The Swaziland Government is
set to start disciplinary action against the president of the kingdom’s teachers’
union in a move that is being seen as victimisation.
It came as teachers across
Swaziland / eSwatini joined other public sector workers on Friday (1 February
2019) for a march in Mbabane to deliver seven petitions to different government
departments. Public sector workers are campaigning for a 6.55 percent salary increase
to meet the rise in the cost of living. The government says it is broke and has
offered three percent starting in 2020 / 2021.
The Swaziland National
Association of Teachers (SNAT) reported its president Mbongwa Dlamini faced
four charges of misconduct, including unauthorised absenteeism from his work at
Mhubhe High School.
In a statement published on
social media SNAT stated, ‘Chief amongst these charges is
becoming a union leader and participating in legitimate trade union activities
that were held across the country and in different venues for the past two
weeks.’
If found guilty Dlamini could
face dismissal.
The Sunday edition of the Times of Swaziland reported (3
February 2019) he had not yet been formally charged but had been asked to
respond. It reported Dlamini saying, ‘These are trumped up charges that I was
expecting any way.’
The Times added, ‘He claimed to have received information to the effect
that there had been earlier moves to try and lay charges against him with the
police for allegedly threatening teachers who would not be part of the strike
action that was eventually
stopped by the industrial court.’
It quoted Dlamini saying, ‘I
think they failed with this. They are just trying to find ways to charge me.’
SNAT Secretary General
Sikelela Dlamini said the charges were clandestine moves aimed at destabilising
the union. ‘The charges are trumped up and are aimed at de-motivating our
participation in union activities,’ the Times
quoted him saying.
The move against Dlamini
came as about 2,000 public sector workers
marched through the Swaziland capital Mbabane. It was headed by four
unions: SNAT,
Swaziland National Government Accounting Personnel (SNAGAP), Swaziland
Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU) and National Public Service and Allied Workers
Unions (NAPSAWU).
See also
Industrial
Court stops Swaziland public servants strike at last minute
Armed
police deployed in schools across Swaziland to ensure exams take place during
teacher pay dispute
Swaziland
police shoot, wound teacher during protest over pay, tensions high on eve of
national election
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