Ludlawini Chief Prince Mphatfwa has urged government to increase scholarships and student allowances while also ensuring that they are paid on time to prevent unnecessary student protests.
The chief made the appeal during the ‘Taking Parliament to the People’ programme held at Ndzingeni on Friday, where community members raised issues affecting their constituencies before Members of Parliament and government representatives.
Prince Mphatfwa said delayed payments and inadequate allowances have often left students frustrated, resulting in protests that could be avoided if government addressed the matter proactively.
He said the country was currently enjoying peace and stability, adding that government should safeguard that peace by ensuring students received their financial support without delays.
“There is no need for students to take to the streets over issues such as scholarships and allowances. Government should ensure that these are increased and paid on time,” he said.
The chief stressed that government should adopt a proactive approach to addressing students’ concerns instead of waiting for demonstrations before taking action. He said resolving such issues before they escalated would promote stability at learning institutions and allow students to focus on their studies.
Prince Mphatfwa also called on Parliament and government to prioritise the upgrading of roads leading to royal kraals, saying poor road infrastructure continued to affect important national events.
He said it was unfortunate that some national ceremonies had been disrupted because regiments were unable to access royal kraals, where they were expected to camp during Incwala and other significant cultural events.
According to the chief, there had previously been an incident in which some regiments were forced to spend the night on the roadside after failing to reach a royal kraal because the access road had become impassable.
“It is a shame when national ceremonies are affected because roads leading to royal kraals are impassable. These are important national institutions that deserve proper access roads,” he said.
Prince Mphatfwa further appealed to government, through the Ministry of Tinkhundla Administration and Development, to assist with fencing and electrifying royal kraals across the country.
He said improved security infrastructure would help protect these traditional institutions, preserve their dignity and ensure they remained safe for the communities they serve.
The chief expressed hope that the concerns raised during the engagement would receive the attention of both Parliament and government for the benefit of the nation.
