Lee Baatjes, the newly elected chair of the 2016/2017 Tygerberg Student Council (TSC), sees his leadership role as being an advocate for the TygerMatie students to empower themselves and make their voices heard.

According to Baatjes, the TSC is a pivotal structure which must engage with all students to ensure a positive impact on Tygerberg Campus. "I want to establish communication channels during my term to enhance an integrated relationship between the representative bodies and the students."

Baatjes, a fourth-year MB,ChB student and Hippokrates resident, mentioned he has had the opportunity to engage with various members of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences  (FMHS) management through his involvement with numerous leadership structures on campus. He plans to use the experience and soft skills gained through these opportunities to take the mandate of the students forward.

This was put to the test during the recent #FeesMustFall activities on the Tygerberg Campus, where Baatjes and his newly elected team played a facilitating role between students and management, searching for outcomes to the benefit of all parties.

Baatjes is not afraid to tackle contentious issues hands on. During his tenure he would like to address issues that perpetuate exclusion, such as ableism (the discrimination against differently abled persons) and the marginalisation of students in any way, including language, sexual orientation, religion and certain student traditions on campus.  He would also like to see some improvement of health facilities on the Tygerberg Campus.

As a member of the Hippokrates House Committee, he was at the forefront of advancing an open and inclusive residence culture. "This saw the fall of the Hippo-'huislied', the 'oumanne'-club and the 'Tour de Francie', which in my opinion can perpetuate a rape culture," he said.

He was also the first to present the budget at an open House Meeting and initiated a new meeting, the House Forum, which serves as a platform where residents are allowed to ask questions of the leaders of the residence.

Being a proud TygerMatie, Baatjes has excelled in various activities on campus and received Hippokrates Residence honours awards for leadership, sport and culture. He ascribes his successes to his capability to manage his time efficiently.

He hails from Uitenhage in the Eastern Cape where he attended Muir College Boys High.

The 2016/17 TSC

The new TSC members took up their leadership positions on 1 September. The team and their portfolios are:

Lee Baatjes  - Chair / Executive Committee (Exec) Chair / Stellenbosch University Student Representative Council)

Shaahid Kajee - Vice-Chair / Portfolio Manager / Exec

Lungelo Mlambo - Treasurer / Policy Unit / Exec

Akua Gyan - Secretary / Student Development / Exec

Bohlale Selahle - Student Wellness / Exec

Lisa Africa -Media and Marketing / Culture

Yonela Kentane - Sport / Critical Engagement

Nhlakanipho Mahagane - Student Services

Tracy Ward - Campus Interaction

Mamosala Lelope - Manager: Social Impact

Ex-officio members:

Ilana van Niekerk - Chair: Tygerberg Academic Affairs Council (TAAC) / Prestige

Tevarus Naicker - Chair: Prim Committee (PK)

Kirsten Marais - Chair: Societies Council

Ascentia Seboko - Chair: Tygerberg Postgraduate Student Council