WE INTERVIEWED COMRADE NCAMSILE DLAMINI TUCOSWA WOMEN’S COMMITTEE'S 1ST DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON

                                                     

 Comrade Ncamisile Dlamini ,TUCOSWA  Women Committee's 1st Deputy Chairperson and ATUSWA Treasurer General 

In celebration of International Women's Day 2025 and women leaders of the trade union movement the Eswatini Labour Insight (ELI) brings you  an interview with one of the top women leaders in the country Comrade Ncamsile Dlamini. 

Comrade Ncamsile currently serves  as the Treasurer General of the biggest trade union in the manufacturing sector , the Amalgamated Trade Union of Swaziland (ATUSWA). She also simultaneously serves as the 1st Deputy Chairperson of the TUCOSWA Women's Committee.

The textile sector where comrade Ncami works in completely dominated by women labour however even as many victories have been recorded in the past comrade Ncamsile will relate some of the challenges that persist in the sector and which inhibit women from making the necessary progress they need to make socio economically. 

We hope the interview will interest you dear reader.

1.  [Eswatini Labour Insight] Tell us briefly about yourself comrade.

      [Comrade Ncamsile Dlamini] I am Ncamsile Dlamini from Mbelebeleni, Luve in the Manzini Region.

I went to school in Dumisa Primary School and Big Bend High School and Magubheleni High School.

I work at the Textile Factory called the Zheng Yong Garments in Shiselweni  and I reside with my marital family around Nhlangano. 

2. [ELI]Briefly profile your trade union, the category (s) of workers your union organises and briefly profile the sector where your union organises?

     [ND]   I belong to the Amalgamated Trade Union of Swaziland (ATUSWA) and we organise workers in the textile industry, mining industry and other allied industries in the private sector.

3. [ELI] Can you recount your journey in the trade union movement from when you joined as an ordinary member to where you are now as a Deputy Chairperson? 

     [ND] I joined the trade union around 2005 when I started working. Our union at that time was called Swaziland Processing Refinery and Allied Workers Union (SPRAWU) In 2008 I became a shop steward of SPRAWU. In 2012 I served as a Deputy Chair of a branch of SPRAWU.

SPRAWU then merged with the Swaziland Manufacturing and Allied Workers Union (SMAWU) in 2013. I was then elected as branch secretary.

In 2021 during the second congress of ATUSWA I was elected as the Treasurer General.

In the same 2021 I was elected into the TUCOSWA Womens Committee as the 1^st Deputy Chairperson. We are now going towards the end of my first term in the women's committee.

     4. [ELI]Please unpack some of the challenges that you encountered on your trade union journey as well (especially those you encountered as a woman) as well as suggest possible remedies so that other women after you do not face such challenges.

     [ND] To other women in the union I can say that stand firm, believe in yourself and be strong because there are so many challenges being a woman in this space. I also once believed that some of the leadership positions belonged to men. One time I recall while still taking part in branch level ,a male comrade boldly asked me not to stand for the chairperson position but stand in the secretary position as it was more suitable to women.

So men do take advantage of women in the trade unions and women must be strong to withstand this phenomenon.

Pictured above: Comrade Ncamsile standing between the President as well as the Secretary General of ATUSWA in a ATUSWA meeting in Nhlangano. 

5. [ELI] In your sector what kind of jobs are most women employed in? Also generally are they progressing at the workplace, being promoted, afforded training opportunities and added responsibilities as a general observation?

   [ND] Most women in the textile sector are machinists so it is not common that they are promoted. 

Most of the supervisors are men not because they excel at the job but because of sexist tendencies practiced in the industry. The situation now is such that most of the workers are women but when it comes to promotions men get the priority. 

If I can give a rating I can state that there are 20% of men working yet they make 80% of the senior positions.

6. [ELI] Are the socio economic conditions of women in your sector (manufacturing and textile in particular) improving, how are they improving and in what way is the collective bargaining strategy pursued by your union sensitive to women specific issues?

   [ND] Through hard work as ATUSWA I think the conditions are improving. 

As leaders we ensured to include some of the challenges in our collective bargaining demands. Besides the issues around salaries other issues were included including the  socio economic conditions of women such as treatment of women at the workplace, women working under harsh conditions and pregnant women not being accorded due recognition. 

In negotiations and other meetings management we ensured to get them to understand that all work committees need to have both genders in them.

We also convened meetings where workers themselves were educated on their rights. 

7. [ELI] You are the current Deputy Chair in the TUCOSWA Women’s Committee. What do you understand to be the current opportunities and challenges encountered by women at the workplace as well as in the society in which they live?

   [ND] Currently opportunities would be educating more women and given more chances at community level so women participation can start from community level. We need this principle to apply starting from bo Bandlancane where the principle of equal representation needs to apply so that women issues would not be left behind. Women issue representation is still lacking both at community level as much as it  at the workplace.

Pictured Above: Comrade Ncamsile Dlamini

8. [ELI] The theme for the 2024 International Women’s Day is “Inspire Inclusion” and for 2025 the theme is "Accelerate Action". How do you think women should be equipped to ensure that their inclusion is accelerated and fast tracked?

   [ND] In my thinking we need more committees for women so that every gatherings can tackle women concern. Women also need to organise themselves in organisations such as Liphambo Labomake to make women alert of their issues. However I believe that it all needs to start at the community level because there women are still suffering from a low self-esteem because of lack of education and skills.

9. [ELI] What role should women prepare to play to shape the future fully democratic eSwatini and how different do you think a democratic country should approach issues regarding women rights as well as their socio economic progress?

    [ND] The women should play their roles especially the enlightened ones who need to get involved more in their communities ,uplifting and giving other women confidence. This needs to start at family level to the community level and eventually to the workplace.

We need more campaigns to raise the awareness and to use platforms such as social media to spread the message and maintain our dignity as women.

10. [ELI] Siyabonga for your time comrade Ncami.

     [ND] My pleasure comrades.