THE DA Student Organisation (Daso) has finally been recognised by the University of Fort Hare, after it was not allowed to contest the Student Representative Council (SRC) elections last year.
The DA had to threaten it with legal action in order for its student-aligned organisation to be recognised this year. DA Youth provincial leader Andrew Whitfield said they met university management who could offer no valid reasons why Daso could not contest the SRC elections.
DA provincial leader Athol Trollip said he wrote to Fort Hare vice-chancellor Dr Mvuyo Tom to request that he intervene.
Trollip said Daso was, however, again barred from participation.
The DA, on behalf of Daso, set the wheels in motion to obtain an interdict to prevent the university and the SRC from proceeding with the elections.
Whitfield said they were notified on Monday that Daso would be recognised as a bona fide student political society.
"We are very frustrated that we had to go to such lengths for Daso to be recognised."
University of Fort Hare spokesman Mawanda Mrashula confirmed that Daso would contest the elections alongside the South African Students Congress, Pan Africanist Student Movement of Azania, ANC Youth League, COPE Student Movement and individual candidates.
He said the delay in recognition was because of "certain constitutional requirements they [Daso] needed to fulfil".
Daso scored a landslide SRC victory at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University on September 18 after it also struggled to be recognised at NMMU.
