRC will hold public meetings at least once a month. Student Forum
4. Facilities
The Wits main campus has a severe lack of parking space for students and a mismanaged parking space for staff. This results in students arriving late for lectures, cars being clamped and vandalised and other inconveniences. A DASO SRC believes that the only solution to the parking problem is to create more parking space, either by utilising land around the University, or by building a parkade on existing parking space. The SRC must prioritise this issue and ensure that the management is made aware of the implication.
5. Financial Exclusions
Each year, many students face the same issue of financial difficulty, and a subsequent battle to get reinstated into the University. Such issues affect students performance academically by adding unneeded stresses. DASO is working closely with the DA Youth to ensure proper reform of the NSFAS. Many students are unable to benefit
from the fund because they are not poor enough. We believe that such criteria need to be amended to suit the current socio-economic standards. We also promote the conversion of a NSFAS loan into a bursary for students who perform well and the delay of interest charges on the loan until the student has completed his/her studies. A DASO SRC will work towards achieving minimum exclusions and will ensure that the needs of performing students are provided for. The SRC must also stand firm against unsubstantiated fee increases and unaffordable registration fees that lead to poor academic performance.
7. Reopen O-village
O-village is currently closed due to high rent, however this also serves as a disadvantaged to students wanting to relax and kick back after a long week of lectures. We believe that students need to have a space on campus to relax and have social gatherings. Thus, a DASO SRC will ensure that through negotiation with the university O-village will be re-open. Mayas has been closed on West campus we need to ensure that there is a new shop/company that takes over from Mayas to ensure students do not have to walk to east campus.
8. Exam scripts
We believe students must be able to get back their final exam scripts after they have written without going through an application process to ensure that they can see where they went wrong. We believe that the fee for supplementary exams must be reduced as students are not able to afford the cost.
9. Fundraising
We aim to make student forum fun by bringing artist and djs we as a DASO SRC will ensure SRC report back is fun and engaging. We will host a Mr and Mrs Wits annually to raise funds for the bail-out fund. We will have the students for students concert yearly to raise funds for students.
11. Technology
Wi-fi zones throughout the whole university. Upgrade of all computer services to ensure faster internet connection.
12. Policy
We will implement the Bail Out Fund that will cater to all students who may lack finances for printing, supplementary exams, text books and excursions.
13. A DASO SRC will insure that students on West campus, Education campus and
Medical school have more than just one place to buy food and they do not have to come to main. Especially Education and Medical campuses where there is only Olives and Plates and it costs a lot to eat there.
14. Coin slots in the Kudu bucks machines and kudu bucks machines in labs and
libraries. We also want more printing facilities after hours on campus.
15. Expanding the shuttle service to accommodate all students around the City in
places like Parkstation, Noord, Bree and Braamfontein
Residence Manifesto
Printing machines at residences. Increase the WIFI radius at residences. More computers at the computer labs. Proper bus shelters and lighting for external residences. Residences to all be disability friendly with a full time care - taker. Quality food at catering residences. Allowing students to suggest meals that they would like to eat. Better entertainment rooms and recreation (mainly residences on main campus) Extend the working hours of heaters and new wall heaters in most residences. More investment in Residence sport teams. Proper working lifts in our residences Back-up generators in case of power cuts (NOT ALL RESIDENCES HAVE THIS) New sleeping mattress Self catering students to have one proper cooked meal a day because we cannot assume they do have food as students are here to get degrees and not to learn how to cook. Telephone extensions to be able to call lecturers offices on campus One approved sleep over a month.
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Interests: Clubbing, caring for animals, social networking, reading and writing Delictual Law and Property Law
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Interests:
Reading, athletics and poetry
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Interests:
Global current affairs, travelling, immersing in different cultural experiences, sports fanatic, music, philanthropy and Allan Gray Long Term Business Investment schemes
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Interests:
Clubbing, property development , farming , social networking sites, marketing events , politics and Constitutional law
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INDEPENDENTS
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Issues to be Addressed
To actively engage the University Administration in coming up with mechanism to support students in their earlier years of study as their current pass-rate is dismally low and is continuing with the free fall. To lobby the University to take up an active role in ensuring that graduates get jobs when they complete their studies. The Wits system is one of the best in this country and yet this has not been fully exploited to ensure that graduates get jobs. To provide leadership that can be used as a bridge between the student body and the Administration not as a weapon of chaos, mayhem and disorderly orchestrated fighting of the two parties. To encourage the participation of the student body in the clubs and societies of the University, funds that the University has set aside for student leadership development, talent nurturing and skills perfection currently lye idle. To extend a hand to the large contingent international students who are generally marginalized, face expensive fees payments under very un-flexible payment plans and face unequal opportunities in vacation works and getting jobs after the completion of their studies.
