OVER 100 STUDENTS DELIVER PETITION TO PARLY

The students protesting outside Parliament yesterday at Lobamba while the police officers look on. (Pics Mmeli Mkwanazi)

MBABANE – “Mkhaliphi uyajabula masizabalaza.”

This was said by students when referring to the principal secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.

Over 100 students yesterday sang this song while they delivered a petition in Parliament at Lobamba. The protest action included students from the University of Eswatini (Kwaluseni, Luyengo and Mbabane Campus), Southern Africa Nazarene University (SANU) and Limkokwing University of Creative Technology.

A majority of them were first year students.

The students arrived just after 2pm and the Royal Eswatini Police Service’s armoured tactic motor vehicles also known as Casspirs were present to ensure that peace was kept near Parliament as it was in session. The petition consisted of demands that were later presented to Mpendulo Ngcamphalala who is the Principal Committee Clerk in Parliament.

Scholarships

The students want scholarships for all students in tertiary institutions during the 2020/2021 academic year, scholarships increment of 60 per cent and the reinstatement of the expelled SANU Student Representative Council (SRC) President Tholumuzi Simelane, Secretary General (SG) Colani Maseko and Sibusiso Nkwanyane. 

Response

“We demand a positive response within five working days. If government continues to be reluctant and arrogant towards our demands, we are prepared to demonstrate continuously until it gives into our demands,” read the petition.

While the students were protesting; motor vehicles couldn’t access the road next to Parliament which then resulted in a traffic jam that lasted for over an hour.

The petition was written by Secretary General of the Swaziland National Union of Students Simphiwe Dlamini. 

Worth noting is there was also no vandalism of property but the students sang struggle songs while protesting.

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