Tuks SRC Election Day 2014 (Photo Gallery)

VOTE FOR CHANGE. Lungelo Ntshangase, a member of SASCO on campus and regional secretary of SASCO in Tshwane observes and supports the six candidates running for SRC at the University of Pretoria’s annual elections of this student body. He feels that one of the most serious issues at Tuks is racism, especially in residences. According to Ntshangase, residences neither reflect the demographics of South Africa nor the “distance and need” policy. “We’re very confident, we know that over the years students vote based on on what you’ve delivered for them,” he says. Photo: Andrea Küsel.

WATCHDOGS. Tape that is spun to corner off the voting station in the Piazza at UP, leaves the Humanities Building as well as campaigning posters from AfriForum Jeug in the background. The SRC elections at Tuks are monitored by the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa. Internally the elections are overseen by a structure called the Independent Monitoring Body which keeps an eye on the IEC to ensure that the elections are free and fair. Photo: Andrea Küsel.

MARK MADE. A female Tuks student shows off the mark on her thumb after voting. Each student is marked on their thumb nail, similarly to national election procedures. Photo: Andrea Küsel.

BLUE. A member of the student division of the Democratic Alliance, DASO, sits at the DA post, waiting to campaign for the party. According to Kea Mathobela, a candidate running for study finances for DASO, the party doesn’t want students to be excluded in any way. “Whether they have problems regarding res placement or you have financial problems, we want to address as many problems as we can. Photo: Andrea Küsel.

WORTH THE WAIT. Students line up outside a voting station. There are three voting stations situated on the Hatfield campus, with other voting stations on the Mamelodi and Prinshof campuses. Photo: Andrea Küsel.

RADICAL. Jaco Oelofse, Ismael Isaacs and Iram Yusuf from EFF Tuks. They believe that radical changes need to be made to the university and its policies. “We feel the university is standing on top of its head, the world is standing on top of its head. The good actions have become bad actions, and bad actions have become good actions. People praise the bad and condemn the good. We are here to restore the order.” Photo: Andrea Küsel.

#PAYBACKTHEMONEY. Jaco Oelofse from EFF Tuks sports a sticker on his bag that reads that Zuma must “pay back the money”. In referral to the EFF’s upset in parliament during President Jacob Zuma’s question time, Oelofse says that “Yes, we are going to continue with radical activity at this university and we will disrupt things that are not going to be in favour of the students. That’s part of who we are.” Photo: Andrea Küsel.

VOTE HERE. A sign from the IEC directs students to the various voting stations on campus. Students in the background make their way to the voting station outside the Information Technology building. Photo: Andrea Küsel.

I VOTED. A student waits on friends after she voted in the Tuks SRC elections. Inside students are putting completed ballots into IEC ballot boxes. The elections are done by ballot but according James Lotter, SRC deputy secretary and member of the IMB, the university is moving toward an electronic system of voting, which is still being developed. Photo: Andrea Küsel.

EVERY VOTE COUNTS. A student puts her completed ballot into one of the ballot boxes. Votes are counted overnight on site. Preliminary results are released the next day. Photo: Andrea Küsel.

COMPETITION. Members of DASO, dressed in blue, sit together while members of SASCO, dressed in yellow, dance and sing in the background. They sing the words “come join”. Photo: Andrea Küsel