By Nonduduzo Kunene | 2019-01-29

Principal Secretary of the ministry of education of and training Dr Sibongile Mtshali has declared  the joint mass meeting that was held at SNAT centre yesterday by all workers’ unions in the country illegal.

 The PS has issued a circular to REOs to inform all head teachers and school administrators to take attendance register for teachers from January 22, 2019. Regional education officers were requested to inform all head teachers and school  administrators about the important circular.

All public servants gathered at SNAT centre for a joint mass meeting that was called by the Public Sector Association of Swaziland (PSAS) for a feedback on the strike and action that was supposed to commence yesterday. This meeting follows the matter in which government took PSAS to court in an endeavour to stop the strike action at the Industrial court on Sunday. The strike was stopped by the Industrial Court as per section 90 of the Industrial Relations Act of 2000.  Dr Mtshali issued a letter to REOs and head teachers that the meeting held at SNAT centre was illegal unless permission was obtained from her office.

“The ministry of education and training wishes to advise regional education officers head teachers/school administrators that the proposed meeting scheduled for Monday, 28th January, 2019 by the Swaziland National Association Teachers (SNAT) is illegal, unless permission is sought from my office,” reads the circular from the PS. The PS also requested head teachers to check the attendance at their schools from January 22, thereon. “We kindly request that you collect data (copies of the attendance register or copies of the time book) from all head teachers, these should be from Tuesday 22nd January, 2019 and thereon,” reads the circular.

In response to the PS circular SNAT President Mbongwa Dlamini, reading the circular at the mass meeting held at SNAT Centre, advised all teachers to address letters to the PS seeking permission that would be held in the future. The general Secretary Sikelela Dlamini said this was because as an association they wanted to comply by rules stipulated by the ministry.  “Fellow comrades; I urge all teachers to individually write letters to the PS to seek permission to attend a meeting to be held in the future,” he said. The reason teachers should write these individual letters to the PS is because she directly communicated to the media not SNAT.

SNAT president Dlamini said the PS liked to create confusion anywhere possible. 

He made an example that she once ordered teachers to close schools yet the prime minister later told them to open schools.  He said they were not surprised about the circular.  He added that it showed how the PS liked to create confusion following the fact that there was a court case verdict that was issued on Sunday night that unions members had to be notified about.  “In short, she says we should not have brought the feedback as well as discussing a way forward by declaring our meeting illegal,” said the president.

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