DASO, independents control SRC

The Democratic Alliance Students Organisation (DASO) affirmed its control of student politics at UCT when seven of its eight candidates were elected to the Students Representative Council (SRC) for the 2009/2010 term.

According to the provisional results announced on 31 August, only DASO's Tsepo Serakalala did not make it.

Their closest rival in the past, the South African Students Congress (SASCO), saw a decline, with only two of its five candidates making it onto the new council.

Independent candidates won six seats, while new organisations the Congress of the People UCT and Free UCT (FUCT) did not secure enough votes to see any of their combined 11 members voted onto the 15-member council.

The provisional results show that DASO will have Tara Dales, who secured the highest number of votes, as well as Erik de Ridder, Joseph Ball, Shannon Bernhardt, Zamantungwa Khumalo, Richard McLaverty and Michell Mpike on the new student body. Independent candidates Mbali Mbatha, Melvyn Lubega, Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh, Saif Islam, Wandile Mamba and Lwando Maki were also elected, as were SASCO's Sumaya Hendricks and Londeka Mkhize.

The election poll for these elections was 42%, almost the same as in 2008.

Chris Ryall, the current SRC president, is to convene a constituting meeting.