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MPS BLOCK EPTC JOB CUTS

By Nokuphila Haji | 2025-03-27

MEMBERS of Parliament (MPs) yesterday halted the downscaling exercise that was to be effected to some employees of the Eswatini Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (EPTC) tomorrow.

This was after the House of Assembly voted on the issue.
This means that the government parastatal is not allowed to effect the downscaling exercise until 14 days elapse and a report by a seven-member select committee tables a report on its findings. The committee to probe the investigation was also elected during the sitting.

Mbabane East MP Welcome Dlamini moved a motion that the House elects a seven-member select committee to look into reports of downsizing that would result in massive layoffs by the EPTC.
He said the committee should also look into EPTC’s restructuring exercise and its impact on permanent, contract and temporary employees of the Corporation.

He said the committee should also verify allegations of deviation from approved procurement processes.
Dlamini further implored the committee to table its report after 14 days after adoption of the motion.
“EPTC is not allowed to effect changes before the report is presented to parliament,” he said.

When motivating the motion, Dlamini said this was a government company, which they were of the view that it was there to provide jobs for the nation. He said the Eswatini Water Services Cooperation, Eswatini Electricity Company, and EPTC were not profit-driven entities but to employ the people.
He was concerned that these companies were now profit-driven and no longer cared for Emaswati.
He said the situation with EPTC was distressing, as it affected employees who had been on contract for many years. These employees were only granted the chance to apply for a loan last year, following an agreement between the company and a specific bank.

“They agreed that the loans will be paid in five years, they used their gratuity as surety to get these loans. Two months down the line, they were told to go home, which means they will leave with nothing because their gratuity will be used to settle the loans.

Why did the company agree that these people take the loans while they knew that they were restructuring and why after all these years,” he said.
He expressed concern that the affected employees might face severe stress and various challenges associated with unemployment.

He urged Parliament to prevent the downscaling exercise until a thorough investigation into the matter is conducted.
He described the situation as painful, criticising the individual overseeing the exercise, who is over 60 years old, for allegedly lacking the employees' best interests at heart.
“I apologise if this offends any of my colleagues, but I believe that those over 60 often do not prioritise the well-being of others.

They tend to address issues superficially. For a parastatal to thrive, it requires fresh perspectives. “When individuals over 60 are in charge, they might focus on cutting jobs to create an illusion of profitability,” he stated.
The seconder of the motion, Mtfongwaneni MP Nathi Hlophe, said when they learnt of what was happening at the post office they were saddened.

He asked the leadership of EPTC to clarify what was happening there because the company was saying it was downsizing but employing the exact number of people that were being downsized.

“When we look at this, we see that this is pure evil because a person cannot downsize people who have served the company for years and let them leave with nothing.

There is someone who will have to take the blame after everything unfolds and I would like us to give the leader of the company a chance to state their reasons for this. How many people are going to lose jobs after what recently happened with the funding freeze,” he said.

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