UFH student leaders go all out for votes
THE ANC-aligned South African Students’ Congress (Sasco) and DA Student Organisation (Daso) will lock horns tomorrow when students at the University of Fort Hare go to the polls to elect student leadership.
While Sasco is still undecided on who to field as a presidential candidate for the organisation at UFH, Daso will be pushing current SRC president Busisiwe Mashiqa to run for a second term.
Daso intensified its campaign yesterday when it hosted national DA leader Mmusi Maimane at the East London campus, where he addressed about 200 students ahead of the April 21 elections.
Maimane said change had begun in the university, and Daso had provided a leadership interested in providing housing for students and ensuring students remained in the education system.
“We’re going to lead this university whether they want us here or not,” said Maimane. “Free education is the next chapter in the fight for freedom in South Africa.”
Sasco national general secretary Thembani Makata, who yesterday led the organisation’s doorto-door campaign at student residences, said they were ready to take back control of the 100-yearold university.
Daso shocked many when it obtained 52.5% of the vote in elections at the university last year while Sasco managed just 37%.
The win was despite the ANC deploying senior leaders, including Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula and Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba to campaign for Sasco.
The win came months before the university launched its centenary celebrations.
The University of Fort Hare has long been associated with South Africa’s illustrious liberation leaders including Nelson Mandela, Robert Sobukwe and Oliver Tambo.
“Immediately after we lost the university to Daso last year, we went back to the drawing board to find out how and where we lost the the students,” said Makata.
“We have seen how important education is to the students of Fort Hare and we are doing everything possible to prioritise the needs of the students and the major one is getting that degree,” said Makata.
Sasco has nominated five candidates, from whom they will choose a president if they win UFH back from Daso.
The candidates include Bathabile Gijana, Bulali Rawana, Sithenkosi Lungisa, Mdingi Isasiphile and Zizipho Malindi.
The race to win the student representative council (SRC) elections at the UFH is not, however, limited to Sasco and Daso.
The Economic Freedom Fighters Student Command and Pan Africanist Student Movement of Azania (Pasma) were also seen campaigning outside the main entrance of Fort Hare’s East London campus yesterday.
EFF student command SRC presidential candidate Athule James said they were ready to lead.
“We believe the only way that we can eradicate poverty is through education and to achieve that we need to provide a united leadership that has a common cause,” said James. —