SWAZI KING’S UNIVERSITY FLOP

King Mswati III failed in his promise to have a new SADC-wide university up and running in Swaziland before his time as chair of the organisation ends this week (August 2017).

King Mswati, who rules Swaziland as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, announced in August 2016 after assuming the chair of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) that a ‘university of transformation’ taking students from all over the region would open by the time he stood down from the office.

Both the Times of Swaziland, the only independent daily newspaper in the kingdom, and the Swazi Observer, which is in effect owned by the King, reported on 31 August 2016 that King Mswati told the SADC heads of state summit held at Lozitha, ‘This initiative will give new hope and opportunity to our youth and our women. The intention is to have the first intake of students prior to the 37th SADC summit in 2017.’

That summit is about to start and the university remains a pipe-dream.

On Monday (14 August 2017) the South Africa Broadcasting Corporation reported the King saying about the university, ‘We are still looking at strategies and all that in terms of mobilising resources.’

The King and the media in Swaziland that enthusiastically and uncritically reported his initial statement, gave no indication of where the money would come from for the project, who would teach at the university, what academic programmes it would run, and how programmes would be administered.

The University of Swaziland (UNISWA), the kingdom’s largest and oldest university, has been unable to start teaching first year students this academic year because the government has delayed in awarding scholarships. Over many years students have been protesting against cuts in scholarships and lack of resources.

Shortly after his announcement of the new university the King said it would be hosted by Limkokwing University, a private institution which has come under fire for its poor standards.

 

According to its website, Limkokwing in Swaziland only offers ‘associate degrees’ which are at a level below Bachelor degrees and in many universities are known as diplomas.

In June 2012, Bandile Mkhonta, Head of Human Resource for Limkokwing in Mbabane, Swaziland, told local media that of 53 professional staff at the university only one had a Ph.D doctorate. A Ph.D is usually considered by universities to be the minimum qualification required to be given the rank of senior lecturer.

Limkokwing in Swaziland had no staff at professor rank and no record of conducting scholarly research.

The failure to deliver the university is one of a long line of broken promises made by the King. In November 2009, King Mswati announced a plan partly financed from in the oil state of Qatar to build an E35bn (US$4.8bn at the then exchange rate) ‘world class facility’ that would store at least a three-month supply of fuel for Swaziland. It did not happen. 

In November 2012 the king returned from a trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Taiwan, claiming that he had secured Taiwanese investment to build a pharmaceutical plant, a food processing plant, a bottled water plant, a cosmetics plant and a granite and marble venture – which, according to a report in the Times of Swaziland newspaper, were expected to create more than 3,000 jobs. It has not happened. 

In April 2009 King Mswati III announced the building of a multi-billion emalangeni Swazi City, financed by international money and comprising a 25,000 sq m shopping, entertainment and ‘wellness’ centre ‘to rival the world’. There would be a Science and Technology Park, a hi-technology industrial Site and an expansion of the Matsapha Industrial Site. It would be completed by 2012, creating 15,000 new jobs. It did not happen. 

In October 2009 the government the King handpicked promised an E1.5bn ‘facelift’ for the Swazi capital city Mbabane. That money would buy a civic centre and a shopping mall, described at the time as a ‘fully fledged state of the art 21st Century Civic Centre befitting a country’s capital city’. Work was expected to start in June 2010 and take three years to build. It did not happen.

In October 2010, the Swazi Government announced its ‘fiscal adjustment roadmap’ to save the kingdom’s economy. This would include attracting investment to create, ‘between 25,000 and 30,000 new jobs’ in the private sector. These jobs have not materialised. 

In 1998 King Mswati was said to have teamed up with pop singer Michael Jackson to bring a ‘Netherland-style’ theme park to Swaziland.

See also

KING’S NEW UNWORKABLE UNIVERSITY

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

ABSOLUTE KING TAKES CHAIR OF SADC

https://swazimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/absolute-king-takes-chair-of-sadc.html

‘DICTATOR KING NOT FIT TO CHAIR SADC’

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2016/08/absolute-king-takes-chair-of-sadc.html

KING TO PARTY WHILE SWAZIS GO HUNGRY

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2016/08/dictator-king-not-fit-to-chair-sadc.html

SWAZI KING’S NEW UNIVERSITY STALLS

King Mswati III has failed in his bid to have a new SADC-wide university up and running in Swaziland by August 2017.

