Swazi Observer

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CHIEFS REMOVED IN NEW SCHOLARSHIP ON-LINE SYSTEM

By Nonduduzo Kunene | 2019-05-22

THE Ministry of Labour and Social Security has sidelined traditional leaders, especially chiefs, in its new on-line scholarship application system.

On Monday, Labour and Social Security PS Thulani Makhaliphi announced on national radio, Eswatini Broadcasting and Information Services (EBIS) that government had dumped the manual system of pupils applying for the government scholarship.

He revealed that they have since replaced it with a new on-line system that could be filled by the applicant alone, in his or her place of convenience, so long as all the requirements necessary were available is mainly the ID, Centre Number, IDs of guardians and results.

He disclosed that this would no longer require traditional authorities to approve the scholarship application forms.

Traditionalist and Senator Chief Nzameya Nhlabatsi said the new online government application system has sidelined them.

In fact the Senator said the ministry has made the traditional leaders worthless. This is because in the past application method, applicants had to go to their royal kraal to fill the forms.

The new system simply skips them. The furious chief said computers do not own land, and an identity card cannot be trusted if the person really belongs to that royal kraal listed on the identity card.

In fact, this system has allowed pupils and families to be loyal to their chiefdoms, knowing that one day they would need the authorities to approve such important documents.

The move will not impress chiefs, as already stated by Chief Nzameya Nhlabatsi and surely their authority is seriously challenged by modern systems.

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