<div dir="ltr"><img src="cid:ii_1482dd798b54acfb" alt="Inline image 1" width="533" height="198"><br><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US">Dear Esteemed Witsie!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US">The election for the SRC is one of
the most energetic, drama-driven and thought-provoking times of the Wits year.
We, as students, are given the opportunity to look at our experience at Wits so
far and assess our feelings toward academics, toward housing and residence, and
toward service delivery. It also gives us the opportunity to examine our SRC –
the Voice of the Wits student community – and decide what makes us proud of
them, and what looks like a chain of promises never to be fulfilled<i>.</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><i>Project W</i> is an independent, nonpartisan
student organization. We are inclusive, and prioritize diversity and tolerance,
with our membership consisting of Black, White, Coloured, Indian and Asian students.
We welcome all creeds and beliefs: Christians, Muslims, Jews, Agnostics and
Atheists, and all students regardless of sexual preference. We are passionate
about student issues at Wits University and involved in making wits better.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt">One of the
core beliefs of Project W is <b>transparency</b>.
This is an ideal that every SRC party should have; it is an ideal that every,
single student on campus deserves. It is only through transparency that a
proper SRC can operate: students ought to know all the decisions of the SRC
openly and in an unbiased manner. It is therefore disturbing that a party
serving on the SRC (essentially that President of that party) would hide
critical and controversial information regarding residence policies for 2015
and beyond, solely for political gains. As a result of significant
misunderstanding circulating campus, concerning both the policy as a whole and
Project W’s attitude towards it, an explanation of the policy and Project W’s
stance has been included below. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt">Project W
believes in a <b>diverse</b> and <b>tolerant</b> student body. The policy on
residence for 2015 aims to make residences more diverse and cosmopolitan, and
reflect our university as a world-respected institution. Project W agrees with
this part of the policy on diversity as it expresses the inclusivity that we
affirm in our manifesto. However, the percentage of students in residences that
are needed to properly diversify the residence (according to the policy,
twenty-five percent), Project W finds <i>excessive</i>.
Project W believes that a much smaller percentage of the residence, perhaps 5 –
10%, should be set aside to <i>try</i>
diversification, and this number should be kept constant for two years before
reassessing if the policy is successful. Moreover, Project W believes that the
application fee for residence should be a <i>set
sum</i> and not more expensive if one is applying for a single room.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt">It must be
stressed that certain rumours about the policy have been circulating around
campus and are simply <i>untrue</i>. <b>No one is being evicted from residence to
make space for diversity.</b> As people graduate from the university and move
out, or as people move out for other reasons such as academic underperformance
or personal reasons, spaces become available. Of these <u>available spaces</u>,
some will be set aside for diversity and the rest will exist as residence
openings. No one in the residence will be forced to move out.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><b>Students will not be allowed single rooms
based on race alone, and first-years will almost certainly have to share a
room.</b> The concept of more single rooms becoming available to “attract
whites” into residence is simply absurd and unconstitutional. There are no
incentives or “white-scholarships” to attract white people specifically to
single rooms. No university in the world would adopt such a stance, especially
not Wits which currently stands as one of the best universities in Africa. It
can be assured that the increased availability of single rooms has been made
from a financial standpoint and not from a diversity-related standpoint.
Furthermore, <b>seniors will still keep
their single rooms</b>. The policy will not affect seniors having single rooms
– in fact, Wits is expanding its residences to accommodate more first-years so
seniors are not affected.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><b>The policy on residences in 2015 was
approved by the current President of the SRC in June this year. </b>Although
the policy has been displayed as a “shocking” development, it was actually
approved almost three months ago by the current President of the SRC, who sits
on the Senate during policy making. The reason for its emergence now is either
a result of lack of transparency of the current SRC leadership, or as a means
political sway during election time.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt">Overall,
Project W believes strongly in diversity at Wits, we believe that the new
residence policy should be implemented at a much, much slower rate than
suggested, and we <i>strongly condemn</i>
restricting vital information from students for individual or political party gain.
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt">The policy
also provides residence for those with sports scholarships, in order to
increase our reputation at sports; it aims to house more people with
commendable academic performance to increase university ratings and it has a
provision to allow for more postgraduates to stay as residence, along with
their spouses, all of which Project W supports.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt">We at
Project W are dedicated to improving every aspect of student life, whether it
be financial, academic or service related and we are committed to making Wits <b>even better</b>.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt">Find out
more on our website <a href="http://www.projectw.co.za/">www.projectw.co.za</a>,
or visit our Facebook page.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt">Project W</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt">Making Wits
Even Better</p></div></div>