Tuesday 21 September 2021:- The royal regime in Swaziland today deployed police to occupy the William Pitcher College in Manzini as students continued to protest  in demand for their refunds owed to them by the government from 2020.

The students also demand justice for their colleagues who were assaulted by the military on Sunday night.

The police claim to have entered the college to protect those who wish to write examinations, which were scheduled for Monday, 20 September. Students are, however, overwhelmingly united on their resolution to boycott the examinations until they find justice.

The police replaced the military which invaded the college on Sunday night. The military heavily assaulted students through the night before the college administration kicked students out of campus.

President of the Student Representative Council (SRC), Bheka Mabuza, said “The military was very cruel to the students. So many are still nursing injuries from the Sunday night attacks. The soldiers forced students to do push-ups as they were beating them.”

The soldiers also ordered students to write the names of the protests’ “ring leaders”. Among the students hunted by the military are leaders of the Swaziland National Union of Students.

When the army sprayed teargas into students’ rooms, their primary aim was to force them out, but students suffered far more than envisaged.

“People may not be aware of the adverse health effects of spraying teargas into the dorms. The teargas triggered asthma attacks on many students. As things stand, it is unlikely that these students will be able to even sit for examinations under these conditions,” added President Bheka Mabuza.

Students have boycotted examinations which were scheduled to commence Monday, 20 September, as they demand the government to refund them monies owed to them since 2020 when the lockdown began.

The government and the college administration have connived to send them from pillar to post in a bid to put off the students.

The regime’s primary objective in putting down student protests is to weaken the student movement. The student movement, overwhelmingly working-class based, has played a crucial role in the struggle for democracy. They were among the first to embrace and take forward the Communist Party’s “Democracy Now” campaign.