SNAT President and other Eswatini trade unionists face the
brunt of state brutality
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The
popular call for democracy stands in sharp contrast with the current Eswatini
political (Tinkhundla) set up where the rights of the citizens to pursue their
political interests through political parties, for instance, are not permitted.
Instead the monarch enjoys overwhelming powers and control as he appoints the
cabinet, the judiciary as well as significant sections of the legislature.
The
trade union movement led by the federation, the Trade Union Congress of
Swaziland (TUCOSWA) as well as affiliate trade unions such as the teacher’s
union the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) are amongst several
civil society organisations that continue to water the tree of the popular call
for democracy through mass mobilisation.
In
response the government engaged in high gear of reprisal manoeuvres, firstly,
targeting leaders such as the SNAT President Mbongwa Dlamini as well as leaders
such as Sticks Nkambule the Secretary General of the Swaziland Transport,
Communications and Allied Workers Union (SWATCAWU) and leaders such as the
Secretary General of the Amalgamated Trade Union of Swaziland (ATUSWA) whose
house was burnt by suspected state agents when he led workers on a strike
action in May 2022.
In
the first set of charges the government claims that President Mbongwa’s issuance
of a precaution to teachers against reporting to work on 29th June
2022 ,for their own safety, constituted amongst others, hatred or contempt
toward the Government of Eswatini and brought the teaching service into
disrepute.
The
29th June 2022 marked a year since the same period in 2021 when the Eswatini
Government had unleashed its armed forces’ deadly force upon activists seeking
political change. To commemorate the one year anniversary, a national mass stay
away had been announced by the popular movement for democracy. In the lead up
to the 29th of June an anonymous a voice note (from someone who
calls themselves as the commander) had circulated on social media mobilising
for the observation of the 29th June stay away and further threatening
that violence would be meted workers (specifically named teachers) who dared
report to work on the day.
In
reaction to the commander’s voice note President Mbongwa, as well as fellow
trade unions in the public sector, invoked the Health and Safety Act (2001)
legislation which (on Section18) offers protection from victimisation for
employees if they ‘remove themselves from workplaces where there is reasonable
justification to believe that there would be imminent danger to the safety and
health of the employee’.
Despite the government desperately giving security assurances, allaying fears that any violence could be metered against anyone who goes to work on the day and basically encouraging that the call for a stay away to be ignored, the June 29th stay away became a resounding success. The country was brought to a complete nationwide stand still on the day and especially government operations were especially ground to a complete halt. The two Eswatini major dailies, the Eswatini Observer and the Times of Eswatini both lead with headlines, “Public Stays at Home” and “June 29, Government, Progressives claim victory” respectively. The government was left licking its wounds.
In
the aftermath of June 29, not only was President Mbongwa charged but he was
also harassed by the state security apparatus by none other but the Commissioner
General (CG) of the Police. The CG, through a widely circulated recorded phone conversation
between the two, was heard instructing President Mbongwa to report to the
police headquarters for interrogation for his act of cautioning his
constituency to prioritise their safety on 29th June.
On
top of the August charges, in October 2022 more charges were slapped against
President Mbongwa , this time for being absent from duty for one hundred and
nine (109) consecutive days without permission from the employer. Further as
from November 2022, the government began withholding his salary.
The
disciplinary panel started their sittings in late November 2022 while
simultaneously the SNAT challenged the act of withholding the President
Mbongwa’s salary in the industrial court.
In
both instances outcomes are still not clear possibly because it seems that President
Mbongwa has had to go underground ,for his safety, as from late 2022 and in
March 2023 he has not surfaced publicly and there are chances that he may have
escaped to exile into neighbouring South Africa.
All these were taking
place in a busy political year for President Mbongwa and the SNAT who held a
successful elective congress on 28th - 30th September 2022. In this congress President Mbongwa
was re-elected as president unopposed and with a very strong popular mandate.
Such popular support within and outside the SNAT has also translated into
strong mass support for him as the government tightens the noose around him.
Picture: A poster created by the South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) in support of President Mbongwa of SNAT
Internationally organisations such as the South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU), the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) and the global federation for teachers unions, the Education International (EI) have all displayed unwavering solidarity to President Mbongwa as well as the SNAT.
We
stand in Solidarity with President Mbongwa.
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