MBABANE – “The chairperson of the ENPF Board is going nowhere.”
This is the bold statement issued by the Minister for Labour and Social Security, Phila Buthelezi, in response to demands from federations affiliated to the Eswatini National Provident Fund (ENPF) which are opposing the appointment of the fund’s Chairperson, prominent businessman Derrick Shiba.
He was engaged by this publication for more clarity after he issued a press statement in relation to the issue.
The minister insisted that the appointment complied fully with the Eswatini National Provident Fund (ENPF) Order of 1974 and declared that, as the appointing authority, he would not succumb to any pressure or demands for Shiba’s removal.
The four federations – namely the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA), Business Eswatini (BE), the Federation of the Swaziland Business Community (FESBC) and the Federation of Swaziland Trade Unions (FESWATU) – submitted a letter dated 18 November 2025 to the minister, arguing that the appointment of the chairperson violated the ENPF Order. They further reminded the minister that the chairmanship of the Board should be rotational.
The federations issued pointed demands, calling for the suspension of all Board meetings, pending a discussion regarding the appointment of the Board chairperson.
It has also been gathered that the federations oppose two additional appointments: That of the ministry’s principal secretary (PS) to the ENPF Board, and the ministry’s undersecretary (US) to the Conciliationfor Mediation and Arbitration Commission (CMAC).
The minister said having seen recent media reports, he found it important to clarify matters so that the public could understand the situation.
He confirmed receiving communication from the federations raising concerns regarding the composition of the Board and noted that they had first requested a meeting with him.
However, he said, due to prior commitments, the meeting did not take place before he became aware of their concerns.
He said, from what he had gathered, the main points of contention were the appointments of the trio to the Board.
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Minister not answerable to Board members
MBABANE – Minister for Labour and Social Security, Phila Buthelezi, has said that a person who holds his position is not answerable to Board members.
Buthelezi stated that a minister is not accountable to social partners in matters relating to the appointment of the Board.
He explained that the role of social partners extends only as far as submitting the names of nominees who will represent them on the Board.
“The important thing to note is that we never interfere with that. Even when they bring in an individual, we are not happy about, we do not object.
“Even if they bring in people who stand accused of serious allegations of serious crime, we appoint them and do not contest it, as we do not want to interfere in a space that is not ours,” the minister said.
He said those who stand accused of serious allegations, including murder, were never, at any point, questioned or prevented from being appointed.
“What I am saying is that before one can point to a log in someone else’s eyes, they must first look at themselves. They must look at whether their hands are clean or not. It is important. We allow it because we respect the law,” he said.
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Behaviour smacks of silent mafia – minister
MBABANE – Minister Phila Buthelezi says he suspects that there could be a silent mafia that is pushing the federations that are now making noise over the appointment of the ENPF Board Chairman, Derrick Shiba.
Without mentioning the name of an individual, the minister said he can see through the behaviour of the federations and that it smacks of a silent mafia.
“I can see the silent mafia behind. What I know is that one day, the mafia will be exposed.
“They have done it undetected for long and I am just glad that they are now revealing their true intentions,” he said.
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… minister warns against destructive egos
MBABANE – The federations that have announced that they will withdraw their participation from the ENPF Board have been warned not to allow their egos and personalities to ruin the country.
Minister for Labour and Social Security, Phila Buthelezi said that what is happening now has the potential to jeopardise the interests of the members of the fund.
“If they stay away from the operations of the fund, it means that they want to stagnate it. This will affect the very same members they claim to represent. I am pleading with them to work with transparency and truth,” he said.
He pointed out that Shiba must be given the respect he deserves, as he has employed many emaSwati and this contributes to the ENPF.
*Full article available in our publication
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