AfriForum Youth awaits verdict in appeal against unfair disqualification of Afrikaans SRC member at Stellenbosch University

17 October 2024 

Judgment in AfriForum Youth’s appeal against the unfair disqualification of Jolene le Roux, a pro-Afrikaans member of Stellenbosch University’s (SU) Student’s Representative Council (SRC), is expected to be delivered today. The youth organisation maintains that Le Roux is being targeted due to her commitment to the promotion of Afrikaans at Maties and is ready to take the case further if the appeal fails.

Le Roux’s disqualification follows allegations that she benefited unfairly from AfriForum Youth’s National Women’s Day celebration during the SRC election campaign and that – with a social media post about the event made on AfriForum Youth’s Instagram page – she violated the university’s Election Commission (EC) rules. The university’s EC, however, notified her in writing in early September that it had been decided to dismiss the complaints against her, as a decision to disqualify her would have been unconstitutional.

However, shortly after it was announced on 5 September that Le Roux had been elected to the SRC, she was informed that an application to disqualify her as a SRC member had been made to the Student Court. According to this court’s judgment delivered on 5 October, Le Roux violated Article 3(7)(a) of the university’s election rules. This article states that SRC candidates may not use their own money or sponsorships through social media for marketing during the SRC election campaign. AfriForum Youth’s appeal follows in response to this ruling.

“This disqualification not only calls into question the merits of Le Roux’s candidacy but also undermines the trust many students have placed in her to represent their interests. If the appeal process fails, it will result in serious exclusion of especially Afrikaans-speaking students, as their voice on the SRC will be silenced,” says Yvonne Gerber, AfriForum Youth Development Officer.

Wian Spies, member of AfriForum Youth’s legal team and attorney at Hurter and Spies, believes that the decision to disqualify Le Roux after her successful election to the SRC and the original decision to dismiss the complaints raises questions about the transparency and fairness of the election process. “The Student Court’s ruling raises serious concerns about fairness and due process. Because Le Roux did not benefit from the AfriForum Youth event, the agenda for her disqualification can rightly be questioned,” explains Spies.

Issued by Yvonne Gerber, Youth Officer: Development, AfriForum Youth, 17 October 2024