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PROJECT
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MANIFESTO - project w
My Manifesto is simple: Make Wits Better. I am part of the Project W group which aims to make an SRC accountable to the students. This means that the focus must be on student issues and not on party politics that ignore the students and the campus. An SRC should strive to create an environment of learning, enjoyment, activism and intellectual engagement. The obstacles facing this vision are immense and can only be tackled using the Project W platform of MASS action: Money, Academics, Social and Services.
MONEY
Money issues are the single biggest problem facing students all around the world. At Wits, like many other universities around the country, students face problems not only on how to pay for their studies and particularly on time but also other issues like accommodation and the fact that many students often go hungry.
ACADEMIC
The reason people attend university is ultimately to get an education but there are barriers. There is the issue of access to proper text books, under resourced, unavailable libraries, slow turn around times for marks and ineffective Kudu Bucks machines.
SOCIAL
Wits should be accessible and enjoyable so students can learn in a more informal way. Excessive bureaucracy prevents regular social events and stops innovation in events that create inclusion. The IT infrastructure is also poor and difficult for students to access.
SERVICES
There are basic services that the university helps to provide, however these are not adequate. The bus system is often unclear, not extensive enough and parking is a problem for students with cars. There are also issues with safety and plenty can be to be done to secure the campus. Should we be elected to the SRC I will do everything in my power to assist in dealing with these issues to Make Wits Better.
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Interests:
TLC Building Project: Orphanage for abused and abandoned babies assisted in repairing roads, clearing fields for subsistence farming and building a small concrete pond. Kensington Aids Orphanage: Cared for and fed babies with HIV /AIDS. Noahs Ark: Schooling and aftercare centre. Assisted with the homework and provided aftercare activities in the form of group sports and games.
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PYA
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MANIFESTO - PYA
The PYA believes that issues are not resolved over-night and that we cannot promise students short term solutions to long term problems; we cannot put a bandage on a gaping wound. Therefore, the PYA has a vision for the university; it is a long term vision with short term goals which will put our university in a better place year-on-year. This is our strategy for the coming year and our vision for the next 3 years time, starting from now. The PYA wants to take this university somewhere and constructively so. Where we are now
The PYA championed and won the battle for a lower registration fee for disadvantaged students through the Reduced Upfront Fee Payment Plan which began implementation in 2013 International students will be allowed to pay their fees in instalments from 2014. International students fees have been reduced, implementation in 2014. The PYA-led SRC in conjunction with the university Registrar resolved the issue of students sleeping in libraries, all of these students will be assisted with accommodation. 15 of these students have already been assisted. Revised the Sexual Harassment Policy of the university such that it protects students more thoroughly. In the process of revising the Wits Language Policy. The PYA pushed the university to build bus shelters, Knockando, EOH and Esselen bus shelters are approved for building. The PYA-led SRC of 2013 has an agreement with the university management for buses going to Bree and Noord Street Taxi ranks as well as Park Station and night buses to student accommodation in Braamfontein. The PYA-led SRC has, over a number of years, fought for a study break. From 2014 Wits will have a 3-day study break for the first time ever. A new High Performance Sport system will be implemented with High Performance facilities. A hockey Astro-turf has been built as well as a new futsal court.
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Fighting for a longer study break. Increase the number of books available as eBooks and online material. Improve communication with the entire student population. Improve the efficiency of the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office Fight against fee increments above the inflation level. Engaging corporate for bursary packages. Advocate for increased budgets for schools councils. Increasing throughput by increasing the use of Academic Development Programmes and tutorial programmes as well as academic talks to first years. Continue the battle for supplementary exams in the Faculty of Science. Cross Faculty Supplementary Exams Academic support to students involved in sports. Have a campus ambulance for the dignified transport of sick students; nobody should have to be sick on the back of a bakkie. Increase effective cameras in libraries, especially 24 hour libraries. Call for a library services audit. Back-up buses for peak hours. Implement all agreements which the current SRC has with management and various departments (such as transport, bus shelters, campus health and so on).
WitsPYA
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Interests: Socializing, Touch rugby, Tennis, Students Activities, community outreach programmes
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Interests Sport, Mathematics, Philosophy, Financial Markets, Comparative religion, interpretation of the Quran, Serving students
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OU Y KE A M r RK A M !
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