Now, his supporters are saying that only a concept note will be submitted to a Heads of State Summit in August.

King Mswati, who rules Swaziland as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, announced in August 2016 after assuming the chair of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) that a university of transformation taking students from all over the SADC region would open by the time he stood down as chair.

Both the Times of Swaziland, the only independent daily newspaper in the kingdom, and the Swazi Observer, which is in effect owned by the King, reported on 31 August 2016 that King Mswati told the SADC heads of state summit held at Lozitha, ‘This initiative will give new hope and opportunity to our youth and our women. The intention is to have the first intake of students prior to the 37th SADC summit in 2017.’

Later, he announced that the new university would be hosted by Limkokwing University, a private institution which has come under fire for its poor standards.

Now, the Sunday Observer (19 March 2017) has reported that a concept note ‘stipulating the governance, legal requirements and programmes [at the proposed university] would be submitted to the 37th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State in August.’ No revised date has been set for the university’s opening.

The Observer, which was called a  ‘pure propaganda machine for the royal family’ in a report on press freedom by the Media Institute of Southern Africa, said this move showed, ‘that the plan to establish the university was well thought out’.

See also

KING’S NEW UNWORKABLE UNIVERSITY

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

VARSITY STRIKERS FEAR ‘SCAB LABOUR’

Workers in dispute at the university in Swaziland that has been chosen by King Mswati III to host his ‘University of Transformation’ have asked their counterparts in Botswana not to take their jobs while they are on strike.

About 100 non-academic staff at Limkokwing University in Mbabane started a strike on Monday 9 January 2017 protesting about working conditions and short-term contracts.

The Swaziland Union of Non-Academic Staff for Higher Education Institutions (SUNASHI) wrote to workers at Limkokwing in Botswana fearing that the Swaziland management would bring in workers from Botswana to do their jobs. 

The Sunday Standard newspaper in Botswana reported this week (15 January 2017) that four years ago when there was a dispute at Limkokwing in Lesotho, workers were sent from Botswana as ‘scab labour’.

Now, the newspaper reported, SUNASHI has written to workers at Limkokwing Botswana to say if they go to Mbabane they would undermine the strike.

The letter read in part, ‘Your coming to Swaziland might therefore be used to defeat the legitimate display of worker power of the planned strike.

‘Secondly, it might constitute an illegal entry into Swaziland to work when you have no legal status to work in this jurisdiction.

‘Thirdly, it might contribute to chaos and violence that may take place upon the striking workers learning about your presence on the Swaziland campus.’

Limkokwing University is a private university that was chosen by King Mswati to house a University of Transformation that would take students from across the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) region. The Swazi King, who is sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, became chair of SADC in August 2016. He pledged the university would be operating by August 2017.

The strike at Limkokwing Swaziland was suspended on 12 January 2017, pending further talks between management and workers.

See also

STRIKE AT SWAZI KING’S SADC UNIVERSITY

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2017/01/strike-at-swazi-kings-sadc-university.html

 

KING’S NEW UNWORKABLE UNIVERSITY

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

 

NEW SWAZI UNIVERSITY SUBSTANDARD

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/02/new-swazi-university-substandard.html

STRIKE AT SWAZI KING’S SADC UNIVERSITY

Workers at the university in Swaziland that King Mswati III has chosen to spearhead his University of Transformation started a strike on Monday (9 January 2016) protesting about short-term contracts.

About 100 workers at Limkokwing University of Creative Technology took to the streets and blocked the university’s main gate.

The strike was led by the Swaziland Union of Non-Academic Staff for Higher Institutions (SUNASHI).

The Swazi Observer, a newspaper in effect owned by King Mswati, reported SUNASHI Secretary General Fundizwi Sikhondze saying, ‘The staff is concerned that the university offers them short employment contracts. The staff is offered as little as a year’s contract while some get two years.’

Limkokwing has been chosen by King Mswati, who is both sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch and the Chair of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), to house a University of Transformation to take students from across the SADC region by August 2017.

