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ESWATINI GOVERNMENT RELEASES POLICY STATEMENT AND PROMISES GOVERNMENT LED ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION

Pictured Above: Eswatini Prime Minister Russell Dlamini  On Thursday 12th September 2024, The Government of Eswatini as led by the Prime Minister Russell Dlamini presented their policy statement in Parliament in which they outlined their plans going forward. The policy statement contains twenty two (22) priority areas as follows; Fiscal Discipline and Budget Strategy ,Sustainability, Infrastructure Development, Economic Policy , Wealth Creation and Inclusive Growth ,Public Sector Management and Service Delivery, Foreign and International Relations, Tinkhundla Governance System and Development Vehicle, Energy, Education , Health and HIV/AIDS, Labour, Social Welfare and Social Security, Disaster Risk Reduction, Corruption, National Identity and Family Heritage, National Security, Agriculture, Parliament  and Judiciary. The policy statement makes daring aspirations including a prediction of economic growth that reached 12% in the next ten (10) years and interestingly makes a bold statemen
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SEVEN ESWATINI CITIZENS WHO SUFFER FROM ASBESTOS RELATED AILNMENTS TO RECEIVE COMPENSATION

Asbestos damage to the human lung (image sourced online) Written by Fundizwi Sikhondze The  South Africa based Asbestos Relief Trust (ART) has reported ,through a media statement, that they have conducted tests on fifty two Eswatini Citizens (52) who are former miner workers in the year 2024. Out of the 52 tested seven (7) individuals were found  to have conditions that qualifies for compensation under the rules of the trust. The test conducted according to the media statement by the ART involved chest x-rays ,lung infection tests and clinical exams to identify those with asbestos-related diseases. The statement went further to claim that so far the ART had conducted conducted tests on more than five hundred (500) Eswatini citizens who used to work at the Bulembu/Havelock asbestos mine. ART Logo (sourced online) The ART on their website (https://asbestostrust.co.za) further explain that they were established after a process of successful litigation where an out of court settlement was
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SUFIAW MEMBERS AT STANDARD BANK LOCKED OUT FOR COLA STRIKE ACTION

  SUFIAW LOGO Written by Fundizwi Sikhondze Workers and members of the Swaziland Union of Financial Institutions and Allied Workers (SUFIAW) at Standard Bank Eswatini who are now in the second week of their nationwide strike action  have just been hit with a lockout notice by the employer. The strike action seeks to pressure the employer to pay Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) rate of 7.5% while the employer (Standard Bank) has offered SUFIAW members 5.15%. The strike started out on Tuesday 23 rd July 2024 and received wide ranging media coverage, particularly the Manzini and Mbabane branches.  On Tuesday 39 th July 20204 with the strike action set to enter its seventh day the employer through Chief Executive (CE) Mvuselelo Fakudze issued correspondence ( that we have in our possession) addressed to SUFIAW Secretary General Jabulile Shiba informing her office that they were now invoking Section 86 (9) of the Industrial relations Act (2000 as amended) to effect a lock out of all wor
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PUBLIC SERVICE PENSIONERS RECEIVE 5% INCREMENT TO ANNUITIES

  Written by Fundizwi Sikhondze Former public service employees who are now retirees under the Public Service Pension Fund (PSPF) were awarded an increment of 5% on their monthly pension annuities. The increment is effected in July 2024 and backdated to April 2024. The PSPF is the biggest pension fund in Eswatini as it boasts around E31.2billion. It caters for the needs of around 25 000 beneficiaries mad up of 10 000 principal members or beneficiaries, around 15 000 spousal as well as minors beneficiaries. It boasts of just above forty 40 000 active members who are still in service and therefore still contributing to the fund. On another note it was reported by the local daily Time of eSwatini (13-0724) that members of the Swaziland Public Service Pensioners Association (SPSPA) representing principal members to the fund has continued with their quest to reverse the transition of the PSPF from a category B public service organisation or parastatal to a category A parastatal. They ha
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INTERNATIONAL OUTRAGE AGAINST SENTENCE METED OUT AGAINST TWO ESWATINI FORMER MPS

  A poster depicting the image of the former MPs Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube (sourced online) Written by Fundizwi Sikhondze There has been outpouring of outrage targeted at the Government of Eswatini in the aftermath of the sentencing of the former MPs Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube who were MPs for Hosea and Ngwempisi constituencies respectively. They were sentenced on Monday 15th July in Mbabane following their conviction on terrorism and other charges largely believed to be trumped. The outrage was led by the Eswatini Embassy of the United States of America (USA)  where they categorically condemned the sentence of the two MPs. They expressed that they were, “deeply concerned by the sentencing of former MPs Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube to 25 years and 18 years respectively”. The statement continued that ,”there has been widespread reporting that their detention are arbitrary ,based on groundless charges of murder and terrorism, and that they have were t
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MBABANE CITY COUNCIL TUSSLE WITH MINISTER OVER CITY CEO APPOINTMENT

Mbabane City Council logo (sourced online) Written by Fundizwi Sikhondze It would seem that the council of the Mbabane City are not in agreement with the Minister of Housing and Urban Development Appolo Maphalala on the appointment of Ms Gcinile Fakudze as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or Town Clerk of the City. Although Ms Fakudze is reported to come with a wealth of relevant qualifications and experience in managing municipalities having previously served in Siteki and Matsapha respectively in a similar engagement, the council in Mbabane is believed not to have preferred her as their CEO. Media reports from both newspapers in Eswatini the Weekend Observer as well as the Eswatini News have suggested that the person recommended to the minister by the city council polled third and very low in the  interview rankings carried out by the consultant engaged to do the work. The situation then gave rise to the stand off between the council and the minister where councillors incl
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ESWATINI PUBLIC SERVICE UNIONS HAVE NEGOTIATED 4% COLA FOR PUBLIC SERVICE WORKERS

  File picture Written by Fundizwi Sikhondze The Eswatini public service workers represented by the Public Service Union (PSUs) have negotiated a 4% COLA for all public service workers that include health workers in public facilities, educators in public schools and workers in government offices around the country who service the public. The PSUs are made up of the following public services trade union, the National Public Service and Allied Workers Union (NAPSAWU), the Swaziland National Government Accountants Personnel (SNAGAP), the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) and the Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU). The 4% settlement came after intense negotiations between the parties wherein the PSUs had initially made a demand for 7.25% COLA while government had initially made an offer of 3% to the PSUs. This wage settlement ,while serving as a relief to public service workers who have lately had their wages supressed through receiving perennial below infla
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