Impacts of Students’ Rots: A Case Study of Public Universities in Eswatini

Abstract

Students’ riots are a major concern in Higher Education in Eswatini. They tend to prolong the academic year and compromise the quality of education. Therefore, this study explores the impacts of students’ riots in public universities in Eswatini. The Emergent Norm theory underpinned the understanding of the study. The study adopted an interpretivist philosophical worldview and a phenomenological research design. Research participants were students and university management selected purposively to ensure accurate collection of data from the right audience. Data were collected through focus group discussions, face-to-face interviews and document analysis. The collected Data were analysed using thematic analysis. The study found that the impacts of riots include poor academic performance, compromise in credibility of institutions, political symbolic violence, lifetime ban from government employment, financial difficulties which often force students into prostitution and drug smuggling. Other effects of students’ riots are strained relationships between students and academic staff, depletion of SRTC funds and political reforms.