The National Student Leadership Conference on Citizenship, Democracy and Governance which was co-hosted by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) and the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) at the African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg concluded this morning.
The conference was attended by 72 delegates representing 28 student representative councils (SRCs) and student or youth formations or organisations from across the country. The programme is steered and championed by the Deputy Chief Electoral Officer of the IEC, Ms Tshidi Masutha, who heads the Outreach Division of the IEC.
This historic conference forms part of a continued commitment to the deepening of democracy wherein the active participation of students remains critical in enhancing principles of participatory democracy development, through increasing awareness about electoral democracy development, the professional management of SRC elections and the improvement of voter turnout for SRC elections within the sector.
In her opening address on Friday, the Chairperson of the IEC, Dr Brigalia Bam, said the Electoral Commission was delighted about the cordial relations between us and many higher learning institutions across the country, especially on matters related to elections.
"We view all institutions of higher learning including individuals and organisations operating in this sector as our foremost stakeholders; because it is this sector that grooms and develops future leaders and responsible citizens.
"The critical role of these institutions in the future of our democracy must therefore be recognised as they constitute the cornerstone of future democratic participation in our country."
In his response the President of the South African Union of Students (SAUS), Mr Sandile Phakathi, said student leaders must move away from the advocacy approach and play a "representative" role. This means that more student consultative forums must be created and the democratic participation of students must be ensured. Debates on racism and race relations must be deepened in all faculties, not only in the social sciences. We need to democratise universities and transform their cultures.
Presentations and discussions ranged from the Electoral Democracy project being implemented in tertiary institutions to media freedom, electoral democracy campaigns such as the "Swagg" elections, the electoral code of conduct and the role of chapter nine institutions and civil society in democracy development for institutions of higher education.
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