Mbabane | Monday
A GROUP of University of Swaziland (Uniswa) students marched to King Mswati III’s Lozitha Palace in central Swaziland on Saturday to protest against the university’s new admission regulations.
The march took place only a week after the institution had been forced to close down for two weeks amid lecture boycotts which were sparked off by new regulations scrapping automatic admission of final year Humanities students to a post graduate course.
The protesters handed over a petition to a royal aide, in which they called on the monarch to intervene in the dispute.
The petition charged that the new regulations would make it difficult for graduates to get employment anywhere in the world with only a junior degree qualification.
The Uniswa administrative council has, however, argued that the present number of enrolment applications was far exceeding that of those who can be accommodated at both the classrooms and residential facilities.
The institution also claims there is insufficient staff to monitor the student practice of the course.
The ten kilometre march from the university’s main entrance at Kwaluseni, was joined by members of the political Progressive Youth Movement and the Swaziland Youth Congress who braved the soaring temperatures under a heavy police escort.
After handing the petition over to the King’s private secretary Paul Shabangu, the protesters were treated to some cool drinks and refreshments.
They then dispersed peacefully after Shabangu had promised he would personally pass the petition to the king. – Sapa
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