Home | News | INCREASE SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS - STUDENTS

INCREASE SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS - STUDENTS

12/11/2020 01:07:00 BY VUYILE DLAMINI

Font size:

MATSAPHA - “Sitofundza mahhala.” Hardly three weeks after the commencement of the 2020/2021 academic year, University of Eswatini students from the Kwaluseni, Mbabane and Luyengo campuses engaged in protest action demanding that all first-year students be awarded scholarships.

What started off as a peaceful picket by the National Workers Union in Swaziland Higher Institutions (NAWUSHI) became a protest action when over 100 students joined the tertiary institution’s workers.

For the first time in a long time, there was no vandalism to property by the students. Following the release of the scholarship list, leaving a large number of admitted students disappointed, yesterday the students from Mbabane and Luyengo campuses descended to Kwaluseni campus where they started by locking the main gate before proceeding to demonstrate at the entrance of the tertiary institution.

The protest action follows after the Ministry of Labour and Social Security released the scholarship award list this past Monday, awarding a fewer number of first-year students scholarships, compared to previous years.

Barred

The students, along with the workers engaged in song and dance as they barred personnel vehicles from leaving, or entering the campus. Only those who displayed solidarity towards their cause, by honking their horns in rhythmic sequence, were allowed through the gates.

Both students and workers displayed numerous messages on sheets of A4 papers, listing their demands addressed to the tertiary institution and the ministry.

Some of the messages displayed by the students demanded scholarships for all admitted first-year students, while the workers demanded a cost-of-living-adjustment (CoLA) of three per cent, among other demands.

Since September, members of NAWUSHI have engaged in a lunch-hour picket every Wednesday, demanding a three per cent CoLA, among other demands. The UNESWA employees from Luyengo, Mbabane and Kwaluseni campuses convened at the entrance during their lunch-hour, where they picketed for about 10 minutes until the students arrived.

Some of the main demands included deductions of monies from their salaries which were not then remitted to the intended financial service providers.

This happened for about 30 minutes, until a Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) vehicle parked at the gate, which the students quickly flanked in appreciation of the SNAT President, Mbongwa Dlamini, and Secretary General Sikelela Dlamini’s presence. The students and workers eventually gathered at the entrance of the tertiary institution, where the SNAT, NAWUSHI and former Student Representative Council leaders addressed them.

Taught

In his address, the SNAT president expressed that the association was fully behind the plight of the students, who he said were taught and groomed by teachers in their primary and secondary education, only to be left to fend for themselves by government.

He stated that a majority of the admitted students being left out of the scholarships was an insult to the teachers, who worked hard to ensure that the students were well-equipped for tertiary education. “It is an insult that teachers will spend years grooming and equipping pupils for tertiary education, but when it is time for them to go to tertiary, they are not afforded the opportunity to do so,” he said.

To the tertiary institution’s workers, the SNAT president added that it was also an insult for government to ignore their plight. He recalled that just last week, this publication reported that the country’s commissions had received varying increases in their salaries. This he said was an insult to the students and workers, who, in future, will be instrumental in nation-building.

On the other hand, NAWUSHI Secretary General Lee Madzinane said the workers had been making their demands for a long time, but their fight was not over until they received what was owed to them. He said the workers had watched their colleagues from other tertiary institutions receive their CoLA, while they have been ignored. Madzinane stated that through solidarity, all parties present would finally receive what was owed to them.

“We are in a precarious position because we have not received CoLA for years, while the standard of living increases. How are we supposed to help our children who have been denied scholarships when there will be nothing left for them to eat?” he questioned.

During an interview with Electoral Officer in the SRC – Mbabane campus, Banele Magagula pleaded with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security to increase the number of admitted students to be awarded scholarships.

“Until this happens, we promise not to attend classes. We also ask to have the whole SRC body by November 20, 2020 as there are a lot issues to be tackled by the office,” he said.

After making their address, the students proceeded to the administration block, where they delivered a petition to the dean of student affairs (DSA).

Another demand included that, until the ministry awarded every first year student a scholarship, the students would not be attending classes.

Clarity

They further sought clarity on the criteria used by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security when awarding the scholarships, stating that more than half the admitted students who qualified for the scholarship programme were not awarded same. Some of the other demands included that the office of the registrar should extend the registration period for self-sponsored continuing students and all first year students.

Additionally, the students pleaded for the institution to assist the students, together with the bursar’s office to speed up the processing of refunds from their common rooms. They stated that some of the other refunds included the ones which were mistakenly paid by the students, while they were paying SRC fees. Some students are said to have paid E430, instead of E150.

The petition was received by the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, Dennis Nkambule.