The Democratic Alliance Students’ Organisation (Daso) has elected Busisiwe Mashiqa to lead the University of Fort Hare Students’ Representative Council (SRC) after their election victory at UFH.
Mashiqa, who was born in Whittlesea and schooled at Phakamani Senior Secondary School in Hewu, never imagined that one day she would lead the institution’s SRC.
However, she is confident that Daso would bring about change and promote transparency.
Speaking to the Daily Dispatch yesterday Mashiqa said unlike their predecessors the South African Students’ Congress (Sasco), Daso would focus on resolving student issues rather than politics.
“Our campaign for leadership of the institution was based on real issues that are affecting students currently.
“We have a problem with NSFAS and residences. Also our predecessors were not transparent, they took decisions outside the students,” Mashiqa said.
The Bachelor of Agriculture honours student said their campaign was also assisted by Democratic Alliance leaders who raised UFH students’ grievances at parliament level.
“Because as the DA Youth we have representatives in parliament, we were able to channel student grievances to parliament.
“They assisted us in terms of driving these issues so that the government can see that we are serious.”
The recent election contestation was a third attempt by Daso to vie for SRC leadership, after being denied recognition by UFH in 2012.
They took their case to court and were granted recognition as part of the contesting political parties. Since then, the student organisation has been on the rise.
Daso’s support at Fort Hare has more than doubled. At last year’s student representative council polls they secured only 20.5% of the votes and this year, scooped 52.5%.
Sasco polled 37% of the vote.
The SRC elections are divided into two parts. Votes are cast for the institutional SRC (ISRC), which is considered the main body. Students then also vote for campus SRC.
A breakdown of the results shows that for the ISRC, Daso received 3100 votes to Sasco’s 1982.
At the Alice campus Daso secured six seats, Sasco three and Pasma one.
At the East London campus Sasco and the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa) secured three seats each and Daso and Pasma two seats each.
Commenting on Daso’s victory yesterday, political analyst Dr Somadoda Fikeni said Sasco might not have expected the loss. “Once you start being complacent, this is what normally happens,” he said, adding that Sasco’s loss did not necessarily mean doom and gloom for the ANC.
“It is a strong warning both symbolically and practically of ANC’s progressively declining support base,” Fikeni said. — siphem@dispatch.co.za
Daso leader outlines plans after victory
The Democratic Alliance Students’ Organisation (Daso) has elected Busisiwe Mashiqa to lead the University of Fort Hare Students’ Representative Council (SRC) after their election victory at UFH.
Mashiqa, who was born in Whittlesea and schooled at Phakamani Senior Secondary School in Hewu, never imagined that one day she would lead the institution’s SRC.
However, she is confident that Daso would bring about change and promote transparency.
Speaking to the Daily Dispatch yesterday Mashiqa said unlike their predecessors the South African Students’ Congress (Sasco), Daso would focus on resolving student issues rather than politics.
“Our campaign for leadership of the institution was based on real issues that are affecting students currently.
“We have a problem with NSFAS and residences. Also our predecessors were not transparent, they took decisions outside the students,” Mashiqa said.
The Bachelor of Agriculture honours student said their campaign was also assisted by Democratic Alliance leaders who raised UFH students’ grievances at parliament level.
“Because as the DA Youth we have representatives in parliament, we were able to channel student grievances to parliament.
“They assisted us in terms of driving these issues so that the government can see that we are serious.”
The recent election contestation was a third attempt by Daso to vie for SRC leadership, after being denied recognition by UFH in 2012.
They took their case to court and were granted recognition as part of the contesting political parties. Since then, the student organisation has been on the rise.
Daso’s support at Fort Hare has more than doubled. At last year’s student representative council polls they secured only 20.5% of the votes and this year, scooped 52.5%.
Sasco polled 37% of the vote.
The SRC elections are divided into two parts. Votes are cast for the institutional SRC (ISRC), which is considered the main body. Students then also vote for campus SRC.
A breakdown of the results shows that for the ISRC, Daso received 3100 votes to Sasco’s 1982.
At the Alice campus Daso secured six seats, Sasco three and Pasma one.
At the East London campus Sasco and the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa) secured three seats each and Daso and Pasma two seats each.
Commenting on Daso’s victory yesterday, political analyst Dr Somadoda Fikeni said Sasco might not have expected the loss. “Once you start being complacent, this is what normally happens,” he said, adding that Sasco’s loss did not necessarily mean doom and gloom for the ANC.
“It is a strong warning both symbolically and practically of ANC’s progressively declining support base,” Fikeni said. — siphem@dispatch.co.za
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