Times Of Swaziland: OSSU CASSPIR RUNS OVER  STUDENT, CAMPUS CLOSED

OSSU CASSPIR RUNS OVER  STUDENT, CAMPUS CLOSED
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 BY JABULISA DLAMINI on 24/02/2016 00:51:00


KWALUSENI – There was a violent clash between students and security forces
during a protest on Monday night at the University of Swaziland (UNISWA) which
led to a student being run over by an OSSU Casspir.
Students at the Kwaluseni campus said a Royal Swaziland Police (RSP) Operational
Services Unit (OSSU) Casspir drove at high speed into a group of about 2 000
students, who, when they realised that the vehicle was not stopping, ran in all
directions.
Ayanda Mkhwanazi (22), a second year B-Ed-Science student, was run over by the
RSP vehicle and is fighting for her life at the Raleigh Fitkin Memorial (RFM)
Hospital.
When journalists arrived at the hospital yesterday morning, the student was
having a blood transfusion, since she reportedly lost a lot of blood when the
incident occurred.
She was then wheeled out of the ward to the Manzini Clinic. RFM Hospital
Administrator Leonard Dlamini said the student was going to the private clinic
for a CT Scan to ascertain further injuries. RFM Hospital currently does not
have a CT Scan.
Mkhwanazi is said to have suffered severe injuries, including a broken spinal
cord, fractured ribs and further injuries to the body, face and legs.
When asked what transpired on Monday night, she said she could not remember
anything except that she was among the students who were protesting on the
night.
“Honestly, I cannot remember the incident, I do not have an idea how I got
here and what happened on the night. I just woke up and found a team of police
officers who told me that a group of students fell on top of me when trying to
escape from a police Casspir. I then received calls after they had left and
informed that the same vehicle was the major cause of my severe injuries,” the
student said, fighting back tears.
UNISWA Student Representative Council (SRC) President Brian Sangweni said the
horrific incident occurred at the graduation arena at about 11pm, on Monday.