Swazi Media Commentary: Swaziland Christian university

Showing posts with label Swaziland Christian university. Show all posts

Wednesday, 7 March 2018

POLICE FIRE NINE LIVE SHOTS AT BAR

Two police officers in Swaziland fired nine live bullets at a bar that was open after hours.

It is one of many incidents of police firing around civilians who have committed no crime.

It happened at Pholani Bar in Pigg’s Peak. The Swazi Observer newspaper reported on Monday (5 March 2018) that the police officers fired ‘warning shots’ in the air.

The newspaper reported ‘well-placed sources’ saying, the police officers had gone to the bar to try and close it as its official operating time had elapsed. The bar was supposed to close at midnight but because it was the end of the month and customers had money to spend it stayed open.

The Observer reported, ‘While trying to close the bar, one of the police officers then decided to try and arrest an unruly individual who was disturbing the peace.

‘This did not go down well with the patrons because the individual then called his friends who surrounded the police officer. The mob then told the police to retreat and drive off and the policeman heeded the warning and drove away in haste while some started throwing beer bottles at the retreating police van.’

The newspaper added, ‘[A]s some charged towards the police officers, they had to fire warning shots in the air to ward off the angry mob.’

This is one of number of incidents in which police have fired live bullets. In January 2018 police reportedly they fired live ammunition during a protest by students from Swaziland Christian University about delays in receiving allowances and problems over graduation.

In February 2017 they fired warning gunshots at civilians when kombi drivers and conductors brought traffic to a standstill at Mvutshini by blocking the highway and stopping public transport. They were protesting about an alleged corrupt traffic police officer.

Also in February 2017 police fired warning gunshots as University of Swaziland students marched with a petition to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security to protest about late payment of their allowances.

Again in February 2017 they fired live gunshots and teargas at workers at Juris Manufacturing in Nhlangano when workers were locked out in a dispute over allegations that management planned to purge the staff of ‘troublesome elements’.

In October 2016 police fired gunshots at protesting students at the Limkokwing university in Mbabane. At least four students received ‘serious injuries’ during disturbances, according to the Times of Swaziland, the kingdom’s only independent daily newspaper.

In August 2016 riot police fired shots over the heads of striking workers outside the Plantation Forestry Company who were protesting for an increase in pay of the equivalent of 35 US cents per hour.

In October 2015 police fired shots and teargas at protesting textile workers at the Zheng Yong Garment factory in Nhlangano. They were protesting against the behaviour of security guards.

In June 2013 police fired live bullets and teargas as children protested against alleged corruption at Mhubhe High School in Ngculwini.

Monday, 5 February 2018

POLICE ‘FIRED LIVE BULLETS AT PROTEST’

Police in Swaziland have not denied a newspaper report that they fired live ammunition during a student protest.

Students from Swaziland Christian University were protesting about delays in receiving allowances and problems over graduation.

Students marched in protest on Wednesday (31 January 2018) and at least 11 were arrested for damaging property and causing a disturbance.

The Swazi Observer newspaper reported on Friday (2 February 2018), Deputy Chief Police Information and Communication Officer Assistant Superintendent Phindile Vilakati, ‘said she could not confirm or deny allegations of police brutality and assault’.

It added, ‘When Vilakati was asked if it was true that one of their officers ordered that live rounds of ammunition be used instead of teargas and rubber bullets against the protesting students, she said what happens during police operations was something that was to be decided by those officers on the ground.’

Students, including a mother and her baby were arrested and put in police cells overnight pending a court appearance. Students later accused police of brutality.

Police in Swaziland have been known in the past to fire live ammunition during legitimate protests. In February 2017 they fired warning gunshots at civilians when kombi drivers and conductors brought traffic to a standstill at Mvutshini by blocking the highway and stopping public transport. They were protesting about an alleged corrupt traffic police officer.

In August 2016 riot police fired shots over the heads of striking workers outside the Plantation Forestry Company who were protesting for an increase in pay of the equivalent of 35 US cents per hour.

Friday, 2 February 2018

POLICE KEEP MUM AND BABY IN JAIL

A woman and her baby were held in a police cell overnight in Swaziland along with at least 10 other students who are saying they were beaten up by police.

The students from Swaziland Christian University (SCU) had been arrested and detained for allegedly vandalising property and disturbing classes at Saim Christian High School on Wednesday (31 January 2018). They had been taking part in a protest march about unpaid allowances.

Fellow students protested at the magistrates court in Mbabane, the Swazi Observer reported (2 February 2018). It said, ‘The students are said to have been battered by the police and one of them sustained a tear on the left ear.’

