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SIKELELA NGWENYA MAKES A COMEBACK AS PRESIDENT OF NAWUSHI



Sikelela Ngwenya makes a comeback as President of NAWUSHI 


Picture: Newly elected President of NAWUSHI Comrade Sikelela Ngwenya (Picture courtesy of Comrade Sikelela on Facebook)

Written by Fundizwi Sikhondze

Comrade Sikelela Ngwenya has made a comeback as the president of the National Workers Union in Swaziland Higher Institutions (NAWUSHI). This after getting elected to the position at their 1st quadrennial conference that took place at eSibayeni lodge in Matsapha on the 24th and 25th March 2022. To win the position comrade Sikelela beat off a stiff challenge  from Comrade Simon Dlamini from the Sebenta National Institute branch of NAWUSHI. 

Comrade Sikelela is one of two  leaders of the previous NEC that were re-elected into the new NEC in the conference. The other NEC member that made it back is comrade Mpendulo Mkhonta  and he retained the position of Vice Treasurer.

It is worth noting that Comrade Sikelela had previously served in the same position of  president of NAWUSHI in the period between 2012 and 2016 .It was during this term where critical changes took place in NAWUSHI ,including the fact that the union changed its name from the Swaziland Union of Non Academic Staff for Higher Institutions (SUNASHI) to the NAWUSHI and other constitutional changes that went with the name change. The name change signalled changes in the scope of organising for NAWUSHI, going from organising non-academic to organising all workers in tertiary institutions indiscriminately.

NAWUSHI now boasts of members in all categories of employment including  academic, technical and general workers of tertiary education institutions in around eight tertiary institutions in the country, a dominant position in the sector

Comrade Sikelela is making a second bite to the position of president of NAWUSHI albeit under completely changed circumstances wherein he now simultaneously serves as a trustee at federation (TUCOSWA)  level, having been elected in the last elective congress of  TUCOSWA in November 2021. This could be an indication that his influence within the trade union movement has grown exponentially in the period.

Comrade Sikelela making the closing address to the NAWUSHI Conference on Saturday 25th March 2022 at eSibayeni Lodge in Matsapha.

Comrade Sikelela and his NEC are facing a sector hit hard by COVID-19 related austerity wherein employers (tertiary institutions) are looking for all manner of excuses to apply cost cutting measures, including cutting on workers wages, benefits and to curtail hiring. On the other hand workers are facing the worst price increases in basic food items and are likely to understandably demand for higher increases in salaries and wages in negotiations. 

All in all it could be a volatile collective bargaining year.





Comments

  1. UnknownMarch 28, 2022 at 2:31 AM

    Congratulations to the newly elected Comrades. Definitely, they have surmounted and the NAWUSHI membership have demonstrated their trust in them to further their mandate as they take the union to greater heights. ALUTA CONTINUA!!

    ReplyDelete

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