UP election invalid

3 September 2015

AfriForum Youth demands a re-election of the Representative Student Council (SRC) at the University of Pretoria (UP) before the end of October 2015.

This youth organisation and several other organisations have also submitted complaints to the Department of Student Affairs (DSA) at the UP, after it came to light that the SRC election process and results were marred by irregularities.

“AfriForum Youth will not allow students to be deprived of the right to a democratic voting process,” says Monique du Randt, Spokesperson for AfriForum Youth.

AfriForum Youth is in consultation with their legal team and considers approaching the court for an order declaring the election null and void. The youth organisation also demands for the preliminary results to not get concluded, pending the probe of the complaints.

Disgruntled students from various parties will this afternoon stage a peaceful sit-in in the RoosMaryn building on campus to express their dissatisfaction and to ensure that the DSA Management attend to the complaints appropriately.

Text of the complaint:

Afriforum Youth is hereby laying a formal complaint on behalf of all affiliated candidates that participated in the SRC elections on 1 September 2015.  These complaints are with regards to the preliminary SRC results and the SRC Elections.  Our complaints are as follows:

1. Marketing:

1.1  According to election rule 5.4 (d) “No election material may be distributed at the entrances to the various campuses” and rule 5.11 “The distribution of any kind of freebie or gift is expressly prohibited” DASO and SASCO were observed distributing election material and freebies at the Prospect street entrance. 

1.2 According to election rule 5.6 “All formal campaign material must be approved by the Independent Electoral Committee and Director: Student Affairs or Deputy Director Student Affairs or their representative (on condition that the same person cannot be the Chairperson of the Independent Monitoring Body and the person who approves the election material).  All relevant University rules shall apply for the content and use of campaign material.  An electronic/hard copy sample of this campaigning material must be submitted to the IEC and Director: Student Affairs at least 48 hours before distribution, on condition of course that the material is approved.  In the case of an electronic copy, the email address for the Chief Electoral Officer shall be provided for submissions before the campaigning commences.  In the case of a hard copy sample, this will be submitted to the secretary of the Director of Student Affairs” and rule 5.8: “No campaign material other than what is officially provided in terms of this section is allowed.  Campaigns may not involve any external persons or spokespeople on behalf of a candidate or group of candidates.”  Afriforum Youth was denied the permission to run a petition while DASO proceeded with a petition.  Furthermore Duane van Wyk distributed flyers to encourage students to vote for him.

1.3 According to Section B, Tule 5.1.1 of the Poster Regulations of 2008 posters are not allowed on Ring Road.  Posters from various candidates were observed on Ring Road.

2. IEC Procedures:

2.1 According to election rule 8.2 “ The IMB must ensure that elections are free and fair through the monitoring of all the phases of an election, including nominations and nominations procedures, campaigning procedures and activities, voting and voting procedures, the design, printing, distribution and collection of ballot papers and the counting of votes and the announcements of results.”  The following complaints relate to rule 8.2:

Not all faculties were allowed to vote at all voting stations.  Some students were shown away while trying to vote because of incomplete voter rolls.

The numbers on the ballot forms and the ballot boxes did not correspond.  This was not fixed in the Aula.

 IEC staff failed to strikethrough the names of all students who voted.  Votes counted did not amount to the same amount of students who were marked off in the voters roll.

Students were allowed to vote with only a proof of registration and without any document confirming identification. 

Ballot boxes from the voting station at the IT-building were not sealed.  These unsealed ballot boxes were transported between the IT-building and Roosmaryn without any security. 

3. Change in preliminary results:

3.1 No party agent was allowed to view, observe or sign of on the preliminary results before it was released. 

3.2 A sudden change in voter counts was announced after a meeting with Professor Themba Mosia.  An example of this is the change of voter counts in such a way that Henrico Barnard was leading for the portfolio of Deputy President by 50 votes before the meeting, while the new results had him in third place, 200 votes behind the Deputy President. 

All affiliated Party Agents are willing to witness on these complaints where applicable.  With regards to these complaints, we demand the following:

1.  We demand that the election held on 1 September 2015 be declared invalid and a re-election be held before the end of October 2015.

2.  We demand an audit of the votes of the election held on 1 September 2015 in order to prevent the same irregularities in upcoming elections.

Date

Signed on behalf of Afriforum Youth by Eduan Dupper                                   Student number

ENDS

Statement issued by Monique du Randt, AfriForum Youth national management: SRC elections, 3 September 2015