This article was taken from the Center For Civil Society website and its worth reading. Comments are cordially invited
By The Socialist Student Movement
The SSM here publishes an urgent response to what appears as the most recent attempts by the UKZN Central and Local SRCs (led by the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) and the South African Students’ Congress (SASCO)) to stifle students’ democratic rights. As students, we have to stand up to defend our freedom to debate, vote and contest for power over our lives. This is not only a matter of principle or about constitutional paragraphs, but about our ability to fight for access to education, relevant curricula, adequate academic and social support to all, jobs and so on – to change society.......
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Friday, August 31, 2007
Don’t let the SRCs turn UKZN into a Banana Republic
Thursday, August 30, 2007
BUILIDING A STRONG STUDENTS’ ACTIVISM
Sadesmo friendly reminds the existing members to renew their membership and new students to join this student political movement. It might happen that you are new on campus and you do not know who are they: What I can tell you is that this is a political movement which has been around for quite sometime and it contested in the SRC elections last year. This student organization has a rich history in the political landscape. They have branches in all nine provinces of South Africa. Campus Highlights crew is trying to scoop an interview with their Chairperson Thokozani Myeni.
Place:Library Lawns
Times:Day 1= 30 August 2007 Thursday [ From 9-2 pm]
Day 2= 03 September 2007 Monday[From 9-2pm]
For more info call Mhlonipheni Mthethwa on 0736152077
`BUILIDING A STRONG STUDENTS’ ACTIVISM'
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
A Socialist On Board
Ladies and gentleman , it is with delight that Campus Highlights announces that they have acquired the services of Siyabonga `Kotini' Nene. He has agreed to write for our blog on a regular bases. You can excpect his writings next week. We also invite everybody who has some unique and shrewd views to share them with us.Campus Highlights is esctatic to realise that the blogging culture has, at last, been instilled to people and that augurs well for this blog. We are expecting other prominet people to have their say in the near future. This blog was actually meant to be a platform where each of us voice his views in an unrestricted setting. no matter how weird or politically incorrect your views may be but they are guaranteed a publishing. However there are some editorial policies that one has to adhere to.
Yours
Osama [ Bloger-in-Chief]
Monday, August 27, 2007
Msawenkosi Khumalo dodges the news
Campus Highlights promised you an interview with Msawenkosi Khumalo- the guy who will be contesting for ANCYL Chairmanship.
Unfortunately, we couldn't get an interview with him as he had some other commitments. Through our eavesdropping adroitness we managed take a glimpse of the letter which called him for to the disciplinary.In fact Khumalo has been called to the DC as he is facing the charges of having `his people' putting the meeting into disrepute.Campus Highlights tried to scan the letter for you but we couldn't because of the legal formalities involved.
We are working around the clock to get his side of the story and we are following the story absorbedly.We will then compare and contrast his and Mshengu's accounts.Both Msa and Mshengu are very willing to talk to us but they are let down by their tight schedule. Stay tuned!!
POST SCRIPT
On Tuesday night we managed to get hold of Msah Khumalo. All he told us was that he was not prepared to comment on the issue and cited that doing so is the contravention of the organisations' rules. For us was to wait and see what comes out of the desciplinary hearing. Stay tuned as the soapie conntinues.
New Kid On The Block
In a quest of the betterment of our service Campus Highlights is glad to welcome its newest recruit, a Wobite who cruises by the name of Mxolisi Nene. A round of applause.It's a challenge to Denisonites,Marlherberians,Petrie and all remotes. Meet him in his debut tommorow.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
FACE TO FACE WITH KWAZI MSHENGU
On Thursday Campus Highlights was afforded an interview with the President of the SRC Kwazikwakhe Mshengu. Osama ka Sethenjwa Dumakude conducts it...
Before we begin tell us a bit about Kwazi Mshengu
Kwazi is traditionalist boy who hails from the rural area of empofane( Mooi River). He is a traditionalist to the core.
When did your involvement in politics begin?
It all began when I was in Matric where I was a member of the youth league and I was in Learners Representative Council.
What are your most notable political highlights?
They are not so many. I have been a Deputy President of the SRC twice and Now I am a President of the SRC and ANCYL chairman.
Where do you see yourself in 4-5 years in politics?
I will continue working for ANC and if people feel that I am eligible for being a leader then nothing will stop me from leading.
Are politicians born or trained?
