STUDENTS REPORT MITC TO POLICE

MANZINI – Students at the Manzini Industrial Training Centre (MITC) have reported the institution’s owners to the police for keeping the school closed.

They have also sought audience with the acting Governor of Ludzidzini Lusendvo Fakudze, to request that he takes them to the Queen Mother. 
The students went to the training centre yesterday and found that the institution was still not ready for lessons.

They then convened a meeting outside the gates and decided to approach the Anti-Corruption Commission. The student’s main concern was that they had paid to complete their courses, yet the institution was still closed. Their concerns arose from a letter written by the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Training, Dr Sibongile Mtshali, when she officially lifted the suspension of classes at the institution. In the letter, the PS also revealed that the Swaziland Skills Centres, which owns the MITC, had written a letter to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, saying the institution would be forced to go for liquidation if government withholds its subvention.

The students said the school owners should not have discussed issues of possible liquidation before talking to the students on their future. The students said at the ACC, they were advised to go to the police station, which was more relevant in dealing with such issues.
Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati, confirmed that three students arrived at the Manzini Police Station, but only a report was made because no criminal elements were observed from their submissions.
“The institution’s authorities though, reported an offence of malicious injury to property,” she said.

The Chairperson of the Board of Directors for Swaziland Skills Centres, Brian Magongo, said the students were free to report the issue to structures they saw fit.
The MITC remained closed yesterday as water and electricity had been disconnected. The Principal, France Mavuso said there was also no training material, which necessitated that lessons stall.

Mavuso said students arrived on Wednesday, but after understanding that classes would not resume, they left.  He said the administration had queried the electricity bill of over E40 000 since classes were long suspended last year.
Meanwhile, contrary to reports carried in yesterday’s publication that Mavuso had made statements relating to a meeting between the skills centre and government, it has come to the fore that the statements were actually made by Brian Magongo, one of the Board of directors.

Magongo said the institution was ready to let government take over the operations of the school, if only it would pay the liabilities of the directors.

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