Home | News | ANOTHER YEAR, ANOTHER UNISWA STUDENTS BOYCOTT OVER SCHOLARSHIPS

ANOTHER YEAR, ANOTHER UNISWA STUDENTS BOYCOTT OVER SCHOLARSHIPS

Font size: Decrease font Enlarge font
image UNISWA students protesting yesterday.

MATSAPHA – Students of the University of Swaziland (UNISWA) yesterday boycotted classes in protest over scholarships and allowances.


The UNISWA Student Representative Council (SRC) yesterday issued a memorandum to the effect that the students, in a meeting held on Sunday at the university’s Multi Purpose Hall, resolved to boycott classes yesterday  to engage government on why first year students had not received their allowances among other issues.


The students also complained that off-campus students had their allowances slashed from E4 900 to E1 900.
The memo further stipulated that the students were to convene at Kwaluseni Campus while waiting for students from Luyengo and Mbabane Campuses before they could head to Mbabane.


President of the SRC, Maxwell Dlamini, in an interview, said the students’ resolution to travel to Mbabane (Ministry of Labour and Social Security) could not be achieved due to certain logistics but only the SRC would travel to the Mbabane Campus to consult with the students on the matter.
“Students are protesting in solidarity with the first year students who have not yet received their allowances.  Another problem is the issue of transferring students. 


“Government has not yet signed agreement forms for transferring students which means the students have not received their allowances.  
“We have, therefore, today (yesterday) managed to consult with the Kwaluseni Campus students on these issues and from here the SRC will travel to Mbabane and Luyengo Campuses to consult with the students there for a way forward. 


“What I can assure you right now, however, is that classes in all the campuses are halted today (yesterday) and we are at the moment not sure of what will happen tomorrow (today),” said Dlamini.

 

University in the dark about protests - registrar

 

MATSAPHA – UNISWA acting Registrar Ambrose Gama has said there was nothing communicated to the administration with regard to the students boycott.


Gama was responding to questions posed to him about the position of the university’s administration pertaining to the boycott. “Nothing has been communicated to the university’s administration yet.  Normally when students have some grievances they meet and then send us a formal communication of their resolution.  I think if there is something we should know, the students are still to communicate it to us,” said Gama.
When asked about the issue of security given that the students were likely to cause chaos, Gama said it was improper to comment because there was nothing yet reported to the administration.

 


 

Post your comment comment

Please enter the code you see in the image: