The Swaziland (eSwatini) Government has broken its
promise to pay tertiary student their living allowances. It is the latest in a
string of broken promises.
Students who boycotted
classes in protest across the kingdom ruled by King Mswati III as an absolute
monarch only returned after the promise of payment was made.
The latest deadline of 10 January 2020 has been missed,
meaning students have not been paid for five months. The Swazi Government first
gave a deadline for the missed payments of 20 November 2019.
It is mostly first year students from universities and
colleges across the kingdom who are affected.
Registration for the second semester started on Monday
(13 January 2020).
The Swaziland News,
an online newspaper, reported Thulani Mkhaliphi the Principal Secretary in
the Ministry of Labour and Social Security said there were ‘technical
challenges’ in making the payments.
Swaziland is in financial
meltdown and public services across the kingdom are grinding to a halt
because the Government has not paid bills to suppliers.
The newspaper reported some students had been evicted
from their rented flats in Manzini because they were unable to pay rent.
In November 2019 police fired live ammunition and shot
a university student with a rubber bullet at the Southern Africa Nazarene
University (SANU) in Manzini during class
boycotts.
Students across the kingdom were
angry that the government failed to keep its promise to pay them their
allowances for books, accommodation and other equipment.
See also
Swaziland
police fire gunshots and shoot student with rubber bullet as campus protests
continue
Swaziland
students boycott classes as Govt. breaks promise to pay allowances
Striking
Swaziland students win victory in dispute with government
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