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UFS sets new benchmark with successful 2024/2025 CSRC elections

09 September 2024 | Story Lunga Luthuli | Photo Supplied

The University of the Free State (UFS) has proven its commitment to innovation and student engagement with the recent 2024/2025 Campus Student Representative Council (CSRC) elections, which were held online and featured real-time results projection across all three campuses. The elections, held from 20 to 22 August 2024, marked a significant milestone for the institution, setting a precedent in the national higher education landscape.

Dr Grey Magaiza, Chairperson of the UFS Elections Logistics Committee (ELC), provided insight into the planning process that went into making the elections a success: “Planning for an institutional CSRC election is a very demanding process,” he explained. “Multiple stakeholders have to be appraised of the project, as it has multiple implications for the institution. The voting is the last phase in a long list of actions that a capable team must support.”

One of the most notable aspects of this year’s elections was the introduction of real-time results, a first for any institution in South Africa. Despite the challenges that came with being pioneers in this area, the ELC managed to overcome them through rigorous scenario planning and extensive negotiations. “This is a huge milestone, but it did not come without its own challenges,” Dr Magaiza said. “We had to engage in multiple negotiations with numerous process owners. The debates that ensued only sharpened our ability to observe potential blind spots.”

Students embrace live voting

The transition from traditional online voting to a system with live results was met with enthusiasm by the student body. “Students have always been for online elections. The majority of students we talked to loved the live results format,” Dr Magaiza said. The decision to share the live results link with the entire student body, despite initial requests for it to be limited to party agents, was particularly well-received, further enhancing transparency and engagement.

Security and accuracy were also top priorities for the ELC, with advanced IT processes in place to ensure a seamless voting experience. Each student was provided with a unique one-time PIN (OTP) sent to both their UFS email and cellphone, and the system was designed to cater to the specific needs of each campus.

The live results projection, which updated every five minutes, not only drove massive voter turnout across all campuses but also fostered a more dynamic and engaging election atmosphere. “The turnout was massive across all three campuses, surpassing the previous year’s figures,” Dr Magaiza said.

Reflecting on the success of the elections, Dr Magaiza emphasised the importance of collaboration and preparation. He also expressed confidence that the UFS model could serve as an example for other institutions in South Africa. “Live results enhance transparency and acceptance of the election results. As UFS, we have not had a single objection with regards to the first-past-the-post election results,” he concluded.

The 2024/2025 CSRC Elections at the UFS have not only set a new standard within the university, but have also highlighted the potential for innovation in student governance across the country.

News Archive

Leah Tutu - from a humble heritage to a matriarch of devotion

2013-10-18

Leah Tutu
18 October 2013

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Leah Tutu Symposium: YouTube video

There are treasures in life, but owners are few
Of money and power to buy things brand new
Yet you can be wealthy and feel regal too,
If you will just look for the treasures in you …

The joy and the laughter, the smile that you bring;
The heart unafraid to love and to sing;
The hand always willing to help those in need;
Ones quick to reach out, to labour and feed.

So thank you for sharing these great gifts inside;
The caring, the cheering, the hug when one cried.
Thanks for the energy, encouragement too,
And thank you for sharing the treasures in you. (Author unknown)

With these words, Thandeka Tutu-Gxashe embodied the celebration in honour of her mother, Leah Tutu.

On Thursday 17 October 2013, the Annual Intercontinental Leah Tutu Symposium was launched at the UFS’ Bloemfontein Campus. Dignitaries and students alike flocked to the Centenary Hall where friends and family shared their immense love and respect for Ms Tutu.

Approaching the podium, Eunice Dhadhla (co-founder with Ms Tutu of the Domestic Workers Union) started humming and in an instant the audience had risen to their feet and the words “My mother was a kitchen girl. My father was a garden boy. That’s why I’m a unionist”, reverberated through the hall.

“I am what I am today because of her,” Dhadhla said of Ms Tutu. They have walked a long hard road together to ultimately unite domestic workers across the globe. Stretching her small body to its full length, Dhadhla imparted one of the most valuable lessons she has learned from Ms Tutu, “Stop crawling, stand up and walk for yourself.”

As soon as Dr Sindiwe Magona – acclaimed writer and poet – ascended the stage, her energy rushed across the room with electrifying intensity. Her high regard for Ms Tutu as public icon as well as a mother, wife and friend, was palpable. Belting out line after line of a poem she wrote especially for Ms Tutu, the audience echoed their agreement in a mutual exchange.
No sooner were they seated, than Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Prof Jonathan Jansen had the crowd roaring with laughter. Archbishop Tutu’s familiar chuckle peppered his story of how he came to propose to his wife. It was clear, though, how much he reveres Ms Tutu’s presence in his life. With enormous awe, he revealed her innate power, specifically during difficult times in our country’s past – from weathering death threats against her husband to public humiliation.

But despite adversity and heartache, in front of the Centenary Hall, this matriarch stood up and beamed joy into everyone present.

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