The Observer reported Sikhondze saying, ‘We believe the university is not a fly-by-night institution and will be in the country for years to come. The government of Swaziland is constantly investing large amounts to the institution and that gives us hope that it is not going anywhere. Why can’t the university invest in its staff and employ them on a permanent basis?’

Sikhondze said the strike came after the university’s management and staff failed to reach a consensus on their grievances. 

Limkokwing Vice Chancellor Professor Cedric Bell reportedly said the strike was set to coincide with examinations at the university and cause maximum disruption.

A statement from Limkokwing management published in the Observer read in part, ‘The university has served notice of a lock out on the union and those staff who choose to exercise their lawful right to strike will not be paid during the period of labour withdrawal and are not to come onto the campus.’

Limkokwing was the centre of controversy in 2016. In December, a Swaziland parliamentary committee ordered an investigation into the standard of qualifications held by academic staff at the university. Students had petitioned the Swazi Government saying many lecturers only held Bachelor degrees and had just themselves qualified from the university.

Limkokwing has been at the centre of continuing protests from students about standards of teaching and equipment since the university opened in 2011. According to its website, Limkokwing in Swaziland only offers ‘associate degrees’ which are at a level below Bachelor degrees and in many institutions are known as diplomas.

See also

KING’S NEW UNWORKABLE UNIVERSITY

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

 

NEW SWAZI UNIVERSITY SUBSTANDARD

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/02/new-swazi-university-substandard.html

 

KING FELL FOR BOGUS UNIVERSITY

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/06/king-fell-for-bogus-university.html

 

LIMKOKWING UNIVERSITY IS ILLEGAL
http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/05/limkokwing-university-is-illegal.html

PROBE INTO TEACHING AT ‘KING’S VARSITY’

A Swaziland parliamentary committee has ordered an investigation into the standard of qualifications held by academic staff at the university King Mswati III wants to host his proposed University of Transformation.

Students had petitioned the Swazi Government saying many lecturers only held Bachelor degrees and had just themselves qualified from the university.

Limkokwing has been at the centre of continuing protests from students about standards of teaching and equipment since the university opened in 2011. According to its website, Limkokwing in Swaziland only offers ‘associate degrees’ which are at a level below Bachelor degrees and in many institutions are known as diplomas.

The Swazi Observer reported on Monday (28 November 2016) that a parliamentary select committee said the Ministry of Education’s Higher Education Council, ‘should within 14 days, revisit the issue of qualifications of the academic staff of the university and make necessary recommendations, particularly if indeed it would be confirmed the university engaged its former students to work as lecturers instead of teaching assistants or tutors’. 

In August 2016, King Mswati, the absolute monarch in Swaziland and chair of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), announced he intended to start a University of Transformation for the entire SADC region within twelve months and that it should be housed at Limkokwing, a private university in the Swazi capital Mbabane, with its base in Malaysia.

See also

KING’S NEW UNWORKABLE UNIVERSITY

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

 

NEW SWAZI UNIVERSITY SUBSTANDARD

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/02/new-swazi-university-substandard.html

 

KING FELL FOR BOGUS UNIVERSITY

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/06/king-fell-for-bogus-university.html

 

LIMKOKWING UNIVERSITY IS ILLEGAL
http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/05/limkokwing-university-is-illegal.html

MPs PROBE UNIVERSITY STANDARDS

The university in Swaziland that King Mswati III says will host his new University of Transformation is to be investigated by members of parliament after students complained lecturers were unqualified and equipment was lacking.

Limkokwing University of Creative Technology will be investigated by a five-strong parliamentary select committee after students delivered a petition of grievances.

Students have been boycotting classes and last week police reportedly fired guns on protestors, injuring four people.

The Times of Swaziland, the kingdom’s only independent daily newspaper reported on Friday (14 October 2016) that one of the main complaints was the lack of experienced and qualified lecturers.

The newspaper quoted Zombodze Emuva MP Titus Thwala saying Limkokwing students had complained that some of their lecturers had only graduated last year and in the following academic year were hired by the university. 

The newspaper added, ‘Thwala also said the committee needed to investigate if it was true that some lectures were held outside the school campus, under a tree, because there was a shortage of classrooms. 

