Southern African youth up in arms
Student leaders in southern Africa face oppression for academic freedom
Jeanette Diergaardt
Student leaders and students in southern Africa faces oppression and ‘dehumanising treatment’, according to Ester Simon, the secretary-general of the Southern Africa Students Union (SASU).
In a recent statement released by SASU, the academic freedom of students is under serious constraints as well as their basic rights.
The union released a statement and a call for student leader, Colani Maseko, the president of the Eswatini National Union of Students, to be released. Maseko has been detained in Eswatini on charges of sedition. According to reports, his arrest was violent and unlawful.
In recent reports by an online news outlet, Swaziland News, Maseko has been released on bail.
He was detained for being vocal about the injustice’s students in Eswatini face as well as enrichment of government officials. “He has also been very vocal about the police cruelty in the June/July arrests,” Simon said.
Online reports indicated that Maseko called for the release of incarcerated political leaders, Barcede Mabuza and Amos Mbedzi, the latter being accused for murder charges in South Africa.
Naboth de Celestino, the secretary for political and international affairs from the Namibian National Students Organisation, (NANSO), defined the academic oppression students face as the difficulty for academic issues to be resolved as well as the problems that students are not receiving necessary attention. Therefore causing student leaders to be vocal about the various irregularities. He further reiterated and called on governments to ensure that the rights of students and student leaders are protected. According to Celestino, this is not the first time students face oppression and that leaders are being detained. He further noted that matters in the Namibian context have not escalated to a worrying point as in neighbouring countries.
Student leaders and students in southern Africa faces oppression and ‘dehumanising treatment’, according to Ester Simon, the secretary-general of the Southern Africa Students Union (SASU).
In a recent statement released by SASU, the academic freedom of students is under serious constraints as well as their basic rights.
The union released a statement and a call for student leader, Colani Maseko, the president of the Eswatini National Union of Students, to be released. Maseko has been detained in Eswatini on charges of sedition. According to reports, his arrest was violent and unlawful.
In recent reports by an online news outlet, Swaziland News, Maseko has been released on bail.
He was detained for being vocal about the injustice’s students in Eswatini face as well as enrichment of government officials. “He has also been very vocal about the police cruelty in the June/July arrests,” Simon said.
Online reports indicated that Maseko called for the release of incarcerated political leaders, Barcede Mabuza and Amos Mbedzi, the latter being accused for murder charges in South Africa.
Naboth de Celestino, the secretary for political and international affairs from the Namibian National Students Organisation, (NANSO), defined the academic oppression students face as the difficulty for academic issues to be resolved as well as the problems that students are not receiving necessary attention. Therefore causing student leaders to be vocal about the various irregularities. He further reiterated and called on governments to ensure that the rights of students and student leaders are protected. According to Celestino, this is not the first time students face oppression and that leaders are being detained. He further noted that matters in the Namibian context have not escalated to a worrying point as in neighbouring countries.
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