Port Elizabeth – The Democratic Alliance Student Organisation (DASO) is once again setting its sights on winning the the Student Representative Council (SRC) elections taking place this week at the University of Fort Hare in the Eastern Cape.
Last year, for the first time in an historic win, DASO won a clear majority of 52.5% of the student vote.
On Thursday, voting is expected to take place at all three campuses in Bisho, Alice and East London.
The university has been home to honorary anti-apartheid activists including Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, Robert Sobukwe and Desmond Tutu to name a few.
Last year several ANC heavyweights including Cyril Ramaphosa, Malusi Gigaba and Fikile Mbalula attended the university on the eve of the SRC elections, but despite their presence, the ANC-aligned South African Students Congress (SASCO), which previously had tight control over the SRC, only managed to secure 37% of the vote.
DASO now governs both the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and Fort Hare.
DA Federal Leader, Mmusi Maimane together with Nelson Mandela Bay DA mayoral candidate Athol Trollip and DASO leader Yusuf Cassim are expected to visit the University of Fort Hare on Tuesday.
Cassim, meanwhile, accused a SASCO member of allegedly rigging the residency process at the university in exchange for cash.
Meanwhile, Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality is seen to be a highly contested metro and the ANC has been fighting to retain its control in the area which many regard as the party’s “political soul”.
Last week, senior ANC officials canvassed for support across the Eastern Cape ahead of the party’s local government elections manifesto launch which took place on Saturday.
The party, however, failed to deliver on an expectation that the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium would be packed to the brim with 110 000 supporters and overflow areas.
Saturday’s attendance seemed to give credence to Trollip’s earlier predictions that the ANC would never be able fill up the 46 000-seater stadium, due to its “dwindling support” in the metro.
ANC national chairwoman Baleka Mbete claimed that at least 42 000 supporters had attended the launch, however, there were scores of empty seats at the stadium despite transport operators ferrying supporters in from other provinces.
The ANC in the province earlier said that there was a delay in payment to transport operators, which in turn led to some supporters being stranded in various areas.
African News Agency
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