By NOKUPHILA HAJI | 2024-11-06

A sitting by the portfolio committee for the ministry of education and training  had to be adjourned for a few minutes after Members of Parliament called for the presence of officials from the University of Eswatini.

The debate resumed 30 minutes after the adjournment and during the proceedings, UNESWA Vice-Chancellor Professor Justice Thwala eventually arrived.

Before the sitting Mhlambanyatsi MP Dr Bonginkosi Dlamini had noted that some of the crucial departments  were not present.  

Ntondozi MP Peter Ngwenya said this was due to the commotions that were in the ministry since their behaviour also showed that there were challenges. He said it appeared as if there were people who were not engaged about the debate.

“It will be wrong for us to work while they are not here. All of them should be here and this shows that there are divisions in the ministry,” he said

Ngudzeni MP Charles Ndlovu said they would not continue without the university officials.
Lubombo region MP Futhi Ngcamphalala said there was nothing that the institution had to say pertaining to the issue. She said they were asking themselves if they were being recognised or taken serious.

“Just because the minister is not here, they have not made any apologies. Judging from the report, we are not being taken seriously,” she said.
the acting Minister Sikhumbuzo Dlamini said Parliament does not work with outside people, but with the minister.

suspend
He said if they were taking a decision to suspend the sitting, it should be because they were waiting for the return of the substantive minister.

The MPs observed that there was a huge deep-rooted problem at the university.
Mhlambanyatsi MP highlighted that there were  big problems which might need prayer.

MP Ngwenya jokingly said the livestock at the university would also end up striking. He said the way that the strikes were happening at the university, the cows would end up refusing to be milked.

He said everything was beginning to be normal with the situation of the institution.
Hhhukwini MP Alec Lusaba said the ministry upon getting the task team report should then set up a commission of enquiry that would look deeper into the issue.

He said the university should be investigated whether it was in the right hands and if it was doing what needed to be done.

The acting minister said something was being done on the issues of the university.  He said there were boards and committees tasked with looking into the issuess of the institution.

...MPs irked for being referred to Senators

MEMBERS of Parliament were irked for being referred to as senators in the ministry’s preamble.
This was after the preamble that the ministers were given a paragraph directed to senators.

This was the conclusion of the report. The MPs said the report was not directed to them highlighting that the ministry was not even aware of where it was going.

They also alleged that the report submitted by the ministry was copied and pasted. Lubombo MP Futhi Ngamphalala said the context was the same and only five pages were different from last quarter’s report.

She said there was nothing that had changed in the report highlighting that there was nothing that they can debate. She said the preamble was also the same.

“We are no longer living in the times where we say if you want to hide something from a black person put it in black and white. Not with us, we go through each and every document because we take our job seriously.

This report is not for our consumption because we read this report in the first quarter,” she said.

Infighting in the ministry

NGUDZENI Member of Parliament Charles Ndlovu  asked the employees of the ministry of education if they could work on the issues of infighting within the ministry.

The MP said they were aware of the issues of the principal secretaries in the ministry.
He wanted to know who the employees were listening to.  

He also asked if the ministry was still jointly working together in making a strategy for the ministry of education.

“Are you able to work in the ministry and if not, how can the issue get sorted because we see that there are issues that have to be addressed so that the nation can get the quality education that they deserve,” he said.
 

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