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UFS Protest Protocol puts safety first

17 February 2023 | Story Valentino Ndaba | Photo UFS Photo Archive

Protetst — The UFS Protest Protocol offers the university community safety guidelines during protests, including dos and don’ts for staff and students who are not demonstrating; acceptable and unacceptable behaviour during protests, and how to handle protests in accordance with standard operating procedures

The University of the Free State (UFS) recognises the right of students and staff members to peacefully assemble, picket, and protest in a way that does not interfere with the rights of other members of the university community. At the same time, the safety of all UFS staff and students is one of our top priorities.

The UFS Protest Protocol offers the university community safety guidelines during protests, including dos and don’ts for staff and students who are not demonstrating; acceptable and unacceptable behaviour during protests, and how to handle protests in accordance with standard operating procedures.

As a university, we continuously strive to create an inclusive environment where opposing views are accommodated, and the constitutional right to protest is respected. According to the UFS’s Vision 130 strategy, one of the key principles that drive the institution is social justice: “The university recognises that diversity goes together with a commitment to inclusivity, equity, and social justice. We therefore also commit to creating a culture of care and a vibrant space for, and acceptance of, constructive and critical engagement; where a diversity of often contested ideas and perspectives is not just tolerated, but also fostered through discussion and subsequent implementation.”

What should one do if a protest occurs?

1. Communicate: The university must be informed if it is to respond appropriately to protest action. If you are aware of ongoing or impending protest action, immediately inform the relevant 24/7 Protection Services operational centre.

2. Be informed: In order to respond appropriately to protest action (for your own protection and the protection of others), you need to know about impending or ongoing protests and stay informed on how it unfolds, via official UFS communication platforms and ConnectYard. The latter provides as-it-happens crisis alert notifications via WhatsApp.

3. Keep away: If at all possible, keep away from the area of the protest action. Try to keep others for whom you are responsible away as well.

4. Help others: If someone appears to be in danger or distress, intervene only if you are sure that it is safe for you to do so, and proceed calmly, without provoking protesters. Seek treatment for injuries. Should you or someone else suffer injuries of any kind during protest action, seek treatment from emergency services or Kovsie Health. Contact the Protection Services operational centres for any medical emergencies, so that they can activate the ambulance services according to available protocols.

5. Report: Report all incidents and damages to Protection Services at the numbers provided. It is important that non-protesting staff and students submit statements to the UFS investigating officers for the internal disciplinary process, to prevent similar occurrences in future. Be specific when providing a statement, to enable the investigating team to identify those involved in violent disruptions. Culprits cannot be brought to book if no evidence is available to link them to specific incidents. All reasonable steps will be taken to protect non-protesting staff and students testifying in disciplinary proceedings.

For advice on what to do and what not to do, read the UFS Protest Guidelines booklet. You can also watch the video below for more information:

Bloemfontein Campus

Protection Services: +27 51 401 2911 | +27 51 401 2634 | 0800 204 682

Ambulance: +27 80 005 1051 | 10177

Social worker: +27 73 182 3048

Kovsie Health: +27 51 401 2603

Qwaqwa Campus

Protection Services: +27 58 718 5460 | +27 58 718 5175 | +27 58 718 5360

Ambulance: 10177

Social Worker: +27 58 718 5090 | +27 58 718 5091

Kovsie Health: +27 58 718 5210

South Campus

Protection Services: +27 51 505 1217

Ambulance: +27 80 005 1051 | 10177

Social worker: +27 73 182 3048

Kovsie Health: +27 51 401 2603

News Archive

A new dawn for student governance

2011-09-02

Our SRC presidents: Richard Chemaly (Bloemfontein Campus) and Bongani Ncgaca (Qwaqwa Campus)
Photo: Hannes Pieterse

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The successful and peaceful completion of the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Student Representative (SRC) elections 2011 herals a new dawn for student governance with the announcement of the results today (1 September 2011).

The SRC elections at the Qwaqwa Campus were completed on 25 August 2011, while the elections at our Bloemfontein Campus took place on 29 and 30 August 2011.

