RECTOR’S OFFICE
Dear Student
Representatives of the Campus
Management met with representatives from the Campus Student
Representative Council (CSRC) on
Friday, 02 October 2014, to provide
feedback on issues raised regarding
the Wheels at the Vaal Motor Show
(which was hosted on the Campus
on 6 and 7 September 2014).
Campus Management would like to
make use of this opportunity to also
provide the student community with
the necessary feedback in this regard.
Issues identified by the CSRC:
1. “The contract between the University and the organisers of the
‘Wheels on the Vaal’ event must be
reviewed on the basis that proceeds
made from the event are not beneficial to the students in any way whatsoever. Secondly, the event does
not promote racial diversity as the
attendees of the event are predominantly of one racial group”.
The income generated from renting
out of the facilities for the Wheels at
the Vaal Motor Show and provision
of specialist services is referred to as
Money Stream 3 Income initiative.
This money is used in various ways
that are directly beneficial to the student community, such as:
• Covering the shortfall in tuition fees
and subsidy funding;
• Meal-a-Day Project and
• Maintenance of facilities.
2. “The CSRC condemns the behaviour of management to allow external stakeholders to host events that
do not benefit the student populace
in any way, but refuses to allow the
4 - Student 24/7
CSRC to host events (e.g. RAG) that
will benefit the students in one or
another. The hiring of venues to for
events is costly to the CSRC whereas those funds could be used to assist students”.
The notion that students do not
benefit from the hosting of external
events was corrected and explained
in point number 1.
The Campus Management acknowledges the important function of RAG
as an intervention to make students
aware of the importance of civic engagement and volunteerism. In an
effort to ensure the success of an
event such as RAG it should be supported by all Campus stakeholders
and a well-executed business plan.
The CSRC and the Dean of Students
will continue to engage one another
to come up with a way forward in
terms of the RAG.
3. “The CSRC has demanded that
the management releases a statement to the students pertaining to
the Wheels at the Vaal event and
also encapsulating an apology about
the public occurrence of a Magic
Lawns supervisor being in a physical
altercation with another Magic Lawns
employee. We cannot have such behaviour during this critical time on our
campus”.
Both the Campus and Magic Garden
Services (PTY) LTD investigated the
matter in question and herewith the
findings:
• Both parties were found to be guilty
of losing their tempers and investigators found the incident to be work related and not racially motivated;
• There was pushing from both sides
and no physical assault took place –
and no charges of assault was laid;
• Magic Garden Services (PTY) LTD
formally apologise to the staff and
students of the Vaal Triangle Campus and gave their assurance that
they will do everything possible to
prevent similar incidents in the future
and
• Both parties are to attend compulsory Anger Management and Labour
Relations training.
I want to reiterate my statement that
the safety and wellbeing of all members of the Campus community – be
it staff or students, remain a high priority for the Campus Management. I
want to furthermore thank the CSRC
for their willingness to engage Campus Management in positive and productive dialogue.