By Mduduzi Hlophe

MBABANE: The Limkokwing University of Creative Technology (LUCT) has been given by the Swaziland National Union of Students (SNUS) 24 hrs to reinstate the 29 students that were suspended in December last year.

In a petition that was delivered at the University on Friday, the Students’ union said the suspension of the students for engaging in a  strike action  in support of other students who were denied bursaries was an unjust conduct from the University’s management. The suspended students have to repeat the semester they were suspended in and some were missing out on their internships due to the institutions delay in instituting disciplinary processes. 

“We demand that the suspended students be admitted back so they can go back to class and write the tests and exams they missed because of your delay in the verdict and appeal processes. Your failure to provide verdicts the day after the disciplinary hearing and an appeal verdict that came after a month defied justice. Since this is an issue that touches on the future of the students who are currently out in the cold , we demand that the institution starts implementing the above 24 hours from receiving this letter”, reads the petition in part.

When reached for comments, Tfobile Gumede, the Director of the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology (LUCT) said it was impossible to meet the 24 hr deadline.

“It’s unfortunate that today is a Friday and the 24 hrs will fall on the weekend, as Swazis, the students will remember that as a University we are still dealing with the passing away of our President, we hope they will also consider that. But we will be looking at their petition and respond as soon as possible”, said the Director.

Mlungisi Makhanya, the President of the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO)  when addressing the students during the petition delivery, he encouraged them to intensify their struggle for democracy as this was only the beginning.

“Never betray your generational mission comrades, your generational mission is to liberate both the oppressor and the oppressed, because our struggle is a struggle of love. You can never be a true comrade if you are not guided by deep and true feelings of love. It is for this reason that unlike those who provoke you every time you gather, we come without guns, teargas, knobkerries because ours is a noble struggle. I want to encourage you comrades that we must never stop this mass rolling action, what we are seeing today, is only the beginning of an ongoing mass rolling action that must happen”, said the PUDEMO President.