The newspaper reported Students Representative Council (SRC) president Thabani Mkhwanazi, ‘said they are saddened by the brutality they encounter at the hands of the police because they are passively portraying their frustration while police are armed with heavy guns and an aggressive approach to matters’.

It quoted him saying, ‘We have been exposed to too much brutality at the hands of the police and we demand answers on why they are this aggressive to defenceless students who are simply making known their grievances through a passive protest.’

The mother, who the newspaper did not name, was reportedly kept in a cell with her baby overnight. The newspaper called this ‘an unbelievable episode’.

Ntswaki Khumalo, a third year nursing student, who also spent the night in a police cell at Mbabane police station, told the newspaper they were arrested by police during the protest action and bundled into the back of a police van and sent to the police station.

The newspaper reported, ‘Upon arrival, they were placed into holding cells where a contingent of about seven police officers allegedly came into where they were kept and started assaulting them.

‘She said at some point the police hit them with the back of an R4 rifle while they continued hitting them with open hands across the face.

‘They said after the brutal lashing, their friends and colleagues arrived at the police station to see them and give them food they had bought but only to be told that they would not be allowed to see them as they would be provided with police food.

‘Students said that the cell they were in had dirty blankets and reeked of urine and other disgusting things such that they now fear that the baby may have contracted some diseases as they were not even able to change its diapers. This, they said, was due to the fact that they were not allowed access to running water.’’

Deputy Chief Police Information and Communication Officer Assistant Superintendent Phindile Vilakati denied that students from SCU spent the night in jail with a baby. She could not confirm or deny allegations of police brutality and assault.

This was not the first run in between police and students at SCU. In September 2017 armed riot police broke up a peaceful vigil by students outside the Ministry of Education and Training when they were seeking to get their closed university reopened.

Armed police from the Operational Support Services Unit (OSSU) gave the students 10 minutes to disperse. The OSSU is known for its violence and the students led by executives of the university’s student representative council decided to march away.

SCU was closed in August 2017 following an investigation by the Swaziland Higher Education Council (SHEC). According to a 40-page report, SCU, a private university in a joint venture with the Swazi Government, did not have the required funding to continue. There were also issues among others about the suitability of learning resources such as the library and the relevance and quality of its courses.

The university which specialises in medical-related courses had an enrolment of 916 students in the past academic year.

In 2015, when SCU was in financial crisis and could not pay salaries, the university blamed the Swazi Government for not giving it money it had promised.

In February 2015, it was reported that armed police raided the university’s campus after students boycotted classes. They were protesting about a shortage of lecturers and inadequate teaching facilities.

It was also separately reported that 25 female students from the university had been raped in the previous year. Students blamed the university for not providing them with secure accommodation.

Sunday, 1 March 2015

VARSITY BLAMES GOVT FOR CASH CRISIS

Only one week after King Mswati III of Swaziland publicly declared his support for higher education in his kingdom, it is reported that his Government has not paid monies it promised one of the newest universities and it cannot pay salaries.

King Mswati, who rules Swaziland as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, and hand-picks the Swazi Government, said in his speech at the opening of parliament that his kingdom now had a ‘huge challenge to develop more institutions of higher learning for our youth in the country that will be affordable to parents and of high quality’.

He added, ‘Therefore, government should upgrade our colleges into universities as this is in line with our decentralisation policy.’

However, the reality in his kingdom is proving to be rather different. Media in Swaziland have reported the Swaziland Christian University at Mahwalala, which specialises in health-based programmes, has had to delay paying its staff wages and salaries.

The Observer on Saturday newspaper reported (28 February 2015), ‘This was disclosed by the university’s bursar Lusekwane Dlamini through an internal memorandum which was issued on Wednesday.’

The newspaper reported the memo said, ‘This memo serves to inform you that salaries for this month will be delayed due to the current financial situation faced by the university.’

The newspaper added, ‘According to highly placed sources, the school administration is accusing government of failing to render their salaries. They are alleging that government promised to give them E27 million [US$2.7 million] which was not met.’

It reported Minister of Education and Training Dr Phineas Magagula saying there was no money at the moment. He said the Government had paid the university E3m at the beginning of the year.

Last Month (February 2015), it was reported that armed police raided the university’s campus after students boycotted classes. There were protesting about a shortage of lecturers and inadequate teaching facilities.

It was also reported that 25 female students from the university had been raped in the past year. Students blamed the university for not providing them with secure accommodation.

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