I believe that politicians evolve within the struggle. Being a political leader is not hereditary.
Why was the recent AGM dismissed?
There were “members” who wanted to get access to the assembly room but they had not followed proper procedures- that is renewing their membership on time and in a proper manner. What they did was that they filled in the forms on Monday of the AGM week and paid in the bank. In order for their applications to be approved they( applications) had to be handed to the province but unfortunately we don’t have provincial bracnh but what we have is the task team.
Meet us as we reveal the secretes.
What image does that portray about ANC?
Well! To the outsider it portrays a bad image. But to a person like me and any other political illiterate person its not a big issue because what happened is a nature of politics. .
We heard about antagonistic camps within ANCYL. Are you aware of any?
No, there is no antagonism within the structure. At ANC we debate issues and people are allowed to have their own views on who should lead. There has been some rumours about me being a drunkard and corrupt. with Mambush.
Are we going to see Kwazi contesting for ANCYL chairmanship for the second time?
If people feel I have to too, then I will have to.
Campus Highlights is in possession of the recommended list of the people who should be voted and you were no there. Has it come to your consciousness?
I have seen it and I also saw the one recommending me. So there are mixed feeling as to who should lead.
Do you play any sport?
Yes yes yes I do. I am soccer `Genera'. I am playing for EzikaMsholozi. Our slogan is “Siyaya eLimpompo”( Limpompo here we come)
Politicians are said to be dumb people, do you go to movies and what is the latest movie you have watched.
I don’t go to movies but recently I watched Mshefane and Mr Bean. I like these comedies.
If you were not a Politian what would you be?
I can’t imagine myself out of politics
Nandos or KFC?
You know Iam a peasant. I just buy what I afford at that time I need it.
You guys accused NUX of dragging Rev Ngomane’s name on the mud and you went on to say it must cease to exist. Do you think its right to have a campus where there is no organisation which serves as a political watchdog?
We don’t have a problem with the essence of the paper. Our interest lies on all campuses. What we were arguing is that we cant`t have R80 000 being injected on one campus- that is NUX must be a university wide paper. In Westville we had Dome and it collapsed due to financial problems. In Edgewood they don’t have even one. We were saying that NUX must cease to exist on that ground. It was just a coincidence that we said that when they had published those things about Ngomane Obviously it will change name as it operate in all campuses. We do believe in freedom of expression and the institutions that uphold its notion.
What do you think about the sacking of Nozizwe Madlala Routledge?
I think it was a mistake on Comrade Mbeki’s side. We had Phumzile Mlambo Ngcuka who spends millions on a personal trip. But Nozizwe was sacked for R160 000.
They say ANCYL and Sasco is the same thing?
No, no they are not the same. Sasco is limited to students and ANCYL is for everybody aged between 14 and 35. Even if one is not a student she/he can remain ANCYL.
That puts us to end of our interview.Thanks Kwazi for your time with us.
Thank you.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Chaos leads to Youth League AGM adjournment
Osama ka Sethenjwa Dumakude reports 
The media was not allowed as it was a closed session but I was assured that I will get the briefing from those who were there. Thanks to my journalistic acumen I got the story first-hand.
The meeting was adjourned owing to the chaos that was caused by the people who wished to be in the meeting without valid ANCYL membership.
Those who wanted to enter were claiming to have renewed their membership but were dinied acces because their names did not appear on the District and local list.. I was told that there were two camps: the one that supported the election of Mr A* for chairpersonship and the other which supported the election of Mr B*.. Wob-Inside possesses the leaflet which was handed secretly to members by those of Mr A’s camp in which they were delineating the list of the committee.Wob-inside is have all insightful facts surrounding the matter but they are seeking the legal advice as to whether to reveal them or not. So keep checking as the story unfolds.
*Pseudonym
FIKA HAS ARRIVED - FOOD FOR THOUGHT
No, hard feelings about these, just an expression of thoughts.
Mojah, Fikzozo( Fika)
Sex For Money- GoodoBad?
Prostitution has been called the oldest profession and it appears likely that humans have traded whatever they had in substitute for something they needed - and one thing that a human always has is their own body. Everyone trades something about their body, so why not sexual activity as well? What is the difference between toiling in a scotching sun working in the fields, ignoring the risk of contracting cancer? What is wrong with someone who sells his body to pay outstanding fees? Please, I beg you to tell me the difference between a woman who is in `love’ with a sugar daddy for money. Why parents have encouraged their daughters to marry affluent sons of kings and tycoons? Please tell me who is better between a criminal who blows the ATM now and then and an innocent sex worker who sell nothing but his/her body.
