Universities and colleges
in Swaziland will be censored in what they can teach to ensure they do not damage
the ‘image’ of the kingdom, if new draft regulations are adopted.
Swaziland is ruled by King
Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch.
The Times
of Swaziland reported on
Thursday (21 January 2016) that higher education institutions should not ‘teach
things which could be detrimental to the wellbeing and image of the country’.
The newspaper reported the Executive
Secretary of the Swaziland Higher Education Council (SHEC) Mboni Dlamini said, ‘this
did not mean that institutions should not provide political studies, if their
mission was to do so’.
The Times added, ‘He said, however, they should stick to the parameters
of that particular subject. He said lecturers should stick to the approved
syllabus and not teach things which could be detrimental to the wellbeing and
image of the country.’
In Swaziland all political
parties are banned from taking part in elections. Many groups advocating
democracy in the kingdom are banned under the Suppression of Terrorism Act.
In Swaziland, the King
appoints the cabinet, top civil servants and judges.
Elections are held every five
years, but voters get to choose only 55 of the 65-member
House of Assembly. The other ten members are appointed by King Mswati. No
members of the 30-strong Swaziland Senate are elected; 20 are appointed by the King
and 10 are selected by the House of Assembly.
Dlamini was presenting the Draft
Higher Education Regulations to representatives of Swazi universities and
colleges.
The Times quoted Dlamini saying, ‘The University of Swaziland teaches
political studies, lecturers should stick to the parameters and not go outside
their domain to the detriment of the country.’
The Times reported, ‘He said they should not also teach things which
will harass others be it in politics, religion or local culture. He said if an
institution was licensed to teach Agriculture, they should stick to that, and
not be involved in any other non-agricultural activities.
‘“We do not want
institutions to focus on other things that will smear the image of the country.
The institutions should also not teach things which will incite students to
engage in protest actions,” he said.’
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