The ANC is fast losing its grip on student votes in its historical strongholds on Eastern Cape campuses. Even though the ANC-aligned South African Students Congress (Sasco) won the overall student representative elections held at Port Elizabeth College on Thursday, it was the performance of Daso at the College’s Iqhayiya campus which will cause sleepless nights for the ANC.Daso secured 75% of the vote while it also managed two seats at both the Russell Road and Dower campuses.
Sasco has been dominant at these campuses for years.
Political analyst Somadoda Fikeni attributed the loss at Iqhayiya and inroads made at other campuses to the “absence” of the ANC Youth League.
Fikeni said the ANCYL was no longer formidable and had severely crippled the hold of the organisation on young people.DA Youth Federal chairman Yusuf Cassim said the victory at Iqhayiya campus showed that young black voters were able to find a home in the DA.
“We believe that these young voters from the tertiary institutions will bring the DA the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality,” said Cassim.
Fikeni said the ANC was aware it was losing the support of young voters, but because of the magnitude of the party’s internal challenges, “the party is not well capacitated to address external challenges including the move into tertiary institutions by the DA”.
He was referring to the ANC’s loss in two by-elections in the Nelson Mandela Metro last year. The by-elections were held in ANC’s historical strongholds Uitenhage, Dwesi and Veeplaas.
The showdown at PE College was not the first setback for the ANC in the province in student politics. Last year Sasco lost support to Daso at both Fort Hare University and Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.
But ANC provincial spokesman Mlibo Qoboshiyane said the party was not shaken by the Iqhayiya campus loss.
Qoboshiyane said Sasco had won the overall elections and the loss at Iqhayiya campus would make no difference to the fact that PE College was under Sasco rule.
However, Qoboshiyane said: “Sasco at Iqhayiya must now learn how to be an opposition and work on strategies that will make them reclaim the campus.”
DA mayoral candidate in the NMB Metro Athol Trollip said Daso’s growth at various tertiary institutions around the country, despite struggles for recognition, was encouraging.
“Daso’s commitment to caring for students and their issues has been confirmed by this election result,” said Trollip.
Daso scores campus win
Daso secured 75% of the vote while it also managed two seats at both the Russell Road and Dower campuses.
Sasco has been dominant at these campuses for years.
Political analyst Somadoda Fikeni attributed the loss at Iqhayiya and inroads made at other campuses to the “absence” of the ANC Youth League.
Fikeni said the ANCYL was no longer formidable and had severely crippled the hold of the organisation on young people.DA Youth Federal chairman Yusuf Cassim said the victory at Iqhayiya campus showed that young black voters were able to find a home in the DA.
“We believe that these young voters from the tertiary institutions will bring the DA the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality,” said Cassim.
Fikeni said the ANC was aware it was losing the support of young voters, but because of the magnitude of the party’s internal challenges, “the party is not well capacitated to address external challenges including the move into tertiary institutions by the DA”.
He was referring to the ANC’s loss in two by-elections in the Nelson Mandela Metro last year. The by-elections were held in ANC’s historical strongholds Uitenhage, Dwesi and Veeplaas.
The showdown at PE College was not the first setback for the ANC in the province in student politics. Last year Sasco lost support to Daso at both Fort Hare University and Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.
But ANC provincial spokesman Mlibo Qoboshiyane said the party was not shaken by the Iqhayiya campus loss.
Qoboshiyane said Sasco had won the overall elections and the loss at Iqhayiya campus would make no difference to the fact that PE College was under Sasco rule.
However, Qoboshiyane said: “Sasco at Iqhayiya must now learn how to be an opposition and work on strategies that will make them reclaim the campus.”
DA mayoral candidate in the NMB Metro Athol Trollip said Daso’s growth at various tertiary institutions around the country, despite struggles for recognition, was encouraging.
“Daso’s commitment to caring for students and their issues has been confirmed by this election result,” said Trollip.
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