POLICE FIRE GUNSHOTS AT STUDENTS

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.

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’

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2016/10/university-lecturers-not-qualified.html

 

KING’S NEW UNWORKABLE UNIVERSITY

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2016/09/kings-new-unworkable-university.html