AfriForum Youth demands answers after suspension of Student Council Chairperson

AfriForum Youth demands answers from Prof Dan Kgwadi, Vice Chancellor of the North-West University in Potchefstroom (NWU Puk), after it came to light that Monica van Schalkwyk, Student Council Chairperson at the NWU Puk was unjustly suspended from the Institutional Student Representative Council (ISRC).

“AfriForum Youth will be sending a letter to Prof Kgwadi on Monday. We want to know why Van Schalkwyk was suspended and how Prof Kgwadi, who is supposed to ensure that the ISRC acts in the proper manner, could allow this to happen,” said Henk Maree, National Chairperson of AfriForum Youth.

Van Schalkwyk’s suspension came after she opposed a proposal by the rest of the ISRC, which includes SRC members of the Mafikeng and Vaal Triangle campuses, for the implementation of a veto voting right.

“If the proposal was to be implemented, SRC members from other campuses would have the right to make decisions regarding campuses they have no knowledge of. It is absurd,” Maree said.

However, the ISRC still submitted the proposal to the NWU Council. Van Schalkwyk then proceeded in sending a letter to the council explaining why the proposal can’t be taken into consideration. She also emphasized that the correct procedures were not followed.

After the letter came to the attention of the ISRC, Van Schalkwyk was suspended without solid grounds and without following the correct procedure.

“It’s worrying that a student who stands up for what is right is being silenced and excluded,” Maree said.

“It seems like a certain tendency has manifested itself in certain South African universities. If a member of the Student Council or an employee of a university disagrees with the leadership, they are simply silenced and ruled out. The NWU can’t selectively choose to which members of the ISRC they want to listen to and who not. AfriForum Youth will monitor the situation and not hesitate to act against injustice,” Maree concluded