Battle for power at varsities

DA calls in senior big gun Zille

THE race for domination of three of the Eastern Cape’s tertiary institutions is about to intensify as political parties gear up for student elections.

Main players in the upcoming student representative council (SRC) elections to be held at the University of Fort Hare and Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) will be the DA student organisation (Daso) and the ANC-leaning South African Students’ Congress (Sasco). NMMU will hold its election later this month while Fort Hare is expected to go to the polls on October 10.

It is not yet clear when Walter Sisulu University will hold its elections due to the prolonged strike, which shut the institution for seven weeks.

WSU spokeswoman Angela Church said: “Elections were going to be this month. The SRC and management will have to sit and make a decision. We will wait and see what happens.”

At NMMU, Daso has set the ball rolling, this week calling on its mother body’s senior leader, Helen Zille.

Zille visited the jail cell of slain anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko on Thursday and later addressed a rally at NMMU in a bid to drum up support for her party.

Speaking to the Daily Dispatch yesterday, DA Eastern Cape youth leader Ondela Kepe agreed Zille’s presence at the university would score them votes in the upcoming elections.

He said his party was confident of retaining its dominance at NMMU and was looking to make inroads at Fort Hare.

Sasco provincial secretary Tembani Makata vowed they would do all in their power to remove Daso from leadership and retain Fort Hare.

Mawethu Kosani, Daso chair at Fort Hare, said there were still challenges at the university, for example although elections are next month, they don’t know the exact date.

“Some other political parties are still silent, there are no political rallies [on campus] but we are ready – even if they say elections must be next week, we won’t mind.”

Paul Papiso, Sasco chairman at Fort Hare Alice, said they were not sure who they would field as they were still busy with nominations.

“We are confident history will repeat itself. We like to claim this university as ours and it will remain as such,” said Papiso.

COPE’s Siyabulela Mpetsheni said although they did not contest the last SRC elections due to submitting their candidates’ list late, they would make a comeback. — aphiwed@dispatch.co.za