STUDENTS ARE PLANNING TO STAGE ANOTHER MARCH

by Hlengiwe Ndlovu
Mbabane
From the Swazi Observer

Students are planning to stage another march next week. Though colleges have been closed, the Swaziuland National Unions of Students (SNUS) is working on a strategy to bring the students together. Yesterday, the students from the University of Swaziland and different colleges could not march again because their institutions are already closed. The closure was necessitated by the growing unrest in the country's institutions of higher learning. SNUS Secretaryt General Thabo Dlamini disclosed that executive members of the students body had decided to sensitise different stake holders on the grievances that tertiary students have and it was during this consultation that the need for another march emerged.

"We have met with parents, workers unions and high school students whom we have sensitised about government's new scholarship policy and how it will affect them," he said.

Dlamini said it also emerged during these consultative exercises that civil society was nt involved either when the scholarhsip policy was drafted. "We want government to do away with the scholrahip policy and formulate a new one where stduents, civil society and all other stake holders will be fully invloved."

Meanwhile, Dlamini disclosed that the march next week will also be aimed at pressuring government to re open the closed colleges.

SSN calls for support of Swazi Students

04^th February. 2010

The Swaziland Solidarity Network [SSN] has been monitoring the events surrounding tertiary students in Swaziland very closely for the past few days. As things currently stand, all the main institutions of higher learning are currently closed indefinitely. The issues raised by these students, which include increased personal allowances and Universal Primary School education, are very legitimate and would not lead to any confrontation in a normal society.

It is extremely disheartening to see such a number of students having their normal academic year interrupted, especially because judging from previous experience it is clear that no adjustment will be made to the academic calendar. A worst case scenario is that these students will be forced to repeat the year should the colleges remain closed for long enough.

It is due to these circumstances that the Network calls upon all student and youth organisations outside Swaziland, particularly in South Africa, to support the Swazi students’ struggle for their right to education.

Issued by the Swaziland Solidarity Network- South Africa Chapter:

Contact:

Lucky Lukhele_ SSN spokesperson

072 502 4141

Update from Swaziland

An update from Swaziland on the student march that started yesterday today turned out sucesful with students from Ngwane College (who were blocked by police yesterday) and Nazarene (who did not participate yesterday) attending in their numbers. We have since been told that government has issued a directive that all tertiary institutions be closed in Swaziland in light of the concerns that have been raised the students.

The number of people who turned to the streets todays are unprecedented and so far there has been no indications that students are willing to back off. Today students went to the PM to also complain about the implementation of Free Primary Education as well as the now customary complaint about the scholarship policy. They also demand that their union, SNUS, be registered and recognised as a student voice across all tertiary institutions.

The students are shouting, 'the struggle continues'.

From SNUS

SNUS PRESS STATEMENT

For the first time in the history of this tiny, semi feudal, neo colonial, quasi capitalist kingdom, the students of Swaziland met under the umbrella organisation SWAZILAND NATIONAL UNION OF STUDENTS (SNUS) to discuss and deliberate issues affecting them. The meeting was held in Manzini. Students came from the all tertiary institutions of the country.

The issues that were discussed include the proposed draft scholarship policy which the undemocratic government of the king intend to make it law without engaging the students to make inputs as major stakeholders. Mswati’s government still fails to recognize the students as major stakeholders in the education sector, thus the continual sidelining of the students in the decision making process. The students therefore resolved to resist this draft scholarship policy as they were not involved in the decision making process.

Moreover the students are demanding an increase in their personal allowances. Their allowances have not increased since 1992 and they are currently receiving R462.00 per annum. This is an insult to the students of Swaziland if you look at the current economic situation of the country. The inflation rate has increased dramatically over the decade.

The student are also demanding that government should register their union and stop frustrating the registration process as this is a violation of human rights contained in the UN Declaration of human rights and the constitution of Swaziland. We strongly believe that the students of Swaziland have a right to associate and to join or not to join any organisation.

The students then resolved to march to the appointed Prime minister to deliver the petition with their grievances. They have resolved to render the government ungovernable and impossible for her to operate until their demands are met. They will not return to class until government meet their demands. They will flock the streets of the country from Monday up until everything is sorted.

The Students will be marching under the banner of SNUS in what is set to become a watershed moment in the history of student’s struggles. We however continue to appeal for financial support because the union is still handicapped financial especially because these struggles they are engaged in have been ‘disowned’ by some of the so called Non government organisations, particularly CANGO. In the preparations for the student mass meeting held at Bosco skilled centre on Saturday, attended by over 1000 students from all tertiary institutions (this massive turn out is despite the fact that SNUS’s strong hold, UNISWA, was closed) CANGO had promised to pay the buses that were used to ferry the students. When CANGO’s Director was approached on his pledged he said they would not support our struggles because ‘we want to overthrow the state’. They said they won’t support people who are violent and fighting government. We were shocked at this level of political prostitution by CANGO particularly because in other ‘moderate’ sessions they would patronise us about how much support they would give to the students. To this end we find ourselves currently running helter skater trying to get money to pay for the buses and other costs we incurred organising the meeting and the subsequent marches.

Any form of

Statement issued by SNUS Organising Secretary Maxwell Dlamini

+268 6533564

(maxwelldlamini@yahoo.com)

Swaziland National Union of Students -- The Blog

This shall be an official page for the Swaziland National Union of Students (SNUS) to disseminate information about the hardships we face as Swazi students as we continue to challenge the despotic and authoritarian Mswati and his Government.

This insane and evil system called Tinkhundla must be exposed for what it is and what it ought to mean to the ordinary Swazi particularly the youth.

Since our media (the print media in this case) practice "the government says so" kind of reporting, many stories of police brutality on student protesters has not seen its way to the public.

This blog is also here to defy such barbaric policies.

We hope you will enjoy!!!!!

Long live the students long live!!!

AMANDLA !!!