‘He also highlighted that some of the students did not have chairs or desks and computers. 

‘He said some students were forced to behave like bus conductors and had to take notes while standing.’

In August 2016, King Mswati, who rules Swaziland as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, became Chair of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC). He announced that within a year he would create a University of Transformation and that it would be housed at Limkokwing.

See also

POLICE FIRE GUNSHOTS AT STUDENTS

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2016/10/police-fire-gunshots-at-students.html

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

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

UNIVERSITY LECTURERS ‘NOT QUALIFIED’

Students at the university in Swaziland where King Mswati III said he would set up a university of transformation for the whole SADC region have protested to the Swazi Government that its lecturers are not qualified to teach.

The students from Limkokwing University of Creative Technology delivered a petition to the Speaker of the House of Assembly. They also complained about lack of chairs and desks in classrooms.

Limkokwing has been under fire in the past about the quality of its courses and its teaching facilities. According to its website, Limkokwing in Swaziland only offers ‘associate degrees’ which are at a level below Bachelor degrees and in many institutions are known as diplomas.

The Swazi Observer newspaper reported on Monday (10 October 2016) that each Swazi student pays E8,000 (US$577) a year for tuition. The government adds an additional E33,700 as accommodation and meal allowance and E9,000 as a book allowance. 

When King Mswati, who rules Swaziland as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, took over the chair of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) at the end of August 2016, he announced that within one year he would create a university of transformation. He said it would be housed at Limkokwing.

In June 2012, Bandile Mkhonta, Head of Human Resource for Limkokwing in Mbabane, Swaziland, told local media that of 53 professional staff at the university; only one had a Ph.D doctorate. A Ph.D is usually considered by universities to be the minimum qualification required to be given the rank of senior lecturer.

The Swazi Observer reported Mkhonta saying Limkokwing had fewer Ph.Ds because it was a ‘non-conventional’ university whose curriculum was mainly based on practice than theory.

Limkokwing in Swaziland had no staff at professor rank and no record of conducting scholarly research.

See also

KING’S NEW UNWORKABLE UNIVERSITY

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

KING’S NEW UNWORKABLE UNIVERSITY

It took King Mswati III of Swaziland less than one day to make his first unworkable promise as Chair of SDAC.

The King, who rules the impoverished tiny kingdom as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, said he would create a new university of University of Transformation within a year to serve the whole of the Southern African Development Community.

King Mswati became Chair of SADC on Tuesday (30 August 2016). The Swazi Observer, a newspaper in effect owned by the King, reported him saying Swaziland would pay for 300 students to study at the university in its initial intake. 

The Times of Swaziland, the only other daily newspaper in the kingdom, reported the King saying, ‘This initiative will give new hope and opportunity to our youth and women.’

The King and the media in Swaziland that enthusiastically and uncritically reported his statement, gave no indication of where the money would come from for the project, who would teach at the university, what academic programmes it would run, and how programmes would be administered.

The University of Swaziland (UNISWA), the kingdom’s largest and oldest university has been unable to start teaching this academic year because students are protesting against cuts in scholarships. The Government, whose members are hand-picked by King Mswati, say they can only afford to fund 500 new students this year. About 1,500 had expected to get scholarships.

Later, King Mswati announced the University of Transformation would initially be housed at Limkokwing University of Creative Technology in Swaziland. Limkokwing is a private university. Many will see the King’s decision as a snub to UNISWA, where he is Chancellor.

According to its website, Limkokwing in Swaziland only offers ‘associate degrees’ which are at a level below Bachelor degrees and in many universities are known as diplomas.

In June 2012, Bandile Mkhonta, Head of Human Resource for Limkokwing in Mbabane, Swaziland, told local media that of 53 professional staff at the university; only one had a Ph.D doctorate. A Ph.D is usually considered by universities to be the minimum qualification required to be given the rank of senior lecturer.

The Swazi Observer reported Mkhonta saying Limkokwing had fewer Ph.Ds because it was a ‘non-conventional’ university whose curriculum was mainly based on practice than theory.

Limkokwing in Swaziland had no staff at professor rank and no record of conducting scholarly research.