MBABANE- UNESWA alumni have been urged to play a greater role in supporting the university as it navigates financial challenges and deteriorating infrastructure.
Speaking during the Emvasi Alumni Club brand and product activation at Royal Villas in Ezulwini, outgoing Student Representative Council (SRC) President Mncobi Mamba said students were experiencing the effects of the university’s crisis.
Mamba said some of the challenges affected students’ ability to participate in university activities, citing difficulties with transport and fuel. “The university is currently facing a very big crisis. And it’s been widely reported on. As students, we feel those particular impacts the most,” he said.
The Emvasi Alumni Club is an initiative of the UNESWA Endowment Fund aimed at strengthening the relationship between the university and its alumni while creating opportunities for former students to network and contribute to the institution’s growth.
Mamba said the alumni initiative presented an opportunity for students and alumni to contribute towards addressing some of the university’s challenges rather than relying solely on external assistance.
He said students had identified infrastructure as another major concern, describing some university buildings as being in poor condition. “Those buildings look like they were painted ages ago. Infrastructure is rotting,” Mamba said.
He said the condition of some facilities was embarrassing for an institution of UNESWA’s size and national importance, adding that students needed to see improvements in the environments where they lived and studied.
Mamba said students were accustomed to taking to the streets when their concerns were not addressed, but argued that supporting initiatives such as the alumni club could provide another avenue for addressing challenges. “We must first try and assist ourselves. We must be the first ones to take up the mantle,” he said.
He said the outgoing SRC had committed itself to supporting the Emvasi Alumni Club and hoped the incoming student leadership would continue with the initiative.
The initiative has also received support from UNESWA Vice Chancellor Justice Thwala, who described alumni as the university’s most valuable asset. Thwala said the university was proud of the achievements of its alumni and their contribution to the development of Eswatini, Africa and beyond.
He said the university’s legacy included nurturing the country’s human capital over the past five to six decades.
While acknowledging the turbulent times the institution had experienced, Thwala highlighted its continued focus on academic rigour and industry-focused programmes, particularly in science, technology and agriculture.
He stated the university’s support for the Emvasi Alumni Club and said the UNESWA Endowment Fund had an important role in fostering the university’s long-term financial sustainability.
The activation brought together alumni, students, staff, university representatives and other stakeholders for networking and to celebrate the achievements of UNESWA alumni. Vuli Simelane, CEO of the UNESWA Endowment Fund launched the organisation’s products at the event and also presented its latest products including a mobile app, its official logo and merchandise with a strong emphasis on registration for alumni and friends of the university. The Emvasi Alumni club has presence both on social media and online.
