BID TO TAKE POLITICAL REFORMS TO SCHOOLS

MANZINI – As the calls for political change continue, schools are the next target for the youth calling for political reforms.

This is because the youth, who are currently petitioning their members of Parliament (MP), are allegedly plotting a secret plan to take the political change struggle to schools. In the constituencies, the youth are mainly demanding for an elected prime minister, employment and improvement of the education and health sectors, among others. In the schools, the youth are planning to send two main messages, that the education system in the country was irrelevant to the fast-changing world and that the current government was failing to create employment opportunities for emaSwati, which means they (pupils) would also be jobless after finishing their education.

In that regard, they would call upon the pupils; both in primary and high school, to join the struggle for political reforms, which they said should start by giving emaSwati the power to elect a PM of their choice. Currently, the PM is appointed by the King, as it is stipulated in the country’s Constitution of 2005. According to their plan, which is being discussed on social media platforms, especially WhatsApp, where they have created groups for the call for political reforms, the youth would visit schools in their communities and deliver the messages to pupils.

However, the strategy to be employed by the youth to get access to the pupils in schools remains their secret weapon. They said that would be revealed when they put their plan in action. One of the youth organisations, which are part of the plan, is the Swaziland National Union of Students (SNUS). Colani Maseko, the President of the students union said there was no Messiah of the struggle and history taught them that the youth should take the leading role in the fight for democracy. He said it was in that regard that it was of paramount importance to engage pupils at both primary and high school level.

Truth

He said they should be told the truth at an early stage that the education system of this country was irrelevant to the fast-changing world and government was not investing enough. The leader of the union said the fact that a lot of high school pupils did not make it to tertiary institutions was because of government’s failure to invest adequately in the education sector. “So, primary and high school pupils have a role to play in intensifying the struggle, because numbers speak volumes,” Maseko said. He added that recently, the Acting Prime Minister, Themba Masuku, requested evidence from the three pro-democracy MPs that would prove that it was the people who were calling for political reforms. In that regard, he said as young people, they should show government practical reality that they needed the political reforms so that they could have a government that would invest in education, health system and create job opportunities for the youth.

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