DASO continues winning trend in Rhodes SRC elections

The Democratic Alliance is pleased to be able to announce that, following the establishment of a Democratic Alliance Student Organisation (DASO) at Rhodes University’s campus late last year, DASO candidates and affiliates have won seven out of 14 positions on the Rhodes Student Representative Council (SRC).

A re-election will be held for the fifteenth SRC seat of Residence Councillor; DASO will also field a candidate for this position.

Four DASO candidates won their races: DASO branch chair and campaign coordinator Mohammed Shabangu was elected Vice President – External. Additionally, Mariska de Beer (Academic Councillor), Martin Forsyth (Media Officer), and Jean-Michel Gaud (Societies Councillor) won their races.

And three other members of DASO also won seats on the SRC. They are: Aslam Mayat (Treasurer), Boipelo Bonokwane (Community Engagement) and Silvanus Welcome (Oppidans).

The ANC-aligned SASCO only won one seat.

Our fantastic results at Rhodes follows outstanding SRC results for DASO at the University of Cape Town (UCT) and Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU). At UCT, six DASO candidates were elected, and DASO branch leader Amanda Ngwenya was elected SRC president. At NMMU, DASO gained four seats on the SRC, just a few months after that DASO branch had been established.

DASO’s outstanding performance demonstrates increasing support for the DA, and our vision of an Open Opportunity Society for All, on campuses around the country. Students are continuing to play a leading role in political realignment in South Africa, and the results at Rhodes, where support for the ANC-aligned student movement has gone into freefall, and DASO membership is growing exponentially, demonstrate this encouraging trend.