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The PEC of the South African Students Congress (SASCO) in Gauteng, the continent's largest and oldest student movement, welcomes the renewed commitment by our branches to internationalism.

One of our branches, the Wits University branch of SASCO, and the Progressive Youth Alliance (SASCO, ANC YL, YCL, MSA) more generally at that campus, recently oversaw their candidates who are running in the upcoming student government SRC elections signing a pledge and declaration that reaffirmed their support for international solidarity.

The declaration and pledge, signed by all 15 PYA/SASCO candidates who are running in the current elections, specifically highlights their support to the causes of Cuba, Western Sahara, Swaziland and Palestine.

At Wits University we have had a history of the Israeli lobby trying to circumvent our national policies and attempting to take student leaders on apartheid-era propaganda junket trips to Israel. We welcome our candidates signing a pledge that they will not accept any such trip when elected. We also welcome the resignation from the selection committee of one SASCO/PYA member who had gone on such a trip in the preceding year.

We certainly feel that such a pledge will ensure that the Wits student community can vote knowing what they are voting for - that our candidates will not sell out to Apartheid Israel or any other external lobby when elected.

We wish our candidates at Wits University and at all other campuses across the province who are contesting SRC elections all the very best. We are confident that SASCO and the PYA will emerge successful!

[Attached (or click here to) find the declaration and pledge signed by the 15 Wits University SASCO/PYA candidates who are running in the upcoming Wits University SRC elections starting today (Tuesday 17 October) and ending on Wednesday (18 October).

Issued by SASCO