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UFS student leader Martin Nyaka elected to national SAUS leadership role

08 September 2025 | Story Anthony Mthembu | Photo Lunga Luthuli

Martin Nyaka, Secretary General of the 2024-2025 Institutional Student Representative Council (ISRC) and Policy and Transformation Officer (CSRC) on the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS), has been elected as Second Deputy Secretary General (DSG) of the South African Union of Students (SAUS).

Nyaka was elected during the first leg of the SAUS conference, held in Gqeberha from 10-13 July 2025. His election is historic, as this is the first time the union has appointed a second DSG. In his new role, he joins the National Executive Council (NEC) alongside the SAUS President, Deputy President, Secretary General, Treasurer-General, and the First DSG.

“It is a great honour for me to have represented the University of the Free State at this important platform, and I remain deeply grateful for the support and assistance I received from the institution throughout this journey,” said Nyaka. He will serve in this role until the next election in 2028.

Anticipated impact

Nyaka explained that his decision to stand for election was influenced by challenges he and his SRC colleagues encountered when addressing certain student-related issues. He noted that some concerns, such as those linked with the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), can only be resolved at a national level.

“This position places us in a better position to assist students and to ensure that our students are funded,” he said.

In addition to his role as Second DSG, Nyaka also chairs the SAUS Monitoring and Evaluation portfolio, which oversees several sub-committees within the organisation.

Lessons from leadership

As his SRC term draws to a close, Nyaka reflected on the lessons he will carry into this new role.

“Previously, as student leaders our mindset was very radical, and if ever things would not go our way, we would take to the streets,” he explained. “However, over this last term, the SRC resolved matters and reached agreements with management without protest. An important lesson I take with me is that radicalism is not always the answer. In an organisation like SAUS, we need to sit down and have discussions with stakeholders when there is a deadlock.”

Nyaka emphasised that what excites him most about the opportunity is the chance to work alongside student-leaders from across the country who are equally committed to making a meaningful impact.

News Archive

UFS withdraws interdict against SASCO and ANCYL

2003-11-25

The Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Free State, Prof Frederick Fourie, announced today that a court order against the South African Students Congress (SASCO) and the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) had been withdrawn.

The withdrawal of the court order follows after a written statement by SASCO and the ANCYL in which they “unconditionally withdraw or retract statements threatening to render the institution ungovernable” and give their “commitment not to proceed with our threats to establish our own democratic SRC and occupy the current SRC offices”.

The UFS management obtained the court order in October after SASCO and the ANCYL refused to accept the outcome of the recent student referendum and SRC elections and threatened to disrupt the campus.

Prof Fourie also welcomed the undertaking by SASCO and the ANCYL to act in accordance with the prescribed procedures to resolve any grievance that the organisations may have, saying the UFS management remains committed to a constructive dialogue with all student organisations to manage a campus of diversity, tolerance and non-racialism.

In September students voted in a referendum to test support for a system of proportional representation (PR) for the SRC. A vast majority of students voted against the PR system, a system favoured by SASCO and the ANCYL..

Following allegations of fraud in the referendum, the UFS management asked the auditing firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers to conduct an independent audit of the ballot papers.

The auditors found that a total of 180 ballot papers out of 3513 – only 5.12% - of the votes cast - appeared to have been altered by means of erasing and then changing the student number.

According to the auditors, with all potentially altered and suspicious ballot papers excluded, a huge majority of 60,8% of students voted against the proportional representation system.

A few days after the referendum, the actual SRC election was held. However, at no stage were there any complaints from any organization about the integrity of the SRC election itself.

Despite this and the findings of the auditors, SASCO and the ANCYL refused to accept the outcome.

Law student Quintin du Plessis was elected SRC president. He welcomed the stance taken by SASCO and the ANCYL to pursue their objectives through the existing structures and said the SRC was always willing to engage with these organisations on issues of student governance.

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