Courts

MBABANE – There is a major disagreement within the Lubombo branches of the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT).

The Mhlume Branch is fighting against the Siteki and Big Bend branches over voting rights and who has the final say in union decisions. This happened in light of a regional meeting in Siteki (held June 5 to June 6, 2026) where members were due to elect representatives for a major national conference.

The Mhlume Branch and Vuvulane High School Head teacher Musa Sifundza took the matter to the Industrial Court yesterday, as the other branches reportedly refused to recognise an official voting certificate issued by the union’s central headquarters.

The main argument is about whether Sifundza is allowed to participate and vote. The Siteki and Big Bend branches allegedly claimed Sifundza could not take part because he supposedly skipped an earlier local branch meeting. The Mhlume Branch disagreed, stating that Sifundza pays his union dues, is a member in good standing and was already officially cleared to attend.

The Swaziland National Association of Teachers – Mhlume Branch and Musa Sifundza yesterday rushed to the Industrial Court with an ex parte applicaton (without the knowledge of the respondents – SNAT Siteki and Big Bend branches, the credentials committee and Sifiso Mabuza). Mabuza is an Electoral Officer.

However, Judge Abande Dlamini told the attorney representing the applicants, Derrick Dlamini of D.B. Dlamini Attorneys, to go and serve the respondents with the application and come back to court at 5pm. However, around 2:30pm the attorney communicated that the applicants had already held the conference and requested to return with the matter on Tuesday. The Lubombo Regional Biennial Conference also comprised management from the branches across the Lubombo Region.

The applicants were seeking to interdict the respondents from proceeding with the voting process without the involvement of the applicant. They also prayed that the conference be interdicted while the status of Sifundza is being dealt with through the internal structure of the organisation. The voting, according to the applicants, want any voting results relating to the regional conference scheduled for June 5 and 6, 2026, to be stayed pending finalisation of this matter in court.

According to the founding affidavit deposed by Mbuso Mkhontfo, the Branch Committee Secretary of the Mhlume Branch, the branches across the Lubombo Region had gathered for their scheduled conference. The conference, operating at the regional offices in Siteki, was scheduled to run until the close of business yesterday.

The main objective of this gathering was to conduct a crucial voting process to elect the delegates who would represent the region at the upcoming National Biennial Conference. Mkhontfo mentioned that this national assembly serves as the supreme decision-making body of the entire teachers’ association, where vital narrative and financial reports are formally presented, key organisational resolutions are adopted and the official activities of union officers undergo thorough review.

According to the filed papers, the friction between the regional structures began at the very start of the conference when leadership from both the Siteki and Big Bend branches raised a sudden preliminary objection regarding the eligibility of Sifundza to participate.

The respondents alleged that Sifundza lacked the necessary credibility to take part in the regional event, asserting that he had not served as an official delegate during the preceding conference which initially led to the regional assembly.

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SNAT Conference delegates of the Shiselweni and Lubombo regions in song during a previous meeting. (File pic)