You can have your say, but meet FiKA (a Denisonian) on Monday as he gonna be talking about this controversial issue. Stay tuned. Meet u then.
yours in blogging
Osama ka Sethenjwa Dumakude
Face 2 Face with Lindo " Skhaftin" Zamisa
Which team did you grow up supporting?
I supported Pirates and I am still supporting them
When did you start playing soccer?
I started playing soccer recreationally when I was about 6 but I started to play seriously when I was in Grade 10
Tell us about your signing for Maritzburg United.
There is nothing much I can say as everything happened unexpectedly. They called me to the preseason training and two my amazement they offered a contract which I could not deny after two weeks and I was so elated.
What is it like playing along Musasa, Pule and other professional players?
I feel great and I couldn’t believe my eyes. Every moment in United is enjoyable.
What are your most notable footballing highlights?
The greatest of them all is when I was selected for the national team last year and representing varsity in Eastern Cape last year and more importantly being offered a contract by Maritzburg United.
Is it easy to strike a balance between soccer and schooling?
No. It’s not easy but I am trying by all means to do well in both.
OFF THE PITCH
Can you tell us what kind of a person are you?
I am playful and easygoing chap and I don’t take life very seriously.
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Durban is the place to be
What do you think of the G-strings?
I like it only when worn by my girlfriend.
ONE TWOS
PMB or Mooi River where you hail from?
Mooi River
ERH or HAGS?
ERH
Checkers or Woolworths?
Checkers
ANCYL, SASCO or SADESMO?
ANCYL
THE SUPER CHEFS
GrantAchatz, JamesBarber, Boulanger,Julia Child ,En-Ming Hsu, the list is endless. They are all world rewoned chefs for their splendid quisines but they are way behind us, us meaning Wobites and Petries. I was not aware that the guys posses such a culinary creativity. I cannot leave Petrie`s artistry unmentioned. Their dishes were superb. Are you confused of what I am talking about? Listen, let me narrate.
The cooking competition was 'timingly' scheduled on the Women`s Day. The event marked the strengthening of the ties between WOB and Petrie.It was a joint initiative by House Comms of respective houses and sponsored by the office of Res Life Offecer Mr Mjabuliseni Ngidi. It was not only about who could prepare a tastier dish but the affordability and healthiness were taken into consideration. They were five groups varying in numerical composition. The dish that impressed me was the one which according to most people was the worst. That one was prepared by Mbona ,Mthobeni,Coka,Sizwe and their group leader Ntshebe.It was so simple , they just prepared macaroni and fish. In there you find the rare nutrients and at the same time it is cost-effective and saves time and your talent.
Its difficult to comment on Petrie`s 'Fusion cuisine' that combined elements of various culinary traditions while not fitting specifically into any. But the 'non-belongingness' of their foods is what made it[ food] tick. I don`t know if its fair to have men competing with women in food making because women spent fortunes of their time there. But they say good chefs are men.
The winners in ascending order are: Sindi, Buyi, Samke & Zami group. Second were Thando`s and Zaba`s team and first were Magugu`s and Py`s team.
Special thanks to all who made the event successful. Gcaba Nkululeko`s and L`Vovo`s name can never be left unmentioned for lending us their camera`s. Guys your philanthropic gestures will never be forgotten.
Don’t let the SRCs turn UKZN into a Banana Republic
Don’t let the SRCs turn UKZN into a Banana Republic
By The Socialist Student Movement 29 August 2007
The SSM here publishes an urgent response to what appears as the most recent attempts by the UKZN Central and Local SRCs (led by the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) and the South African Students’ Congress (SASCO)) to stifle students’ democratic rights. As students, we have to stand up to defend our freedom to debate, vote and contest for power over our lives. This is not only a matter of principle or about constitutional paragraphs, but about our ability to fight for access to education, relevant curricula, adequate academic and social support to all, jobs and so on – to change society.
During the past week, the Howard College Local Student Representative Council (LSRC) as well as the Central SRC (CSRC) have kept the Annual General Meetings, meant for all students, virtual secrets. At Howard College, approximately ten people attended the AGM on Thursday, August 16. Only on the very same day, the authors observed one (1) poster informing about the meeting, and not a single notice was posted at the LAN notice system. Yet, the SRC constitution (Clause 12.2) states about the LSRC AGM that:
The details of the meeting, including the date, venue and agenda, shall be published on student notice boards and via the UKZN LAN notice system at least two weeks prior to the meeting.
