The nine candidates elected to the Tygerberg Students' Representative Council (TSRC) in August were recently inaugurated as members of the TSRC 2024/2025 during a ceremony held at STIAS in Stellenbosch.

The outgoing members of the TSRC, under the leadership of Mbano Sibande as Chair, and Agqama Faku as the Vice-Chair, were present at the event, and were honoured for their contributions to improve campus life, serve as the voice of the student population at Tygerberg campus, and for advocating for students' interests and needs within university management structures.

The keynote speaker at the event was Dr Ben van Wyk, a Clinical Facilitator at the Simulation and Clinical Skills Unit in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) and a former TSRC member.​He encouraged the incoming leaders to “dance, not necessarily in rhythm, as in the traditional sense, but to be willing to take a step into uncertainty".

Liyema Jacobs, who previously served on the Tygerberg Student Parliament as Speaker, was elected as Chairperson of the TSRC 2024/2025, while Aphiwe Madondo, who held the portfolio for Student Services on the TSRC, was elected as the Vice Chairperson 2024/2025.

Altogether 16 candidates vied for the nine available positions on the TSRC.

“To ensure transparency and candidate visibility, the commission organised three presentation meetings on the 23rd, 25th, and 30th of July 2024, where candidates engaged with the Tygerberg campus student body. Campaigning officially began on the 22nd of July and continued until voting closed," explained Kevin Naude, the Tygerberg Election Convenor of the Tygerberg Electoral Commission.

“The Electoral Commission also ran an election campaign from 29 to 31 July 2024 to generate enthusiasm amongst students and boost electoral participation and awareness."

Voting was open to registered students from the FMHS and ran from 23 July to 1 August 2024.

The rest of the TSRC members include Dylan Rudolph, Karabo Setsepu, Thandolwethu Noinyane, Hamidah Rabiu, Misiwe Makate, Sinothando Gaika and Sharon Adejimi. Ex officio members, who form an integral part of TSRC, were also inaugurated as TSRC members – Toluwani Toluwani Adeboyi (Tygerberg Prim Committee), Dineo Madikgetla (Tygerberg Postgraduate Students' Council), Breyton Brand (Tygerberg Societies Council) and Realeboga Mmethi (Tygerberg Academic Affairs Council).