06/25/2024
*STATEMENT OF SASCO EASTERN CAPE POST PEC MEETING*
Tuesday, 25 June 2024
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“It is not beyond our power to create a world in which all children have access to a good education. Those who do not believe this have small imaginations.”- Nelson Mandela_
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The South African Student Congress in Eastern Cape held a PEC meeting in East London City Hall on the 22nd of June 2024, to deliberate on the state of the organisation relative to the political programme as pursued by the movement especially at the level of the province, in an attempt to develop a sound political direction for the students movement.
The meeting was graced by the presence of SASCO Treasurer General, Cde Thabile Dlamini, who delivered an NEC input that shaped a clear understanding on the following areas;
- The state of the National Democratic Revolution and the prevailing balance of forces both in the global and domestic context.
- the political weaknesses and strengths that SASCO finds itself with versus other political forces that dominate the political situation in South Africa.
- The refining of SASCO's political strategy informed by the Strategic Perspective on Transformation as the most progressive way forward. The meeting had to nurse the urgency of tackling the bread and butter issues that face the students in institutions of higher learning then landed on the viable resolutions that are informed by our political strategy.
*1. ON STUDENT RELATED ISSUES*
SASCO in the Eastern Cape fully supports the Student Accommodation Pilot project by NSFAS. It is our view that this is a much-needed intervention to create a conducive environment for students to heighten academic excellence. The pilot project by the financial aid scheme removes students from the toxic environment of crime, violence, and GBV amongst many other social ills.
It is our view that institutions of higher learning must make it priority to ensure the success of this project as it will extensively benefit the institutions of higher learning.
Landlords, Colleges, and Universities must work on a system to consolidate data of students residing in buildings so to ensure that all residences are accounted for and payments to landlords is on time to avoid matters of students being harassed by landlords.
SASCO PEC made an assessment and concluded that the state of buildings that students reside in is a cause for concern. The debilitating state of residences does not allow for a conducive environment to promote academic excellence. The leadership in province of SASCO will make provisions to meet with the MEC of Public Works and human settlements as a point of departure to intervene on this matter.
On Allowances and Tuition fee we will continue to oppose the opportunistic behaviour by the Institutions of higher learning where they increase the tuition fees year in year out as that have a negative effect on the number of NSFAS beneficiary. we also call for the standardization of fees for all institution of higher learning. We also call for Students from both TVET and university to receive the equal amount of meal allowance. We will not tolerate the separation of student when it comes to allowance.
SASCO has also noted with concern the snail pace administrating of appeals to NSFAS by student. We are in the 5th academic month and there are students who are still without funding that is deserved to them. Currently exams are nearing their conclusion and students have not yet received what is owed to them. We believe that this hampers the ability for students to deliver the best academic product possible. We therefore call on Nsfas to fasttrack this process as a matter of urgency. The PEC has since mandated its leadership to make necessary contact with NSFAS to ensure the conclusion of appeals is met.
Safety and security have become a growing concern in and around campuses. The criminality students have been subjected too has become unbearable to many. Students are unable to ensure their comfort within the parameters of living and learning due to aligning support on their security. The PEC extensively discussed the matter of safety and security of students on campuses across the province. The committee has since agreed on drafting a strategy to be presented to relevant bodies that can intervene on the matter.
*2. ON SRC ELECTIONS* .
SASCO EC continues to view Student Representative Council (SRC) elections as a strategic tool to engage our relevance and hegemony on campus. Additionally, the SPOT document clearly outlines that governance structures, such as SRC, are strategic vehicles of transformation. For these reasons, SASCO continues to contest SRC Elections and can reflect on its work in building active and proactive branches in all campuses.
Furthermore, SASCO contest SRC Elections as a test of the organizational strength and the reinforcement of power to strategically drive the transformation agenda to its logical conclusion.
SASCO EC is strongly committed to work the ground to ensure that the organization is brought to its former glory by winning back the following institutions.
