Swaziland’s Minister of
Labour and Social Security has made a veiled threat to scrap university
scholarships in the kingdom if students continue to protest against late
payments.
Minister of Labour and
Social Security Winnie Magagula made her comments after management at the
University of Swaziland (UNISWA) closed the institution after students
boycotted classes.
There have been continuing
problems at UNISWA – and other tertiary colleges in Swaziland – about late
payments of scholarships and allowances. There are also complaints that
facilities in universities and colleges are inadequate.
UNISWA closed on Monday (20
February 2017). UNISWA Registrar Dr Salebona Simelane told local media the
University Senate had resolved to close down immediately as a precautionary
measure following vandalism to property the previous week.
The Swazi Observer reported on Tuesday he said, ‘they needed to protect
university property and the students themselves from each other’.
Simelane said the
university would be closed until further notice.
Last week, police
fired warning gunshots as students protested about late payment of their
allowances.
The Observer reported Minister Magagula saying the government might
have to reconsider issuing scholarships, ‘as they were causing too many
problems’.
Following the closure of
UNISWA, Magagula said the incident was an unfortunate one as they had met the
SRC where they explained the procedures followed when government pays a
client.
The Observer, a newspaper in effect owned by King Mswati III, who rules
Swaziland as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, reported her saying, ‘We
met with these children and we showed them that we had indeed paid their
allowances as these things take time. There are processes that take place.’
The Observer added, ‘Magagula said the students were clearly refusing
to cooperate with government and the university hence if there are no
scholarships maybe there’ll be no closure for these institutions.’
UNISWA is not the only
tertiary education institution complaining against late payments. The Southern
African Nazarene University (SANU) in Manzini, Swaziland, has also
been closed following student
protests against poor facilities and insufficient allowances.
See
also
UNIVERSITY CLOSED AFTER STUDENT PROTESTS
SWAZI POLICE FIRE AT STUDENTS
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