… Dr PQ Magagula agrees with Mbongwa
MBABANE – “What about the South African tripartite, do you know what it’s all about?”
This was a question retired University of Eswatini Professor Dr PQ Magagula posed when he was asked whether the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) President Mbongwa Dlamini was right in stating that they could not separate the association from politics.
The South African Tripartite Alliance, consisting of the African National Congress (ANC), the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), and the South African Communist Party (SACP).
He noted that in South Africa, COSATU was part of the tripartite Alliance which was political and yet it represented employees.
He said if he had been the same position and being interviewed by Channel YemaSwati, he would have asked the host if it was the first time he was hearing about a trade union being involved in politics.
ENGAGED
The former professor stated that even in countries like Zambia, where a former trade unionist, Frederick Chiluba became President of that country, workers unions were engaged in politics.
Further, Magagula also gave an example of the United Kingdom. “Do you know what the labour Party consists of ?” He asked, and posed as he waited for answer. Magagula stated that a percentage of the employees consisted of trade unionists and that inasmuch as they represented workers, they were also engaged in politics.
Magagula was also asked how other associations were able to focus of workers’ issues without engaging in political activities.
“Those, they look after interests of capitalists,” he stated. He said trade unions were about the oppressed.
Magagula added that this was why some labour laws stated that certain people may not be unionised.
He said there was a debate whether managers or head teachers should be unionised or that the vice chancellor of the UNESWA should join a union.
Magagula said there were also staff associations, which he said looked after the interests of the capitalists.
“The capitalist will not do the dirty work, somebody must do it on his behalf,” he stated.