• Nelson Mandela University
• University of Fort Hare
• PE College
• Fort Cox Agricultural College
The South African Students Congress (SASCO) remains the only hope for student representation and as such the organization will work tirelessly to win back all these institutions.
*3. ORGANISATIONAL MATTERS*
The PEC received the organizational report from the Provincial Secretary. The report highlighted, among other things, the progress of the appointed structures of both Eastern and Western Region. The Regional Task Teams had specific mandate of revitalising, rebuilding, and establishing active branches of SASCO. It was brought to the attention of the PEC that in both regions there had been attempts to actively sabotage the mandate given to the task teams.
The PEC also received report of high level of ill-discipline of its members particularly during the election campaign of the ANC. The PEC made internal attempts to deal with such ill-discipline which to some accord was able arrest some the mischievous behaviour by PEC members.
The PEC sought to deal with the matter of a PEC member who had not attended its meetings with this meeting being the fourth consecutive meeting with no provision of any apology. The meeting had to be guided by the constitution on the matter and we relied specific provisions that speaks about non attendance to meetings with no provision of apologies.
The report also gave an update on the state of Central region and found the region to be in a good state despite a few areas of ill-discipline from branches that were easily manageable by the REC. The meeting also noted that the there is a large number of branches that are still led by appointed structures and not elected. The PEC highlighted the importance of taking these branches to AGM’s as soon as possible.
A cause for concern was the update received on the state of Eastern region. It became evident to the PEC that the regional structure is not at all operational and has no leadership to fulfil the mandate at hand.
On Western region, the report highlighted the intense and good work of the RTT however noted that since its appointment several regional members have since gone into a state of ‘sleep mode’. This has intensified the workload on the few active members. The PEC has agreed to intervene on this matter and assist the RTT. It was noted that the region had already began sitting branch AGM’s although only a few have sat. The PEC gave equal instruction to the region to ensure the sitting of AGM’s so that the regional congress may be convened.
The meeting, therefore, having assessed these matters brought to its attention, resolved on the following in order to assist and intervene where it saw necessary.
• Eastern Region has been desolved and the PEC will now run consultation of forming a new Task Teams to deliver on the mandate of the PEC and the organisation.
• Western Region Task Team to be restructured in order to capacitate the Region on fulfilling its organisational mandate. The structure will now be as follows:
1. Regional Convener:Vuyisanani Maseti
2. Regional Coordinator: Zukile Ndzoyiya
3. Regional Resource Mobiliser: Nwabisa Ndongeni
Additional members:
Ayema Nzunzu
Solomon Bhekane
Cinga Mgavu
• Mncekeleli Madela due to missing to attend more than 3 consecutive meetings with no apology is now no longer a PEC Member.
• The PEC meeting resolved to co-opt Lonwabo Siramza as a PEC member.
• The PEC received a complaint on its Provincial Deputy Secretary and has weighed the complaint to be sufficient to be taken to a disciplinary committee. The PEC has since constituted a Disciplinary Committee to entertain this matter.
• The meeting also resolve to take necessary disciplinary steps against Cde Lindokuhle Sitshaka, Zipho Ngcali and Talente Malindi who came in the meeting drunk , disrespected the TG of SASCO and continued to drink inside the meeting until they were requested by the meeting to hand over what they were drinking after the meeting noticed some elements of intoxication resulting into them using vulgar Language during the meeting. It should be understood that out of 14 directly elected PEC members only 5 left the meeting because a disruptive and corrupted mindset whose preoccupation is outsourcing of the leadership responsibility of SASCO to malevolent former leaders that are obsessed with controlling SASCO. It is the determination of the PEC that this behavior will be dealt with decisively driven by the need to properly renew the organization.
