We fly our flags at half mast and bow our heads in honor of the finest and greatest sons and daughters of our beloved country Swaziland who fought to the bitter end to see justice prevails.

With teary eyes and bleeding hearts, we remember and salute these young lions of our country who, united, defeated the arrogant government and its puppet administration.

We proudly and apologetically declared to all at sundry that the students of 1990 are our heroes and in-fact, an inspiration to all students in tertiary students and marginalized youth of Swaziland. Their selfless sacrifices were not in vain because even today we are still bearing the fruits of their heroic struggle.

Black Wednesday

On November 14 1990, the Swazi government dispatched armed police and military units to the campus to disperse peaceful boycotting students. It was a crackdown of unprecedented violence in the history of the university. In the ensuing melee several students were crippled for life, hundreds injured and one woman successfully sued the government for the loss of an eye. Our brothers and sisters were subjected to the most inhuman and vicious violence of mankind.

The reasons why the students staged the boycott ranged from the poor quality of food provided in residence to extremely low allowances and lack of faculty lectures. Among their demands was that a student and lecturer who were members of the banned political organisation, Pudemo, and who had been charged and acquitted of high treason, should be reinstated at the university.

With sheer agony and disappointment, we still note unsurprisingly though, because we still have an undemocratic government and a military state, that the oppression, exploitation and repression of the students and the population at large has reached new greater heights.

A number of students leaders have been forced out of the countries institution of higher learning, eg Wandile Dludlu (former president of the Swaziland national union of students and chairperson of uniswa, kwaluseni campus,2005-2006), Bhekie khumalo (former president of Swaziland college of technology 2008-2009 and the Swaziland National Union of Students (2009-2019) while others has been forced out of the country, the latest victim being the former president of uniswa year (2009- 2010) and human right activist Pius Vilakati who was forced to leave his studies at the university with one paper left for him to finish his studies. He was being seek by the military police for making a speech on behalf of the students in a funeral of a worker and human right activist who died in police custody for wearing a T-shirt of one of banned political groups.

All this victimisation, harassment and physical assaulted of our leaders will not dampen our spirits in a quest for a better country but it will fuel our struggle for democracy and sound education system. In-fact it makes us to get stronger and fighter harder with much courage and vigor in making sure that these noble leaders of ours come back to the land of their birth very soon and be united with their families and loved ones.

We want to re affirm our position as the vibrant and progressive students of Swaziland that we will continue with our noble and just fight for a sound education system and a democratic government that will allow popular participation of the people of Swaziland.

We also endeavor on the theme of this historic day, that indeed solidarity can schieve greatness. We strongly believe that solidarity should go beyond these sugar candy coated words, statements and rhetoric’s but should involve active and participatory physical solidarity that will show each and every affected party that indeed these are my true friends and can actually feel my pain and suffering. We need to feel deep about the suffering of the oppressed people of Swaziland who are actually, foodless, educationless, waterless and landless.

The best revolutionary and progressive way of commemorating these gigantic warriors and heroes of our lifetime is to call for solidarity and unity amongst the students of Swaziland. We have a major task of building and strengthening the student union which is a true representative of the students of Swaziland.

SNUS is us, the students and we the students, are SNUS. This is because the aims, purpose and objectives of SNUS seeks to meet the dreams, desires, hopes and aspirations of the students of Swaziland.The politics of opportunism, betrayals, entrepreneurship and revisionism in the student leadership should come to an end. These apologist, conformist and collaborationist masquerading as students leaders while misusing students finances and perpetrating corrosive corruption, subordination, domination, maladministration and marginalisation should be swept away with the revolutionary forces.

We owe everything to the stalwarts and organic intellectuals who fought for justice and better life for the students of Swaziland. We should protect and defend these noble gains of our brothers and sisters from the puppet administration and opportunist who want to steal, own and distort the gains and rich history of the students.

On this historic and important day in the undemocratic country, where the students are still viewed as `kids` and `things` that cannot think or say anything, we demand the following,
 adequate allowances for all students in tertiary institutions
 relevant education system that will be informed by the social-economic demands of the country
 building of more universities, improving the current institutions and improved spending on education.
 Away with the raiding of students at night by the security officers and warden at the university. The raids are not only inhuman and unjust but are a complete violation of human rights especial the right to privacy.
 Lastly we call for a genuine political dialogue involving all stakeholders in the country to salvage the social, political and economic crisis in the country.

In conclusion, we call for unity amongst all tertiary institutions in the country. Let us build the students union. Let us strengthen it because it is our only hope and prime representative. We acknowledge and appreciate all the heroic and heroin sacrifices of the noble sons and daughters of Swaziland who fought for justice and progress of the students of Swaziland.

Long live the spirit of 1990!. long live the spirit of Didiza!.long live the spirit of Pius!

Maxwell dlamini, President Swaziland national union of students