Times Of Swaziland: Defy  Mandela  shirts', pants ban

Defy  Mandela  shirts', pants ban
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 SENZO DLAMINI on 17/09/2009 00:00:00


MBABANE – The union for civil servants has called upon its members to defy the
imposed ban on ‘Mandela shirts’ and pants.
Vincent Dlamini, the NAPSAWU Secretary General, yesterday urged its membership
to continue wearing every type of clothing they felt comfortable in.
NAPSAWU is an acronym for National Public Services and Allied Workers Union.
Dlamini contested that the issue of the dress code was too trivial for their
superiors to be worried about, saying their employer should be concerned about
service delivery at all times.
“As a union, we’ll definitely defend our members in case disciplinary
measures are instituted against them, regarding the defiance on the approved
dress code by the employer,” he stated. “We expect our members to dress in a
fashion that will accord them the deserved corporate look.”
The union chief said there was nothing wrong with male and female civil servants
clad in ‘Mandela shirts’ and pants in the workplace respectively.
“If the dress code is not wholly provocative, I fail to understand the reason
behind the imposed ban,” he said. “I would like to urge women civil servants
to continue wearing business suits because they’re presentable and give them
the corporate look.”
Dlamini said their members should not at all be intimidated by the ban.
The ban, which is with immediate effect, was issued by Principal Secretary in
the Ministry of Public Service Evart Madlopha - in a Memorandum dated September
9, 2009.
Madlopha, in the Memo, stated that no officer, clad in the banned outfit, would
be allowed access to government offices to perform his/her duties.