Swazi Observer

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DRAMA AS SNAT DEMANDS AUDIENCE WITH TSC’S CHAIRPERSON

By BONGIWE DLAMINI | 2024-11-21

DRAMA unfolded outside the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) offices as SNAT executive members demanded an audience with the Commission’s chairperson Dr Amos Mahlalela, yesterday.

The executive members of the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) clashed with the police who were called to the ministry of education and training building where the TSC offices are housed.

The executive members asked why they were being blocked by the police as all they wanted was an audience with the TSC chairperson, which they said, was not an offence.

They also accosted a photographer from the police service whom they asked why he was taking pictures of them.

There was a minor scuffle between the educators and law enforcers, some of whom were not in uniform.

The meeting did not happen as the SNAT executive was told they would be notified of a suitable date to meet.

Coincidentally, the teachers’ union visited the TSC offices on a day that the latter was interviewing teachers to fill some advertised posts.

According to SNAT President Mbongwa Dlamini, they needed to meet with the TSC chairperson because there are pressing issues affecting teachers that needed to be discussed.

He said prior to yesterday’s visit, the union’s executive had notified the commission in writing about the desired meeting and its agenda.

Dlamini stated that at the top of the agenda was his reinstatement as a teacher after winning a court case against the TSC.

Dismissed
The president had been dismissed by the TSC after a lengthy disciplinary process. He faced charges for alleged misconduct which he allegedly committed between December 2021 and November 2022.

However, he was officially charged in November 2022. Last Friday, High Court Judge Zonke Magagula upheld a decision by the Industrial Court of setting aside the letter dismissing Dlamini from work. The judge’s reason for this decision was that the TSC considered taking into consideration irrelevant factors or had an ulterior motive when dismissing Dlamini.

Subsequent to the court ruling, the SNAT president resumed his duties as a teacher at Moyeni High School on Monday. Yesterday, Dlamini said the SNAT executive needed to discuss how he would be paid his salary for the past two years.

“After the high court ruling, the TSC needs to issue an instrument authorising the release of my unpaid salary and reinstatement as a teacher,” stated Dlamini. Also, he mentioned that other issues that were on the agenda pertained to allegations of corruption within the TSC that had been reported by SNAT members.

“Some teachers have reported that they had been asked by some TSC officers for bribes in the form of cash and sex in exchange for jobs. Some of the teachers who offered sex to the officers have not been hired,” alleged Dlamini.

Furthermore, the president alleged that the TSC had previously refused to meet the teachers’ union executive in his presence as they cited that he was no longer a teacher.

He said it was sad that they still denied them an audience even after the court had ruled in his favour, making him a teacher who had been hired by the same commission.

“Denying us an audience is confusing because government always calls us to discuss issues concerning the teaching sector and we agree, but when we use the same method they refuse to meet us. It has been a year since we have requested to meet the commission,” he emphasised.

On behalf of the TSC, Nhlanhla Dlamini who is the Executive Secretary, said the Commission could not meet the SNAT executive because it was conducting interviews, which he said were ongoing. Dlamini confirmed that the TSC received SNAT’s letter requesting the meeting, though he said it only arrived on Tuesday afternoon, which was short notice.

“At the time, we had already committed ourselves to other duties and could not postpone them. We will write to SNAT and inform them of a suitable date for the meeting,” stated Dlamini.

He further mentioned that in the letter from SNAT, the issue about the SNAT president’s reinstatement was cited as the only agenda and not the other things mentioned by Dlamini.

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