Bay student up for election

AS the DA Youth prepares for its national congress next month, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) student Yusuf Cassim has accepted the nomination to contest for one of the opposition party’s top posts.

Cassim, who was the founder of the DA Student Organisation (Daso) at NMMU and instrumental in ensuring a landslide victory for the party in the last SRC elections, said he would be vying for the position of federal chairperson of the DA Youth.

He was nominated by several DA members from different provinces. He is the Port Elizabeth West chairman of the DA Youth.

While the process of finalising the nominations is still under way, Cassim said one of the candidates he would be up against was Bonginkosi Shadrack from Mpumalanga.

The current chairwoman is Mbali Ntuli, who was elected in 2010. She is vying for the DA Youth leader position.

Cassim, 23, said he accepted the nomination because he was encouraged by the massive support he had received from the DA in the Eastern Cape.

“The entire Eastern Cape has endorsed my candidacy and the outgoing and incoming provincial youth league has also endorsed my candidacy.

“I’m encouraged by the amount of support I have received and the unique experience I had in building various youth structures,” Cassim said.

Cassim is studying towards his master’s degree in public administration.

The congress will be held on May 4 in Gauteng. A venue has yet to be confirmed.

DA national spokesman Mmusi Maimane said nominations would be verified and finalised by the end of the week.