Police fired gunshots at protesting students at the
university in Swaziland that is set to house King Mswati III’s proposed ‘SADC University
of Transformation’.
At least four students had ‘serious injuries’, according to the Times of Swaziland, the kingdom’s only independent daily newspaper.
At least four students had ‘serious injuries’, according to the Times of Swaziland, the kingdom’s only independent daily newspaper.
It happened on Wednesday (12 October 2016) at
Limkokwing University of Creative Technology at Sidwashini.
Students had been protesting about the poor quality of teaching at the
university and inferior facilities.
The Times
reported, ‘According
to eyewitnesses, about 200 students screamed and ran helter-skelter after
police from the Operational Support Service Unit (OSSU) fired at least six
shots in attempt to disperse the protesting students who were barred from
coming within 100 metres of the university gate by the High Court.’
It added,
‘The protesting students ran like headless chickens at the first sound of gunshots. Some of them are said to have
ran across the MR3 highway, forcing oncoming traffic to stop haphazardly.’
The Times reported, ‘The riot police are
said to have fired the shots after the resilient students marched towards the
university’s gate, while chanting political songs and slogans.
‘The
students were armed with only one baton and several sticks.’
Limkokwing
is at the centre of controversy as students have petitioned the Swazi
Government saying that lecturers at the university are not qualified to teach.
In August
2016, King Mswati, the absolute monarch in Swaziland, became Chair of the
Southern Africa Development Community (SADC). He said within one year he would
create a ‘University of Transformation’ and it would be housed at
Limkokwing.
See also
UNIVERSITY
LECTURERS ‘NOT QUALIFIED’
KING’S
NEW UNWORKABLE UNIVERSITY
http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2016/09/kings-new-unworkable-university.html
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