Acceptance Speech of the Inauguration UKZN SRC

Programme Director
Honorable Deputy Minister of Home Affairs
Former President of the ANC Youth League
Cde Malusi Gigaba
Honorable Members of the 4th Democratic Parliarment of the RSA
Honorable Mduduzi Manana
Member of the NEC of the ANC Youth League
Youngest Member of Parliarment
Vice Chancellor Proffessor Malegapuru Magoba
Members of the Executive of the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal
President of Convocation
Managers of different student services departments
The Business community
Outgoing SRC Members Led by President Bavelile Hlongwa
Fellow Students
All Protocol observed

This inauguration takes place in the fifth year of celebrating and commemorating the merger of the former University of Durban Westville and University of Natal into what is now called the Univeristy of Kwa-Zulu Natal, a leading African university. I must confidently remind honorable guests that the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal remains a shining example in the manner in which it dealt and continues to deal with the difficulties brought about a merger of two historically different institutions. This inauguration also takes place at a time when His Excellency President Jacob Zuma has just recently announced the appointment of Justice Sandile Ngcobo, a former student and lecturer of this institution as the new Chief Justice of the Republic. This to us is further proof that this gallant university has produced and continues produce citizens of a very high caliber who play a very prominent and central role in the rebuilding of this great country. It must equally be noted that the former Chief Justice, Pius Langa, is also a former student. There have been consistent calls nationally for the review of some of the merged institutions in the country as they’ve not been able to bring about opportunities for which they were designed. Whilst we support the review as we believe it will be able address the problem areas, we however remain convinced that this university has been able to live up to standard and therefore it should remain intact. In so-much as there have been progress in the institution, there still remains question marks in relation to the speed with-which transformation is being effected. A very worrisome trend to us as the student population…!

Honorable Deputy minister we have just emerged out of a very fiercely contested election, where plus minus 10 000 students went out to the voting station and casted their votes, two thirds of the students of the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal casted their vote in favor of the African National Congress Youth League. By this they were reaffirming their hope of a Better life for all.

In its manifesto the ANC Youth League has prioritiesed the following:
Better Accomodation
More Financial Aid packages
The fight against Academic and Financial exclusions.
Programmes dealing with the attainment of Academic excellency
Transformation of Policies to improve the lives of all students.
Social coercion and
A vibrant student life on all our campuses.

Fellow students the time for super star and celebrity SRC members has come to an end. Elected representatives are elected to serve and that’s it, we are nothing but the servants of students. SRC members must be able to take shuttle busses alongside our students, so as they can be to able feel what the students feel, so as when the students come and complain about the busses, they as SRC members will take up the matter with the urgency that it deserves.

SRC vehicle can no longer be seen parked outside of night clubs and sheebeens. Any SRC member cought doing this shall be brought to book. It cannot be that we have womanizers in our SRC, and it cannot also be that we have man eater disguised as SRC members, it just must simply come to an end.

Quoting the words of the National Secretary of the Young Communist League when he addressed the students of Howard College in the Siyanqoba Rally of the PYA, Buti said “If you did not have a girlfriend or a boyfriend before being an SRC member, you must just stay without one, because election to the SRC does not automatically translate to you being entitled to a boyfriend or a girlfriend”.

Fellow students I want to disclose to you here today that the office of the first lady of the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal has been taken it is no longer available. So by this I mean if I approach any woman or male asking for a relationship, I will be misleading you to the highest order and you should there and there remind me of my words in this inauguration.

As the incoming SRC we commit to fast transformation, and a speedy service delivery of the basic needs of our students. Honorable Manana this we plan to do by introducing an administration wing of the SRC in accordance to the SRC constitution which states in clause.

7.2.12 that the responsibilities of the central SRC should include “The formation of such standing committees and sub-committees as it considers necessary to fulfill its functions, and the approval of the constitutions of such bodies”.

Fellow students This will ensure the inclusion of more students in SRC activities, and will also introduce and expose more students in governance matters, which will in the long run assist the Republic to get a more efficient and reliable public service. It will also strengthen the SRC in its implementation of its program of action, whilst at the same time assisting SRC members in jostling between the twin task that they have, that of representing the students and that of being a student striving towards academic excellence.


To the management we will be making demands to better the lives of our students. We will demand a total removal of our students from the Point Road Area in town. We will also demand that we expect nothing but 100% commitment from our lecturerers and we demand only the best of the best lecturers, we also demand an effective tutoring programme, that will provide sufficient academic support to our students to realize our goal of academic excellency.

As the SRC we will be representing all students, but the other reality is that we must be able to protect the most vulnerable students. These students will be those who come from previously disadvantaged backgrounds.

In light of the previous fee increment we demand that the matter for this year be looked and handled with care, facing the realities of the global economic crises.

In dealing with the issue of academic exclusions, we call for the reviewal of the academic exclusions policy, popularly known as the robot system. We also demand that there be no financial exclusions, because it does not make sense to me as a student as to why I should be punished for the fact that there is no money to finance my studies, as if I had anything to do with it, I just simply had no choice over the matter. It should be a willing student and will university situation, the student must be willing to study, and there just must be funding made available.

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge our former SRC’s who came before us and who have served our students with honour and dignity, and say to them thank you very much. I would like to send a special thank you to the current outgoing SRC under the leadership of Cde Bavelile Hlongwa and Mabandla Dlangamandla, and say to them thank you Cde’s, you have layed the ground for us and left a stable administration.

I would like to thank the students and the members of the SRC for electing me as President of the SRC of the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, with the same tone I am also deeply honoured to congratulate all 60 members for being elected into the SRC of the University.

The students of the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal know that I am not new to student leadership, I have been deployed by my organizations to different structure of student governance, as member of the Humanities Faculty Committee for two terms, first as the Secretary under the leadership of Mlondolozi Mkhize the outgoing SG of the Howard College SRC, then as a Chairperson. I was elected into the Local SRC of Howard College for the term 2007/2008 as the Sports, Arts and Culture officer. Today I stand here before you as the President of the Central SRC.

I would like to thank my friends and family for the support they have given me. Most importantly I would like to thank my organization the African National Congress Youth League and its Alliance partners SASCO and YCL for trusting me with the responsibility of leading the programme of the organization in the SRC.

Once more, I would like to thank all students for electing me as President of the SRC and look forward to working with you and assure you that I will not disappoint you.

Thank you very much

By Thanduxolo Sabelo