Africa-Press – Eswatini. The 2022/2023 second semester examinations were postponed by one week at the University of Eswatini (UNESWA), Kwaluseni and Luyengo campuses after lecturers boycotted the invigilation process, following part-payment of their salaries for the month of February.
This comes after the staff members through their association, otherwise known as the Association of Lecturers and Academic and Administrators Personnel (ALAAP), instead of commencing with the invigilation process, convened in a meeting yesterday morning at Kwaluseni campus to discuss whether or not they should invigilate the examination.
During the meeting, the lecturers resolved that it was not going to be prudent for them to continue invigilating the examinations without receiving their salaries.
Vacating
After concluding their deliberations, the lecturers were seen vacating the premises of the university, as they went to Parliament to voice out their grievances. As soon as the lecturers left, the students, a majority of whom were eagerly waiting for the resolution of the meeting, were seen engaging in a protest. While doing the famous toyi-toyi dance, the students took their protest to the entrance of the university, where they took ownership of the main entrance from the security personnel, who were manning the UNESWA, Kwaluseni Campus main point of entry.
The students barred any motor vehicle from either vacating or entering the university premises.
Members of the state security organs comprising of members of the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF) and Operational Support Services Unit (OSSU) were seen monitoring the action closely. Registrar of the university Dr Salebona Simelane confirmed through a memorandum that the exams were postponed by one week. “The Senate resolved at its meeting held yesterday that the 2022/2023 second semester examinations should be postponed by one week.
“Effectively, the examinations shall commence on Monday. The inconvenience caused is regretted,” read the memorandum. ALAAP Secretary General, Dr Mduduzi Shongwe said the members of the association have not resolved to alter the resolutions they undertook on Friday that they were invoking the no-pay-no-work principle which dictates that they would not be able to come to work unless their salaries were paid in full.
He said for now their resolution still stood, as they were waiting for the management to make the necessary remittances and they had given them (management) seven days to do so.
Clarified
He clarified that they were not in any way engaging in a strike action, but they wanted the management of the university to pay them in full including their benefits and thereafter, they would resume their duties.
However, he stated that ALAAP’s door remains open for engagement on any of the issues.
The president of the UNESWA Students Representative Council (SRC), Zakhele Seyama said the exams could have been halted with or without the boycotting by the lecturers.
This, he said, was because prior to yesterday’s situation the students had politely asked the management to grant them a study week to wind up significant activities such as signing for their Continuous Assessment (CA) and registering for the next semester.
He said this came after their official study week, which was supposed to be next week was interrupted by the impasse between the management and the lecturers which came as a result of the non-payment of their salaries, which resulted in the lecturers not being able to assist them in signing for their CAs, yet procedurally speaking, they were not allowed to sit for their examination without singing for the CA marks first. He said the management had refused to grant them the study week but wanted to proceed with the exams, hence, the examination would not have proceeded yesterday with or without the lectures boycotting.
He added that the students started protesting on Sunday night after the management of the university and the ALAAP issued contrasting memorandums. He said the management issued a statement to the effect that the examinations were still on yesterday, while ALAAP on the other hand, issued a statement insinuating that lecturers were maintaining their stance not to invigilate the exams.
He said as a result of the contradictory memorandums, the students found themselves caught in between a rock and a hard place with no direction.
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