Clubs and societies are still complaining about the “flawed process” surrounding club room re-allocation by the SRC last semester.
Several societies are complaining about the bad state of their club rooms in DJ du Plessis on West Campus while others do not have club rooms at all.
Chairperson of the Mail & Guardian (M&G) Society, Sharlotte Psotetsi, says they have nowhere to hold meetings since their club room in the Matrix was given to Generation Earth Wits. The SRC has not given them an alternative room.
Khomanani Student Society secretary, Themba Ntshenbo, says his society does not have a club room. As a result, club belongings are kept in his residence rooms. Ntshenbo says they were told by the SRC earlier in the year that they would be moved to Richard Ward after renovations were done. “They said renovations are not complete … plus another society is occupying it,” he says.
Activate chairperson, Brendan Roche-Kelly, says the club room in DJ du Plessis is not in good condition. He says the location of the building is inconvenient for members because it is too far. “We only use the [club] room for storage, we’ve cut down the number of meetings we have per week because it’s just too much for people to walk all the way there weekly,” says Roche-Kelly. “For meetings we negotiate with other societies so we can use their rooms in the Matrix to have our meetings.”
Roche-Kelly says it is unfair that Warp’s old club room in the Matrix is being used as storage space for Silly Buggers society.
Also in DJ Du Plessis, War-gaming, Anime, Role-play and PC, and Card Gaming Society (Warp) member Stephen Sriedman says: “Our room isn’t in bad shape, but the whole building (DJ du Plessis) is in need of maintenance.
“My issue was the way [the process] was handled,” Sriedman says. “We were not given an opportunity to discuss or say anything about being moved.
According to Sriedman, “Tukelo Nhlapo, (SRC head of clubs and societies,)said ‘You are being moved, welcome to your new building’.”
Nhlapo, however, says the process was “flawed because we had to make sure everyone was happy”. He says the general repairs and maintenance of club rooms is the responsibility of the Property Infrastructure and Management Division (PIMD).
“The problem is that no one wants to move … they [Warp] were happy with their move,” says Nhlapo. “I think I was fair… if there is any complaint people must follow proper procedure by contacting the SRC.”
Nhlapo says the SRC does not have the money to renovate rooms. “We don’t have money, the dean of students knows this.”
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