SNAT, POLICE CLASH: GOVT ACCUSES UNION OF INVASION, TERROR

MBABANE – A tense confrontation unfolded at the Ministry of Education and Training yesterday, when police forcefully removed members of the teachers’ union executive.
The executive members of the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) were evicted from the ministry’s premises. The incident occurred as the executive members of the  union sought an audience with the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) executive regarding the salary of SNAT President, Mbongwa Dlamini.

The government accused him of being absent from work for 109 days without the consent of the employer. Dlamini contended that his absence was due to his involvement in activities on behalf of the association, including attending federation meetings. While waiting in the corridors of the TSC offices, the SNAT executive was approached by about four police officers. The law enforcers requested that they step outside the ministry’s premises, explaining that their presence was disrupting the work of ministry’s officials.

Adamant

However, the SNAT members were adamant that they would not leave until they addressed the matter with the TSC executive, prompting the police to resort to force. Police were then captured by one of the SNAT executive members, physically removing individuals from the ministry’s offices. The visual footage shows SNAT members’ clothing being pulled as they were escorted out, with one individual recording the scene and questioning the police’s actions. “Umshayelani lo SG, umshayelani?,” shouted the SNAT executive member while filming the ordeal. This can be loosely translated to say, “Why are you assaulting the SG? The incident has sparked public debate, with some alleging excessive force by the police, while others suggest a failure to resolve the dispute through dialogue.

Following the incident, government, through its legal representatives at the Attorney General’s Office, issued a letter to SNAT’s legal counsel, accusing the union executive of ‘militant mayhem’ and justifying the police intervention. The letter forms the basis of government’s account of the events. According to the Attorney General’s Office, the SNAT Secretary General (SG), Lot Vilakati,  and other executive members ‘invaded’ the Ministry of Education and Training offices, holding commissioners ‘at ransom’ and refusing to leave a working room. The letter further alleges that the SNAT members then blocked a passageway, creating a disturbance.

The government’s legal representatives claim that SNAT abandoned established protocols by not scheduling an appointment and instead adopting a ‘militant’ approach, even recording the alleged disruption on social media.The letter states that SNAT members demanded the reinstatement of Mbongwa, disregarding the fact that his case is sub judice. Sub judice means that a particular case or issue is currently being considered by a court and, therefore, should not be discussed or commented on publicly. The government claims that the SNAT executive’s actions disrupted the TSC office’s operations and ‘brought terror to the workers’ with loud outbursts intended to cause chaos, ultimately prompting the call for police assistance.

The letter asserts that police initially attempted a ‘polite’ approach to remove the SNAT members, but were met with ‘defiance’, with some members allegedly demanding the deployment of the army and OSSU and exhibiting ‘violence-oriented’ behaviour. The government maintains that police used ‘minimum force’ to remove the SNAT executive, who they claim offered ‘violent resistance’.The Attorney General’s Office demands that SNAT allow the court process to proceed regarding Mbongwa’s case, rather than resorting to ‘violence and unlawful militant public gathering’.

The letter expresses concern about SNAT’s alleged history of ‘provoking’ security forces, citing a previous invitation by the SG for a physical confrontation with security personnel. The government also questions the example being set by the SNAT executive for their pupils. “It worries our client that your clients keep on provoking the police and soldiers. In the near past, the secretary general invited the security forces to a physical fight to be staged at the SNAT centre dubbed MAN TO MAN or WOMAN TO WOMAN fight,” reads part of the correspondence. The letter concludes by emphasising that the TSC is the employer of the SNAT executive members and that their conduct violates labour laws.

It was said government reserves the right to seek an interdict if SNAT’s ‘unlawful and ferocious conduct’ continues. The Attorney General’s Office confirmed that it is finalising its heads of arguments for Dlamini’s case, which is scheduled to be heard on March 14, 2025. Worth mentioning is that following the scuffle, SNAT SG alleged that he was left with bruises and had to go to the Mbabane Government Hospital to seek medical attention.  A matter of assault was then reported at the Mbabane Police Station, which Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Senior Superintendent Phindile Vilakati confirmed and said police were investigating.

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