Top-level support for SRC election
Political party heavyweights mingle with students on night of debate ahead of NMU poll
With political parties sending their big guns to the Bay ahead of the much-anticipated Student Representative Council election at Nelson Mandela University on Wednesday, it appeared the battle was between the ANC-led Sasco and the DA Student Organisation (Daso), with some of the parties’ sharpest political minds mingling with their younger counterparts on Tuesday night.
In the DA corner were former DA leader and Western Cape premier Helen Zille and former Bay mayor Athol Trollip, while batting for Sasco were Eastern Cape Legislature deputy speaker Mlibo Qoboshiyane and controversial Bay ANC councillor Andile Lungisa.
Thousands of NMU students are expected to elect a new SRC leadership and all eyes will be on the battle between long-time political foes Sasco and Daso.
The EFF Student Command, which has kept a fairly low-key presence in student politics on campus, did not have much to say during a presidential debate earlier on Tuesday.
Its SRC presidential candidate, Mzukisi Mnotoza, said: “Our manifesto belongs to the students and we are calling for libraries to be open 24 hours.”
He also said the EFF would advocate for classes to start at 8am instead of 7.45am.
On Tuesday evening, Trollip hosted a subdued braai at NMU’s south campus – wasting no time in highlighting Sasco’s alleged shortcomings.
During the presidential debate, Daso accused Sasco of wasteful expenditure of more than R1m.
“First of all, we’ve shown that when Daso leads, things go well. We’ve seen that when Sasco leads, things don’t go well – the only thing that really goes well is spending money on themselves,” Daso SRC presidential candidate Kwanda Jakalase said.
“And we’ve seen that the big move in SA is making sure that education, especially tertiary, is available to students.
“So when you see SRCs spending money on themselves, it’s a big problem. I think it’s incredible that Daso has not only won Nelson Mandela University in the past, but Fort Hare, Wits and UCT.
“We are a student organisation that puts the interests of students first.”
Asked how it had reached R1.1m wasteful expenditure, Sasco claimed it had not seen the financial statements.
Running for SRC president are Sasco’s Bananye Matiwane, 25, Daso’s Jakalse, 23, and the EFF’s Mnotoza, 23.
Three vie to lead students
These SRC presidential hopefuls will go head to head in the Nelson Mandela University SRC elections on Wednesday.
They spoke to reporter Naziziphiwo Buso about the causes they would champion should they be elected.
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