SADTU pledges support, blasts SADC

1. FPE and OVC grants have been stagnant for many years and government was failing to pay it on time. As such, head teachers insure debts. The resolution is; government should take the responsibility to pay support staff and SNAT should push the employer to do that.

2. Government recognises the need for digital migration. The resolution is; government should provide computer laboratories, computers, internet and electricity in all schools.

3. There is high rate of teachers who suffer from sicknesses, in particular mental health in school and this affect their work. The resolution is; SNAT should establish a wellness centre.

4. Members of union should be allowed to serve as SNAT Representatives in their schools after serving at least two years as members of the association, instead of the current five years.

M- The South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) has assured SNAT that it would not run away from the struggle of emaSwati.

This was said by SADTU General Secretary Mugwena Maluleke, during the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) 76th/68th Annual Conference which was held at Esibayeni Lodge yesterday.

Maluleke is also the Vice President of Education International (EI) and Deputy Chairperson of the Global Campaign for Education.

He said their aim as a union was to strengthen their bond with SNAT so that they could grow in quality and quantity.

Thereafter, he said they were aware that emaSwati were in a struggle for democracy and they could not run away from it. He said this was because emaSwati were there for them (South Africans) when they were in a struggle in South Africa.

“We will be with you as you fight undemocratic principles in Eswatini. In trade unionism, an injury to one is an injury to all,” Maluleke said.

Persecution

Again, he said he was aware that in Eswatini, there was alleged union bashing and persecution of union leaders supposedly by government.

He said what he could share with them was that in South Africa, there was a time where they believed that they would never win in their struggles, including that of apartheid, because the system they were fighting was organised and well sponsored.

“Your struggle here is not only against the Tinkhundla System of Governance, but also the capitalists who do not like justice and peace. They only care about profits as they always seek to reduce a human being into commodity,” the SADTU general secretary said.

Fear

After that, he advised SNAT members not to be concerned much about being afraid and doubts, as that was normal.

However, he said they should not sink in fear. He emphasised that as South Africans, who were organised under SADTU, they would be there for them, as they (emaSwati) looked after them too. In fact, he said they regard them as one.

On another note, he said as EI, they were outraged when they saw members of the State security organs tear-gasing teachers who were in a bus. As such, he said they had written a letter to the Ministry of Education and Training and demanded commissions of enquiry for incidents where unarmed teachers were attacked by members of the State security organs.

On top of that, he said they had also written to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and demanded democracy in Eswatini. He said they had also made their feeling known that they believed that SADC was not doing enough in terms of attending to the political situation in Eswatini.