During the inauguration of the 2024-2025 Student Representative Council (SRC) on 1 October 2024, on campus, the new SRC President, Mhlengi Ngubo, said they were prepared to work with management in dealing with the student-related issues, particularly the funding related issues. Ngubo mentioned that they had issues with NSFAS, which he said was still not funding all the students, and also requested that the student allowances be delivered in time. He said that all students that are appealing must be allowed to finalise their registration with accommodation, “to foster academic excellence”, and that students should be given a chance to talk about their situation, before they are academically excluded.
Ngubo also said that they would undertake a benchmarking exercise with other institutions to learn how those institutions manage their student accommodation. Ngubo also appealed to the University to “invest in sporting facilities. We would like to see our University participating in the Varsity Cups”, he said.
Ngubo also said he would like to see the employment of technology to improve students’ lives. “We need to rollout the previously piloted e-books, develop technology solutions to coordinate transport services, health and wellness, student accommodation and Learner Management Systems (LMS),” he said.
The new SRC, will, like those before them, benefit from the empowerment programmes that the Department of Student Affairs takes the student leaders through every year. During the inauguration, Student Development Officer, Dr Mthoko Ntuli, giving the purpose of the event, confirmed that he would continue rolling out the programme which is largely responsible for the general peaceful atmosphere at the University, but in particular during the election time. During her address to the student leaders, the Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Nokuthula Sibiya, said she would have leadership workshops wit the SRC.