Because this was not done, the meeting must be regarded as unconstitutional, and any decision it made should be declared null and void.
Every student needs a fair chance to hold the SRC to account on, for example, what they have done to address the pressing problems of financial and academic exclusions, lack of adequate facilities, rising fees; and how they have spent the X (only they and management know how much) million rand they received by the institution to govern us.
The SRC has not only failed to organize a proper AGM, but also to uphold their day-today duties. The CSRC and the LSRC, the supposed representatives of students on “University-wide matters and in the formulation of University-wide student policies, and on matters relating to specific campuses” respectively, have a constitutional obligation of reporting back to students on their activities “by means of meetings, posters, newsletters or other appropriate media”. Additionally, they are supposed to publish each quarter the state of their budgets. No reporting back has ever taken place, let alone the quarterly publication of budgets.
“Ordinary meetings of the CSRC and the LSRC”, the Constitution continues, “shall be held at least once every two weeks….Minutes shall be taken of all CSRC and LSRC meetings, and the approved minutes placed on a public student notice board.” Have these meetings taken place? Since the minutes have not been published for all students to see, as per clause 12.1 of the SRC Constitution, it would be very interesting to find out if they exist at all.
Additionally, the LSRC is required to “Convene a General Meeting of students on its campus at least once a semester.” The constitution further provides that
the details of the meeting, including the date, venue and agenda, shall be published on student notice boards and via the UKZN LAN notice system at least two weeks prior to the holding of the meeting.
As every student knows, none of this has materialized.
Recently, the CSRC has sunk the democratic credit of the SRCs to new depths as they held their AGM, the Institutional Students’ Congress (ISC), over the weekend of August 18-19. In Howard College campus, zero (0) notices or posters informing about the ISC were put up. In other words, the convening of the ISC has outrageously been kept a secret to the students, the real “owners” of the meeting. SSM comrades found out about the ISC through a coincidence, as we happened to see the invitation letter sent out to one of the invited speakers. No doubt as a conscious move, the CRSC completely disregarded their obligation as per their own constitution, to advertise the ISC according to the same regulations as above. They also contravened the part (Clause 12.3) which states that:
The CSRC AGM, to be known as the Institutional Student Congress (ISC), is open to all registered students.
When SSM comrades approached the Howard College SRC they were told that only “recognized clubs and societies” could send one representative each to the ISC. The SSM was further told that our organization is “not recognized” (since it was banned by the LSRC in April, again in complete defiance of their own constitution). Eventually, SSM comrades managed to put their names down on the “registration list”, which was a joke in itself as all students have a right to attend the meeting. Our comrades went to the venue set out in the leaked information about the ISC (Coastlands Hotel in South Beach) but it turned out that the meeting had been moved to Edgewood campus in Pinetown. Our comrades did not have means to travel all the way there.
The ISC is therefore likely to have been an exclusive event for the “Progressive Youth Alliance”-supporters and the SRC-petty power mongers, with proposed speakers including Vice Chancellor Makgoba, national ANCYL and YCL leaders as well as an Umsobomvu Youth Fund representative. The proposed agenda, which most students had not even seen, also revealed that the SRC planned to pass certain, yet unpublished, amendments to the SRC constitution at the ISC. Apart from there being no advertising of the meeting, the proposed amendments should have been circulated to students with the agenda (Clause 12.3 of the SRC Constitution). A member of the Westville campus LSRC who has also spoken out against the “zanufication” (as in imitating ZANU-PF leader Robert Mugabe’s creeping introduction of dictatorship) of the SRC has now exposed these amendments as serving to allow the SRCs to derecognise any unwanted student organisation in a more or less arbitrary manner, as the only course of appealing such a decision is to be through the CSRC itself (instead of the current appeals process to a Recognition Appeals Committee composed of management, CSRC members and law students). Another supposed amendment is a prohibition of individual candidates to contest the SRC elections.
