DROP SNAT PRESIDENT’S CHARGES - DEMANDS EDUCATION INTERNATIONAL

MANZINI – All eyes are on government, the Prime Minister (PM) Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini to be precise.

This comes after Education International (EI), through its Secretary General David Edwards, who is based in Brussels, Belgium, demanded that the authorities of Eswatini take all necessary measures to ensure that union leaders could fully exercise their trade union rights.

On that note, it demanded that the charges against the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) President, Mbongwa Ernest Dlamini, be lifted immediately and unconditionally.

In the letter which was written by Edwards last Tuesday on behalf of EI, he said he did so to condemn the harassment of Mbongwa, who was the President of SNAT. The letter was directed to the PM and it was copied to the offices of Secretary to Cabinet, Under Secretary in the Ministry of Education and International Labour Organisation (ILO) Standards Department.

On that note, Edwards reminded the country’s authorities that SNAT was affiliated to EI.

Representing

He then explained that EI was a global union federation representing over 32 million teachers and education workers in more than 170 countries.
He said they had noted that the SNAT leader had been charged with professional misconduct for unauthorised absenteeism from his school on January 31, 2019. On that note, the global union federation said it had learnt that Dlamini was attending union activities in which SNAT on that date in question was preparing for a strike action over the cost-of-living-adjustment (CoLA) for the 2017/18 and 2018/19 financial years.

“The fact of the matter is that the head teacher of Mhubhe High School, who is Dlamini’s direct supervisor, had authorised his absence so that he attends union duties that day,” reads part of the EI letter to the PM.

Furthermore, Edwards said other alleged breaches by the SNAT president, of the Teaching Service Regulation concerned, referred to events from 2016 and 2017 that were processed and put to rest at that time.

On that note, he said EI deplores the victimisation of the SNAT president as yet another example of trade union persecution by the Government of Eswatini. He said the right to organise trade union activities, including meetings, was recognised under Eswatini and international laws.

Lawful

“Section 14 (b) of the Constitution (2005) guarantees the right to freedom of assembly and Section 99(b) is of the Industrial Relations Act stipulates that trade unions have the right to plan and organise lawful activities,” Edwards said in the letter. 

Again, he said as the authorities of the country knows, Article 3 of ILO Convention 87 on Freedom of Association states that trade unions should have the right ‘to organise their administration and activities and to formulate their programmes’ and that ‘public authorities shall refrain from any interference which would restrict this right’.

On that regard, he said tactics to intimidate unionists from holding a legitimate trade union meeting constitute a serious violation of both national and international laws.
Therefore, he emphasised that as EI they invite the authorities of Eswatini to take all necessary measures to ensure that union officials could fully exercise their trade union rights. He added that as EI they request that the charges against the SNAT president be lifted immediately and unconditionally.

“I thank you for your prompt attention to this matter,” the EI secretary general said in the letter.
It is worth noting that the SNAT president is facing a total of 15 charges. This is because initially, he was asked to show cause why he should not be slapped with four charges but after responding in writing, 11 more counts were preferred against him. The charges are for absenteeism, failure or neglect or refusal to submit official school records for inspection and misconduct.
On another note, the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA) Acting Secretary General Mduduzi Gina said they had already reported the matter to ILO.
He added that there were other issues of union bashing which they would be taking to ILO soon. Some of the issues he mentioned include that of SNAT members Maxwell Zondiyinkhundla Myeni, Mcolisi Ngcamphalala and Njabulo ‘Njefire’ Dlamini.
Chucked
Another one is that of Sibusiso Lushaba, the Secretary General of the Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU), who was chucked out by government when he was representing workers in salary talks.
Meanwhile, Government Press Secretary Percy Simelane said he wants to believe that if Mbongwa had been charged already, he would have his day in court and would present his case freely and a ruling would be made.
He said Education International’s arrogance and bully approach were misplaced. However, he said the government of Eswatini was open to advice and not orders.
“I want to believe that if Mbongwa Dlamini has been charged already he will have his day in court and will present his case freely and a ruling will be made. Education International’s arrogance and bully approach are misplaced. The Government of Eswatini is open to advice and not orders.”

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