SANU STUDENTS IN YET ANOTHER PROTEST

MANZINI - It appears that the tug-of-war between students, government and the administration at the Southern Africa Nazarene University (SANU) is far from over.  

This is because the students were it at again as they staged yet another protest yesterday which saw them burning logs in the middle of the road leading to the administration block while singing struggle songs in the process.

It is worth mentioning that the protest happens at a time when the students had to resume their classes after the senate of the university had earlier taken a decision to shut down the institution.

However, the students were expected to resume their classes after the senate issued yet another memorandum informing them that classes should resume yesterday (November 11), the same day they (students) instigated yet another protest.    
Information gathered from the Student Representative Council (SRC) Chairperson Gubevu Simelane, was that the boycotting of lectures would continue until they all received their book, practical and monthly allowances. Simelane further said they demand that the university senate should tell them exactly what they would do on the issue of the injured student and their 12 demands.

“By resuming lectures, we would be betraying Phephile Sifundza, (injured student) and all our efforts to keep the institution at a standstill will be in vain,” he said.
He said it was clear that the SANU senate needed serious practical democratic lessons as it had adopted the ‘I don’t care’ policy towards students.
He said the fact that the senate had resolved to resume lectures yesterday despite not addressing their grievances was a declaration of war to them.

“As things stands, students haven’t received their book, practical and monthly allowances. It hasn’t even addressed the 12 demands forwarded by the students, including the case of Phephile. This is being unremorseful,” Simelane said.
He said the Ministry of Labour and Social Security was taking them for a ride. Simelane said it was time they united and demanded what was rightfully theirs.

Boycott

 “As SANU students, we have no choice but to boycott the upcoming first semester exams until we receive our book, practical and monthly allowances,” he said.
When addressing the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS), Simelane said it was high time they respected each other as human beings.
“As SANU student, we will be ready for you (police). We are not only ready to be tortured, arrested; we are ready even to die for our academic freedom,” he said.

SANU’s Marketing Manager Petros Mavuso said the students’ grievances had not been formally submitted to the administration as they had not been adhering to the rightful channels of lodging their complaints.

He said they only got to learn about a majority of the students’ concerns yesterday through the petition that was delivered to them by the SRC.
“Now that we are aware of some of the students’ grievances, we will look into them and come up with a better solution to address them,” he said.   

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