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MANZINI - There seems to be division within the Swaziland National Union of Students (SNUS) among some UNESWA and SANU students, as the former believe the latter has a secret agenda to jeopardise their education.
The students from the University of Eswatini (UNESWA), who are members of the students’ union, raised concerns that their colleagues from the Southern Africa Nazarene University (SANU) are reportedly derailing the learning process at UNESWA, by causing boycotts.
Meanwhile, some members of the union who are students at SANU believe otherwise, having said that was not the case, as they were all advocating for the welfare of all students alike.
The division emanates from the postponement of the UNESWA 40th graduation ceremony, which was supposed to be held this coming weekend.
It has been postponed to a date yet to be announced. The graduation ceremony, which was to be held at the Kwaluseni Campus, was postponed due to unforeseen circumstances. The concerns were voiced out by some UNESWA students on their official Facebook page. One user wrote that SNUS had a personal agenda towards UNESWA. The user recalled that SANU students sat for their examination and completed without the interference of the students’ union.
Declared
However, when the turn for UNESWA students came, the member highlighted that the union declared a boycott of the exams.
“As it were, UNESWA students are still in their second semester due to the delay. Furthermore, the SANU graduation was (held) and yet the UNESWA graduation is turned into a political rally,” the member raised.
According to the member, SANU students had sat for their exams and were done with their academic year.
It was further stated that there were no disturbances during the course of their second semester. On the other hand, the member submitted that now that UNESWA students were in their second semester, SNUS was disturbing with their agenda.
The member said currently, two UNESWA campuses were closed.
“Why is it that every time UNESWA students are learning, they are disturbed, and why is it that it is the same university? UNESWA students, wake up and smell the coffee, it is your education that is being compromised,” warned the member.
In the same breath, another member of the students union was of the view that SNUS failed students when they allowed for the continuation of exams at the detriment of students, who reportedly failed those exams.
On the contrary, there were some members who defended the students union, by stating that there was nothing it could have done. The members qualified their defense by mentioning that there were counter petitions from other students and security forces were roped in to the tertiary institution to monitor students. They further mentioned that SNUS did not force them to enter the exam rooms.
SNUS President Colani Maseko said the union’s mandate was guided by ideals and principles of democracy and rallying behind issues affecting tertiary students and the community.
The president mentioned that the allegations were untrue and they were behind the welfare of every liSwati student who was a member in the union.