The Student Representative Council (SRC) at Stellenbosch University (SU) has not used 70% of its R1 151 525 budget with the end of its term fast approaching. Students are frustrated with the low expenditure and poor transparency from the SRC, while the SRC maintains that there were institutional delays and conflicting priorities.
Sinawo Sangovana, the treasurer of the Student Representative Council (SRC) at Stellenbosch University (SU) for 2025/2026, stands outside the SRC office in the Neelsie student centre. The 2025/2026 SRC has only spent 30% of the R1 151 525 allocated to it. PHOTO: Emma Giles
Student grievances
“Every single rand left sitting in a university bank account is a missed opportunity to lower a student’s stress, buy them food, or keep them from being kicked out of university,” said Ornela Meri, a final-year BA (humanities) student at SU. “It is painful to see money sitting idle while students are struggling every day,” she said.
According to the master financial tracker, which SMF News was granted access to on 19 May, the SRC had not used R802 266 of its allocated funds, with its term ending in August this year.
This is especially concerning as the SRC approaches the end of its term, said Tshianeo Mudau, a third-year LLB student at SU and a member of the South African Students Congress. “The SRC budget exists to serve students and address their struggles. It should not simply remain unused while students are facing real challenges,” he said.
The limited expenditure affected students who relied on “SRC-led initiatives, support programmes, and student engagement activities across campus”, said Liyema Langa, a final-year BA (international studies) student at SU and member of the Economic Freedom Fighters Youth Command.
Liyema Langa (left), a final-year BA (international studies) student at Stellenbosch University (SU) and a member of the Economic Freedom Fighters Youth Command, talks to Tshianeo Mudau, a third-year LLB student at SU and a member of the South African Students Congress, on the Rooiplein. Langa and Mudau are disappointed with the low expenditure and poor transparency of the SU Student Representative Council. PHOTO: Emma Giles
SRC context
According to Emilio Botes, the vice-chairperson of the SRC, expenditure needs to be evaluated within context. In the fourth term of 2025, the SRC focused on planning and orientation, the first term of 2026 on registration and student welcoming, and the second term on structural reshuffling as the SRC transitioned from an interim to an official SRC, said Botes.
When the SRC did attempt to start initiatives, the SRC funds were largely inaccessible due to “institutional delays”, said Sinawo Sangovana, SRC treasurer for 2025/2026. According to Sangovana, SU student governance did not deposit funds into the various SRC portfolio cost centres timeously. The SRC still had access to 20% of its funds from the previous SRC’s budget, but the remaining 80% was inaccessible to them pending these transfers.
Of the R1 151 525 allocated to the Stellenbosch University (SU) Student Representative Council (SRC) for 2025/2026, 20% was received from the previous SRC’s budget and 80% was allocated to them from SU’s student governance. The SRC has only used 30% of these funds, with the end of its term fast approaching. INFOGRAPHIC: Emma Giles
However, not all SRC initiatives are financial in nature. Some encompass “representation, advocacy, policy input, institutional engagement, stakeholder consultation, and casework”, said Sangovana.
A call for transparency
The low expenditure was not the only cause for concern for SU students. Another key issue was an apparent lack of transparency.
“At minimum, there should have been a clear indication of when the issue arose” and how and when it would be resolved, said Mfumbathi Mdluli, a third-year agricultural economics student at SU.
“In leadership, silence is never empty. It either protects confidence or erodes it, and in this instance, the lack of timely clarity did little to protect it,” said Mdluli.
Sangovana said the master financial tracker is the first of its kind, designed to increase transparency, and is updated as payments are finalised. The tracker is now available through the SRC sharepoint, he said.
The Student Representative Council (SRC) master financial tracker, which SMF News was granted access to on 19 May. Students can now access the tracker through the SRC sharepoint. PHOTO: Screenshot/SRC master financial tracker
An explanation of how to interpret the Student Representative Council (SRC) master financial tracker by Emma Giles, an SMF News journalist.