“A new dawn heralds a new day when Richard Chemaly, the son of Lebanese immigrants becomes President of an SRC, as elected by students from all racial backgrounds and from across the student body at large. A new day has arrived when candidates could have won voter support across racial lines; a new day is here when all SRC members are now recognised leaders on the basis of academic accountability,” the Dean of Student Affairs, Mr Rudi Buys, says.

A new dawn has arrived; firstly, insofar as student elections for the choice of student leaders at the UFS now proceed according to a non-racial and a non-party political basis.

Not only did the SRC elections at both the Bloemfontein and Qwaqwa Campuses achieve its required quorum, with 31% (4 729 votes) and 50% (2 112 votes) voter turnout, respectively, but the SRC elected by students at the Bloemfontein Campus is 55% black and 45% white, and 60% female and 40% male. The numbers of votes gained by successful candidates also indicate that voters from all racial backgrounds have voted for their candidates of choice.

Secondly, a new dawn has arrived insofar as student governance occupied by only some student groups claiming to speak on behalf of all students has made way for direct voting for candidates by the broad student body and the threefold increase of student governance structures on campus.

Not only did all students at our Bloemfontein and Qwaqwa Campuses (a total of 15 173 and 4 257, respectively) have the opportunity to participate in voting directly, but nine additional Student Councils were established at our Bloemfontein Campus that each holds an ex officio seat on the SRC and allows for student governance in all the major student sectors of the student body, such as for postgraduate students, international students and all categories of student associations.

The various councils now established include the Student Academic Affairs Council, the Student Associations Council, the Postgraduate Student Council, the International Student Council, the Student Media Council, the Residences Student Council, the Commuter Student Council and the Rag Community Service Fundraising and Service Councils. In addition, all faculties also introduced student representative structures at departmental and faculty level in 2011 to ensure student participation in faculty management and governance.

The SRC members at the Bloemfontein Campus are:

Elective portfolios:
President: Mr Richard Chemaly
Vice-President: Mr Lefata David Maklein
Secretary: Ms Matshepo Ramokgadi
Treasurer: Mr Werner Pretorius
Arts & Culture: Ms Alta Grobelaar
Accessibility & Student Support: Mr William Clayton
First-generation Students: Ms Petre du Plessis
Media, Marketing & Liaison: Ms Biejanka Calitz
Sport: Mr Bonolo Thebe
Student Development & Environmental Affairs: Ms Busisiwe Madikizela
Transformation: Ms Qaqamba Mhlauli

Ex officio portfolios:
Dialogue & Ex officio: Associations Student Council: Mr Anesu Ruswa
Academic Affairs & Ex officio: Academic Affairs Student Council: Mr Jean Vermaas
Residence Affairs & Ex officio: Campus Residences Student Council: Ms Mpho Mokaleng
City student Affairs & Ex officio: Commuter Student Council: Ms Annemieke Plekker
Postgraduate Affairs & Ex officio: Postgraduate Student Council: Ms Glancina Mokone
International Affairs & Ex officio: International Student Council: Mr Pitso Ramokoatsi
Student Media Affairs & Ex officio: Student Media Council: Ms Nicole Heyns
RAG Community Service & Ex officio: RAG Fundraising Council: Ms Iselma Parker
RAG Community Service & Ex officio: RAG Community Service Council: Ms Motheo Pooe

In the Qwaqwa elections, SASCO achieved 36,84% of the vote, with SADESMO, PASMA and NASMO each achieving 29,73% and 18,56% and 12,74%, respectively .

Mr Bongani Ncgaca was elected as the President of the SRC at our Qwaqwa Campus, while the names of the SRC members at the campus will be announced on 7 September 2011.

The Central SRC will be established on 8 September 2011 by a joint sitting of the two SRCs.

The successful completion of the SRC elections at the Bloemfontein Campus follows a yearlong review process of student governance by a Broad Student Transformation Forum (BSTF) that consists of 59 delegations from student organisations and residences. The BSTF adopted independent candidacy for elective portfolios and additional student councils to provide ex officio seats on the SRC as the template for student governance, following the consideration of a series of benchmarking reports on student governance nationally and internationally.

The UFS Council adopted the new SRC Constitution, as drafted and submitted by the BSTF, on 3 June 2011.

Media Release
1 September 2011
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Director: Strategic Communication
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: news@ufs.ac.za

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