Last-minute push for votes at student elections

Student formations launched lastditch campaigns to win votes as thousands voted in SRC elections at the University of Fort Hare yesterday.The day had a slow but smooth start and picked up pace as it progressed. Results are due out today.

The four student political formations contesting the elections were the DA Students’ Organisation (Daso), South African Students’ Congress (Sasco), Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa) and Pan Africanist Student Movement of Azania (Pasma).

Sasco and Daso were upbeat about winning, with both convening rallies at the East London and Alice campuses.

Daso held a mass rally at the institution’s Alice campus on Wednesday night to mobilise its support base, attended by DA shadow deputy minister for higher education and training, Yusuf Cassim, the party’s leader in the Eastern Cape, Athol Trollip, and member of parliament Nqaba Banga.

Speaking to the Daily Dispatch yesterday, Cassim said: “This is going to be a very tight election race, but we are confident we are going to win it.”