Mental health was one of the most significant topics throughout the 5 Student Representative Council caucuses that took place during the last two weeks in the lead up to the Stellenbosch University SRC election.
Though this topic was reserved for one of the caucuses, the 10 candidates – vying for the 9 positions on the SRC – talked about it during all the caucuses.
Many candidates, like Sifiso Zungu, Ngobenji Jeff and Lewis Mboko, all stated that they would work to ensure that a traditional healer would be instated at the Centre for Student Counciling (SSVO).
“These psychologists don’t always understand my problem,” said Jeff. “And lecturers don’t accept it if I say I went to a sangoma instead of bringing a note from my doctor.”
The candidates all stated that the SSVO was not well enough equipped to tend to the whole campus. Mboko said that, “It is not acceptable to us to have to wait for three weeks for an appointment. Students need help now.”
Zungu also stated that campus health was not accessible enough to lower income students. “I want to make campus health free for everyone,” Zungu said. “It isn’t campus health right now, it’s just a private hospital for the elite.”
An audience member wanted to know how Zungu was going to practically make this happen. “How are you going to do that? I mean it sounds great and if you can make campus health free, you should be the next minister of health, my friend.”
Zungu replied that, “In the South African constitution it states that health care must be accessible. I will remind the university of that.”
An audience member asked how the SRC will handle residence culture which may be dangerous to students’ mental health.
Jonty Stokes said that the Prim Committee is not utilised enough as an institution and is an easy way for the SRC to communicate with residence students and bring about change.
Lwazi Phaks Phakade responded that that residence culture promotes a divide on campus and the issue of alcohol in residences has only now been addressed that a student died.
This is of course referring to the death of Leandro Hopley, a first year Huis Visser student who died in his residence room during a social in the residence’s pub.
Another candidate, Chloe Kriegler, a first year BA student, answered that she had “heard” of students binge drinking and smoking in residences. “I mean just look at the boy who choked on his own vomit,” Kriegler said, also referring to Hopley.
This sparked outrage from the audience who asked that she should “respect the dead” and stated that she should retract her statement.
“I answered the question truthfully and to the best of my ability. I am not retracting what I said,” Kriegler said before sitting down
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Phakade referred to his time in Majuba residence where he witnessed drinking culture and the divide between students, whereas Krieger stated that she had only heard stories from other students as she had never been in a residence.
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