LOZITHA PUPILS PROTEST OVER LACK OF FOOD

MBABANE – The food shortages in schools has turned nasty and violent.

Pupils from Lozitha High School declared that ‘enough is enough’ as they abandoned classes in protest over the lack of food through the school feeding programme known as zondle.
Property was vandalized during the protest that marked the abrupt end to the day’s lessons.
As means to show their frustrations regarding the lack of food, the pupils are said to have resorted to abandoning classes and express their need for attention to the relevant authorities. In true remonstration style, it was gathered that the learners made their demonstration at round 11am while classes were ongoing.

Among the litany of the pupils’ grievances was the unavailability of food at the school since last week.
One of the pupils, who will not be named, said they have not had food since last week and it had been hard for some of them because the food had been their main meal of the day since they come from disadvantaged backgrounds. 
The pupil said even though they were cognisant of the food shortages in other schools, it was hard for them, especially because a neighbouring school seemed not be bothered by the food shortages. When quizzed on why they compared themselves with other schools when it was possible that they still had food supplies, the pupil said that was the main concern of the forlorn learners.

Their concern was that one of the national schools had the most number of learners; they had lunch whereas their day ended at 3:30pm yet they (Lozitha pupils) had no food and were expected to leave school at around 4pm.
By this time, those with no other means of getting a meal are said to have completely lost focus in what they are being taught in class.
The pupil was of the view that the only way for the school administration to show that they empathised with what they were going through during this period of the unavailability of food was to allow them to knock off early.
According to another well-placed source, the commotion was started by a group of pupils, who some of the classrooms’ roof-tops with stones.

They went on to throw the stones through the windows and disturbed classes which were in session. Some of the pupils who experienced their colleagues’ behaviour were Form II learners, who said they were taken by surprise.
They said they left their classrooms and ran for dear life when the stones were thrown towards their class. The ring leaders are said to have demanded that the pupils get out of class and join them. However, due to fear of being penalised for being rowdy, the pupils ran out of the classroom along with their teacher for cover, while some gaily joined the riot.

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