Progressive Youth Alliance candidate, Feziwe Ndwanyana, has been excluded from participating in the 2012 Student Representative Council (SRC) elections taking place this week, on Monday-the eve of elections.

 

Ndwanyana was excluded because Wits management found her guilty of misconduct originating from the student protest against fee increments in 2009.

 

A meeting with the university registrar, the Wits legal office and Ndwanyana was held on Monday morning. After the meeting, Ndwanyana spoke to the campus radio station, Voice of Wits (VoW FM).

 

“It was really confusing for me and I asked them, why are you telling me this now? Because it seems like I am hand-picked. There are many other people who were charged with me and they don’t know what happened with their cases.

 

“So basically I was telling them it is very opportunistic for them, at this time, to say that I am disqualified from running for the elections.”

 

The PYA explained that Ndwanyana was informed of a hearing held in December 2010, at which she was to appear pertaining to the charge of misconduct by the university.

 

“She could not attend the hearing due to a cultural ceremony she was involved in at her home in the Eastern Cape.  She explained this to management and the hearing was held without her being present.

When she asked about the hearing, she was told the proceedings could not be disclosed until the verdict was released,” said PYA Spokesperson, Godfrey Maja on Monday morning.

 

On Saturday, August 20 -the weekend before the start of elections- Ndwanyana was told of the outcome of her hearing and that she had been disqualified from participating in the SRC elections.

 

The PYA accused Wits management of racist, “evil tactics” saying the timing the delivery of their candidates’ guilty verdict was motivated to silence them. The party applied for an interdict to stop elections taking place this week, pending the outcome of an appeal lodged by Ndwanyana against the hearing outcome.

 

The statement released mentioned: “….We know we are the most outspoken when it comes to the worker’s oppression and racism at Wits! We are the most vocal on policies and decisions aimed at excluding poor (predominantly black) students from the university!

 

 “For these reasons and many others, it’s clear that this exclusion of our candidate is politically- motivated and was orchestrated a long time ago. It’s a ploy by this arrogant and racist management that is longing for the years of Apartheid…”

 

The outcome of the interdict is yet to me released as Ndwanyana appeals the decision take by Wits management.