*4. ON THE NEW EC CABINET*
SASCO Eastern Cape welcomes the new Eastern Cape Government headed by Premier Oscar Mabuyane. After a successful provincial campaign for the ANC, we look forward to the 7th administration and plans for the
province of the home of legends. The re-election of Premier Mabuyane is a testament to the strides made in the previous administration, in particular areas of student concern like the investment in student debt clearance initiatives and infrastructure development.
We congratulate the inclusion of young people in the Provincial Cabinet in the form of a product of the student movement and ANCYL PEC member, cde Sibulele Ngongo, and in the legislature in Cde Vuyo Jali, former SASCO leader and current ANCYL Provincial Chairperson, as Deputy Speaker. SASCO will give its support to them and the rest of the members. In our support, SASCO calls on the following priority areas:
1. Student debt clearance
2. Infrastructure development, particularly student accommodation in small towns where some students reside.
3. Community Safety
4. Expansion of the internship program and subsequent absorption of graduates into permanent jobs
5. Small business support and development
SASCO Eastern Cape will seek an audience with the new administration in due course to outline our ideas of building an Eastern Cape that serves its people.
*5. GOVERNMENT OF NATIONAL UNITY (GNU)*
The current state of the Government of National Unity in South Africa is marked by significant tension between the African National Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Alliance (DA), particularly regarding the appointment of ministries. The ANC, holding 40% of the coalition, and the DA, with 20%, are at loggerheads, with a major point of contention being the DA's demand to lead the Ministry of Higher Education. The SASCO Eastern Cape Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) firmly rejects these demands, deeming them unfounded and unreasonable. The PEC's rejection stems from the DA's controversial stance on transforming the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) into a loan-based system rather than maintaining it as a bursary scheme. Additionally, the PEC criticizes the DA's neoliberal agenda, which they argue would push higher education towards privatization and reinforce white dominance within the sector.
South Africa transitions into the Government of National Unity (GNU), the diversity of views among its members on crucial policy positions poses a significant challenge. In this context, the National Development Plan (NDP) emerges as a crucial for us to identify the gaps that are there in the attempts to transform our society since its inceptionby the National Planning Commission. A comprehensive and in-depth review of the NDP's implementation is essential to determine what has been achieved, identify gaps, and chart a necessary framework for the next five years.
*6. NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE (NHI)*
The PEC noted and welcomed the NHI Bill which seeks to improve the health care of the ordinary South African the recent health care system undermined the principle of equality and social solidarity thus leads to a health system where resources are distributed unfairly. compromising most of the poor and working class in the process. The NHI bill fosters social cohesion and compassion across all socio-economic groups. As the organisation that promotes equality for all we find it a good move by the ANC led Government to sign such a bill. enabling everyone to access any hospital closer to where you live will make it easier for everyone to access the health care needed speedily versus the long que that most of our people are subjected to when accessing one of the top priorities of the ANC as adopted in Polokwane Conference. We strongly agree that both sectors need reform to ensure that quality of health is improved. That will reduce burden of disease extending health coverage for all South African. On our view is that the NHI promote a healthy population our understanding is that a healthy population will make a productive work force thus contributing in the economic growth and development of the country.
The PEC calls on all branches of SASCO to remain disciplined and adhere to the code of conduct of the organisation.
*CONCLUSION*
SASCO remains the firm voice for Students and the steadfast hope for students’ community, and it’s committed to being the voice for the voiceless. In the face of the many challenges and shortcomings faced by the student community, SASCO stands resolute in its determination to ensure that the needs and rights of all students are met.
The PEC urges all SASCO members to work collectively with the Leadership in strengthening the organisation and contributing positively to the fight against neo-liberal policies posed by institutional management for the total realisation of Free quality education. The EC PEC calls on all branches of SASCO to remain disciplined and adhere to the code of conduct of the organisation.
Issued by SASCO Eastern Cape
Enquiries:
Organizer, media and publicity:
Zizipho Sibewu
067 907 6254
James Xaba
Provincial Secretary
[email protected]
0837059551
