Swaziland: Police Trick, Ambush, Beat Students

Swaziland police tricked students into believing they were being escorted to deliver a petition to the government, but instead took them to a road with no exits and ambushed them, firing shots and beating them up.

Media in Swaziland are reporting that about 100 students were forced to flee across the streets of the Swazi capital, Mbabane.

The Swazi Observer reported today (5 September 2012) that the students were part of the on-going Global Week of Action for Swaziland and wanted to demonstrate under the banner 'Relevance of the Education System to the Current Situation'. They wanted to deliver petitions to the Ministries of Labour and Social Security and Education and Training Students and the South African High Commission.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201209050707.html

Swaziland: Armed Police Block Students Protest

Heavily-armed state forces stopped students in Swaziland from marching on government to protest about the non-payment of tuition fees and scholarships.

More than 100 students today (16 August 2012) gathered at the University of Swaziland campus in the kingdom's capital Mbabane, but they were blocked from leaving for about four hours by police and prison wardens. Eventually the students gave up and went home.

The students hoped to march on the Labour and Social Security to deliver a petition concerning a continuing scholarship crisis.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201208170491.html

UNISWA students march to Parly tomorrow

UNISWA students march to Parly tomorrow

A reader of this article posted this comment:

I have a serious problem when the decision as who gets a sponsorship or not is done by this government. I can assure you, all the students whose parents are progressive-minded will not be chosen. I know that I'm flogging a dead horse here, when it's not my intention. The other main problem I see is that this government will make these student-protests to escalate and by the time they intervene, which is very unlikely, it will be too late. Just look at the Judiciary. Government is controlling the process by remote control as if they aren't involved. Yet everyone knows government is behind this chaotic situation in those courts. The CJ was only a tool. It's time we stopped blaming the tool alone, by concentrating on the 'tool maker' which is government. Until we get a new and better government leader, with a vision for this country, there will be no peace nor progress in Swaziland.

From the AllAfrica website

Pretoria Loan to Pay Democracy Dividend

Developments inside Swaziland explain why Mswati was willing to sign on for Pretoria's tough terms: the University of Swaziland, has closed indefinitely following a drastic cut in government tuition and registration subsidies. The government has cut its support from 1 200 study places to just 300, prompting the university to suspend registration on 8 August. The government has been urged by its own Economic Recovery Advisory (ERA) to cut subsidies to all tertiary institutions. The university has been urged by the ERA to "open up" its training programmes to free market innovation and efficiency in the pursuit of tuition fees from private sources.

This is what Swazi students are up against

SBIS gags UNISWA students

They are not even allowed to announce a public meeting on radio. Remember that most students there do not have access to the internet. This is typical of the control that Swazi authorities have over the individual in this country.

Started at Uniswa

He has started at Uniswa. He tells me that he does not yet have a place to stay on campus because the government has not yet paid the university. He has to shuttle between his home and college which is expensive. Now the government has postponed the start of term.

I am glad to be starting a new job in Sønderborg this month. My last school was getting very oppressive. What a relief to be away from there.

Entry deferred

Nhlanhla's entry into University has been officially deferred to 2012.