SIFE SCOT team dissolves

MBABANE –The Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) SCOT team have taken a decision to dissolve and withdraw from taking part in the annual national competition.

The decision was taken after receiving responses from the SIFE Board of Directors on their grievances after the national competition held at the end of July.

The SIFE SCOT team felt cheated of being national champions during this year’s competition, as they believed the eight projects presented during the finals should have elevated them to first place when compared to the four presented by the final winners, SIFE Nazarene.

SIFE SCOT was eventually announced third prize winners, following the runner-up, SIFE UNISWA Kwaluseni.

A few days after the finals, the SIFE SCOT team wrote to the National Coordinator, Khosie Dlamini a strongly worded two-page letter, stating reasons why they believe they should have won the competition.

Part of the letter written by the SIFE SCOT team reads; "Due to the results of the recent national competition, we would like to bring to your attention our grievances about the irregularities at your office and the unfair outcome of the competition. As a team that deserved to win, it is difficult to understand how we were made to lose. We were also puzzled when some of the judges, sponsors and board members told us that we deserved to win, which makes us believe there is something wrong somewhere," the letter reads in part.

The team also argued that the three projects presented by the winners, SIFE Nazarene, had negligible impact on communities, which is the major fundamental of the competition.

In her response early last month, SIFE Swaziland Director, Khosie Dlamini said the projects by all the teams are assessed during the year.

She said each team presented quarterly and annual reports on their projects to the office for assessment.

"On the finals, each team has to tell its own story in order to convince the judges that their projects are the best and that they impact positively on the communities. However, even if a project is on an individual, it has to have impact on other people, whether directly or indirectly at the different phases of that project," she explained.

Dlamini emphasised that judging was based on an evaluation sheet used by the panel of judges during the presentations on the final day.

Subsequently, the grievances were taken to board level early last month and the Team Faculty Advisor was also engaged to notify the team that a response to the complaints would be issued.

When reached for comment, SIFE National Director, Khosie Dlamini said the team had been issued with responses on their grievances.

President of the SIFE SCOT team, Ncamiso Nkambule, confirmed receiving a letter responding to the one they wrote at the beginning of August.

"We have received a response to our grievances, however, the response was vague and we feel our grievances have not been addressed. We feel the Board has not answered us, technically. As a result, we have decided to dissolve the team and we will not be taking part in the national competition," Nkambule said.

However, he said the team would continue to run the projects they were working on in the different communities.

"This is because we enjoy working with the communities and feel we should not stop helping just because we have dissolved the team and taken the decision to stop participating in the national competition," he said.

He added; "If there are other students who want to re-establish a SIFE SCOT team, they are free to do so but members of the team that dissolved will not form part of that team."

The team had contemplated in the letter written to the national director that they were considering formulating their own organisation and continue assisting the communities where they undertake their projects. "If these issues are not addressed within 48 hours, there will no longer be a SIFE SCOT team. It is probably best to concentrate on our school work because we feel we have been used and exploited.

Clearly, it is not possible that the national champions and faculty advisor titles revolve around two institutions even when they do not deserve to win. We have been number three for seven years and it is painful when our hard work is disregarded and reduced to nothing," reads part of the letter written to SIFE Country Director, Khosie Dlamini.

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