Clearly, the SASCO/ANCYL-led SRCs are trying to manipulate the constitution to cement their behinds to the SRC seats for an indefinite future: they are giving the sitting SRC (themselves) the right to decide who will be allowed to challenge their power in elections, already excluding independent candidates. The attempts to tamper with the constitution in order to justify the derecognition of the SSM as a result of our outspoken campaign against the financial exclusions and critique of the complacency and managerialism of the SRC can only be interpreted as the battle-cry for a total onslaught on students’ democratic political engagement. Allegedly, the Westville SRC has now also attempted to derecognise a religious organisation on that campus (His People Church) and the SRC president stopped the bus of students leaving for the ISC for one and a half hour as he tried (in vain) to throw off students from this organisation, apparently in a rage and using racist slurs. It is becoming a disturbing, to say the least, habit of the “progressive” organizations leading the Westville SRC to resort to racism when other intellectual resources run dry – the same was done in order to try and stop the SSM from picketing against the financial exclusions in April.
No one is probably any longer surprised at the revelation that the amendments were “passed” in an invalid manner at the ISC: with a mere mover and seconder (two individuals in other words) of the proposals. It is getting tiresome to quote the SRC Constitution, but it cannot be avoided. Clause 12.3 again: “Decisions taken at the ISC shall require a simple majority vote, with the exception of proposed amendments to the SRC Constitution which require a two-thirds majority.” That means there must be either a secret ballot or a show of hands.
As there has been no report-back on the ISC to the general student population, other amendments and decisions may also have been “passed”. In any case, it is clear that we must regard the LSRC AGM as well as the ISC as null and void.
Today (2007-08-24) it has appeared that the CSRC has been disciplined by the Executive Dean of Students, who had perhaps been alerted by the SSM’s and the Westville SRC member’s exposures of the blatant flaunting of the constitution. As a result, the ISC is to be reconvened on September 7. That is a small victory already, but we cannot accept that the ISC would only deal with the constitutional amendments (as the CSRC is now saying) because the whole process of convening the meeting was flawed. The ISC must give full time to reports by the SRC so that they can be held to account by the students. For example, a financial report that should amongst other things explain why we are now paying for two ISCs.
The complete contempt shown to students through this behaviour should be enough to motivate a vote of no confidence in the SRCs. The attempts to sneak the highest decision making organ of students behind our backs, reserving it for a select few, also shows why the SRCs are so afraid of the Socialist Student Movement (SSM), which, despite its small size, is the only organization that stands between SASCO/ANCYL/YCL and their own little UKZN banana republic. This explains why the Howard College SRC has defied its own constitution to withdraw the recognition of the SSM, and is refusing to comply with the process arising from our appeal against that effective banning order.
Tragically, this manipulation comes at a time when students would most need the SRC to lead a struggle against the threatening financial exclusions. The SSM is urging all students to demand that real AGMs be held on all campuses and centrally. Racism on behalf of SRC officers must be investigated, condemned and disciplined. We also ask students to demand the immediate recognition of the Socialist Student Movement at Howard College campus. Most importantly, the SRC must take up the fight against the financial exclusions that have so far hit over 400 students this year. The above demands are for the very minimum that could be expected of a genuine SRC. If the SRCs are incapable of complying with that minimum, it is high time they leave office.
socialiststudent@webmail
Somewhere in the country there is a province called KwaZulu Natal. In this province there is a gorgeous city called Pitermaritzburg. In the southern suburbs of this city is an institution of higher education: University of KwaZulu Natal. In this university there is a magnificent red-bricked student resident called William `O Brien. Those who know people of this resident better call them “The ultimate trendsetters”. You know nothing if you haven’t been to WOB. It’s alive with possibilities. It doesn`t look fancy from the distance but as you come nearer that is when you realise that it`s a place to be.Since my first year of tenancy I have felt this spirit of brotherhood oozing through my blood vessels.The fact that WOB is a home for leaders is indisputable. The present Deputy President of the SRC, Kwazi Mshengu is a bona-fide Wobite. Did you know that Melusi Gwala,ex-RAG executive member, hails from C block. I hope you are aware of that the chairman of ANCYL, Mdu Ntuli was once a Wobite.WOB is shining with its undying heroes. I am talking about the people who have exemplified courage, selflessness, exuberance, super student abilities and amazing grace. Their faces are dazzling in the walls and corridors of every building on campus. We are in an era that offers us the opportunity to change views on our resident and to point out what exciting possibilities – and realities – abound in WOB. WOB- We set the trend they follwow
The Blacker the Berry, the Sweeter the Juice
By Osama ka Sethenjwa Dumakude
