Umkhonto weSizwe Party triumphs in eThekwini Student Representative Council elections
Umkhonto weSizwe Party won all the seats in Swinton TVET college in the student representative council election in Durban.
Image: Itumeleng English / Independent Newspapers
Umkhonto weSizwe Party has scored another political victory in eThekwini following a clean sweep in the Student Representative Council elections that took place in TVET colleges on Friday.
The party’s student wing, Umkhonto weSizwe Student Movement won all the seats in Swinton college in Lamontville township south of Durban. The party defeated both ANC-aligned South African Student Congress and EFF student command. The party also won all the seats in As Salaam campus in Umzinto in the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal.
Reacting to the victory, the party’s provincial deputy coordinator Shirley Willemse said the party is taking control of the province in every sector including the TVET Colleges.
“We are the party of choice and this is the precedent of what will happen in the next year’s local government elections. We are in every corner of the province,” said Willemse.
The party is still over the moon after winning its first ward in eThekwini in a recent by-election. Ward 110 which incorporates parts of Glen Anil, Phoenix and Mount Moriah was left vacant after the DA fired its own councillor. The party is now eyeing another ward in Mandeni Local Municipality in a by-election that will take place next week. The ward became vacant after the killing of the ANC councillor earlier this year.
The former president, Jacob Zuma’s party has four councillors in four municipalities which are Umzumbe, KwaDukuza, Richmond and eThekwini.
During the first year anniversary celebration which was held in eThekwini last year, the party announced that it was preparing to govern eThekwini Municipality. In the last year’s general elections, the party won eThekwini beating the ANC and the DA. It also did well in the municipalities that are under Umgungundlovu district (Pietermaritzburg).
EThekwini which is the biggest region in the country in terms of wards as well Umgungundlovu which is second biggest have been ANC strongholds and key to any party to win the province.