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05 March 2024 | Story Valentino Ndaba | Photo SUPPLIED
RIGHT TO VOTE 2024
Empowering University of the Free State faculty and students to exercise their voting rights this Human Rights Month.

In South Africa, the month of March holds special significance as it is celebrated nationwide as Human Rights Month, commemorating the hard-fought battles for individual freedoms and democratic principles. Central to this celebration is the right to vote, a cornerstone of democracy that aligns seamlessly with the principles upheld during this month.

As we mark Human Rights Month, the University of the Free State (UFS) reaffirms its commitment to promoting democratic participation among its staff and students. Aligned with the university's Vision 130 strategy, which emphasises the impact on societal development, the UFS seeks to educate and engage its community members on the importance of voting as a catalyst for positive change.

Promoting democratic participation

Axola Toto, the Bloemfontein Campus SRC President, shares the sentiment that voting is crucial in addressing pressing issues faced by the student populace, such as access to higher education and student welfare. “It is very important to vote. If you look at our history – for us to be here, we had to use our right to vote in 1994. And I'm a firm believer of the slogan that 2024 is our 1994. Voting is very much important, particularly for the student populace, because the issues that we are faced with now – the lack of access to higher education, student death and everything – can only be won if we manage to go vote and put the government we need in the right position.”

Institutional and Qwaqwa Campus SRC President, Sifundo Masuku, highlights the intergenerational responsibility to uphold the freedoms won by past generations by encouraging young people to exercise their right to vote. “As young persons, we are now in a way lucky to have this freedom that our forefathers fought for. So, it doesn't end there – for us to continue to be free, it must start with us encouraging the young ones, especially the ones who are at the universities. As the SRC, we are encouraging all students at the University of the Free State to go and vote, and they must vote for the right organisation.”

In the words of Delroy Swartz, a Council member at the UFS East College, the motivation to participate in elections stems from personal experiences of socioeconomic challenges, exacerbated by political factors. Similarly, Natalia de Abreu, an Assistant Researcher in Kovsie Support Services, highlights the influence of voting on shaping the future of the country and individual lives.

Encouraging informed decision-making 

Gerben van Niekerk, a Senior Officer in Kovsie Support Services, underscores the importance of informed voting, urging individuals to carefully consider the manifestos of all parties to make meaningful choices. “Take the time, take the effort, go through all of the manifestos – even of the smaller parties – you might find something that will really resonate with you. And when you read these manifestos, really think about what these manifestos are saying. So, if higher education is important to you, then look at what they are saying and you might find that there's a small party that really resonates with you, then vote. But it is very important that you do vote, because to come back to my first point, if you don't vote, you're not allowed to moan about anything in South Africa.”

Tebogo Malatjie, Chief Officer in Student Counselling and Development, emphasises the responsibility of each voter to contribute to building a better South Africa through responsible and informed decision-making. 

The right to vote

Successfully navigating the complexities of a democratic society involves recognising the sacrifices made to safeguard rights and understanding the influence citizens wield in shaping the future. During this Human Rights Month, the UFS reaffirms that dedication to democracy and progress can be achieved by exercising the right to vote.

Watch the video below:

News Archive

Emma Sadleir talks about social media etiquette
2016-05-18

Description: Emma Sadlier Tags: Emma Sadlier

Emma Sadleir
Photo: Supplied

“We have all become celebrities, we have become social figures because of our power to publish information. We have all become brands, and we need to protect our brand. Digital content is sometimes dangerous content,” said Sadleir.

On 11 May 2016, the University of the Free State, in collaboration with the Postgraduate School, hosted, Emma Sadleir, a leading social media expert, in the Equitas Auditorium on the Bloemfontein Campus. She is an admitted advocate, specialising in social media law.  Dr Henriette van den Berg, Director of the Postgraduate School, described Sadleir’s presentation as a privilege for all the staff and students who attended.

Sadleir said that there are two important rules that staff and students of an institution should try to follow. The first is not to bring the name of the institution into disrepute; and the second is not to breach the goodwill of the institution or, in other words, not to bite the hand that feeds you.

“The common law, even if there is no policy, is that anything that brings the company into disrepute can lead to disciplinary consequences up to termination,” said Sadleir.

Sadleir focused on hate speech and free speech, stating that free speech is a right that is entrenched in the constitution, but, like every other right, it has limitations. She mentioned Penny Sparrow, Matt Theunissen, Velaphi Khumalo, and Judge Mabel Jansen, all of whom have been lambasted by the public over their racist posts on social media. Sadleir stressed that, even on social media, content has to be within the confines of the law, and people must remember our rights are not absolute. We have a lot of freedoms, but no one cannot disseminate hate speech.

“Would you publish whatever you thinking on a billboard, close to a busy highway with your name, picture and employers details or the institution you studying at? If you have no grounds to justify the comment, do not post it,” warned Sadlier.  

According to the South African Bill of Rights, everyone has the right to privacy, but an expectation of privacy has to be enforced. She said people over-document their lives on social media, decreasing your right to privacy drastically. “It is like CCTV footage of your life. It is simple, the more you take care of your privacy, the more you have,” said Sadleir.

Sadleir said it was important for Facebook users to have privacy settings where they can review posts where they are tagged. According to Sadleir, managing your reputation is not only limited to what you post about yourself but also managing what others post about you.

She cited a 2013 case in the Pretoria High Court in which a new wife wrote a scandalous Facebook post about her husband’s ex-wife, tagging the husband in the post. The courts found both the new wife and the husband guilty of defamation.

“If you have been tagged in something but have not been online and seen the content, you are then an innocent disseminator. The moment you are aware of the post you are liable for the content,” said Sadleir.

“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently,” Sadleir said, concluding her presentation with the quotation from Warren Buffet.

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