SWAZI STUDENTS MARCH AGAIN

The following is a report from the Times of Swaziland, the kingdom’s only independent daily newspaper.

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Aggrieved students hit Manzini streets today

MANZINI- Tertiary education students yesterday (9 February 2010) resolved to stage a protest action around Manzini today to demand that government addresses their concerns because they want to go back to class.

Close to 200 students met at Bosco Skills Centre hall and resolved that government must be pressured to address their concerns so that they can return to class.

Positive

However, the students emphasised that until government gives positive feedback on their demands, they would not return to class.

They are expected to be joined by parents, workers as well as sympathisers in a march expected to commence at the Freedom Square from 10am.

The students converged at Bosco from as early as 10am and deliberated on the feedback given by their leaders, who had met Labour Minister Patrick Magobetane Mamba the previous day.

They were addressed by their leaders from the Swaziland National Union of Students (SNUS) as well as the various Student Representative Councils from the different colleges.

Tangible

SNUS’ President Bheki Khumalo reported that they met the minister on Monday, but there was nothing tangible to report because the minister said he was yet to report the matter to cabinet.

He said even though they had sent the petition the previous week, the minister had still not given it to his cabinet colleagues.

University of Swaziland (UNISWA) Student Representative Council (SRC) President Pius Vilakati told the students that the minister was not showing any signs of solving the impasse and that government was starting to believe that it has killed the spirit of the students.

Attend

He called upon students to attend today’s protest march in numbers so that they can push government to address the issues and allow them to return to class.

Different students were given the platform to air their views on the issues and all vowed not go to class until government addressed their concerns.

They made a desperate plea to parents and workers to join today’s march because they believed that the scholarship policy being mooted would affect them the most.