Sasco's election campaign at the University of Fort Hare has received a major boost with the announcement that its historical rivals, the Young Communist League, will support the ANC-aligned student organisation instead of fielding its own candidates.
The election will now be contested by Sasco, the DA Students Organisation, the ANC Youth League and the EFF Student Command. Thousands of students will elect their new leaders on Thursday, with the Alice main campus likely to be more closely-contested than the East London campus.
The SA Communist Party-aligned YCLSA is a registered student formation in Alice campus, making it eligible to contest elections.
Initially it registered to contest next week’s election, but Vusi Tlou of the Independent Electoral Commission told the Daily Dispatch last week that it had withdrawn from the poll. Both YCL provincial leaders and Sasco welcomed the boost to Sasco’s chances of retaining control of the historic university.
YCLSA provincial secretary Andile Mosha said the branch had erred by trying to contest elections without the blessing of provincial and national leaders.
“They did that without consulting the upper structures so we told them to withdraw and they did so,” Mosha said. “It is now official that the YCLSA is not contesting the UFH 2018 SRC election. We are pleased to learn that.”
Said Alice branch elections team convener Pumlani Msenge: “We are happy YCLSA will no longer be contesting the elections. When we mobilise, we will go together as the Progressive Youth Alliance, led by Sasco,” Msenge said. — sinom@dispatch.co.za
Communist league to back Sasco in UFH vote
The election will now be contested by Sasco, the DA Students Organisation, the ANC Youth League and the EFF Student Command. Thousands of students will elect their new leaders on Thursday, with the Alice main campus likely to be more closely-contested than the East London campus.
The SA Communist Party-aligned YCLSA is a registered student formation in Alice campus, making it eligible to contest elections.
Initially it registered to contest next week’s election, but Vusi Tlou of the Independent Electoral Commission told the Daily Dispatch last week that it had withdrawn from the poll. Both YCL provincial leaders and Sasco welcomed the boost to Sasco’s chances of retaining control of the historic university.
YCLSA provincial secretary Andile Mosha said the branch had erred by trying to contest elections without the blessing of provincial and national leaders.
“They did that without consulting the upper structures so we told them to withdraw and they did so,” Mosha said. “It is now official that the YCLSA is not contesting the UFH 2018 SRC election. We are pleased to learn that.”
Said Alice branch elections team convener Pumlani Msenge: “We are happy YCLSA will no longer be contesting the elections. When we mobilise, we will go together as the Progressive Youth Alliance, led by Sasco,” Msenge said. — sinom@dispatch.co.za
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