Eswatini Labour Insight

An image depicting the EEC. Source Online  Written by Fundizwi Sikhondze The Eswatini Electricity Company (EEC) has made an application of an additional tariff increase of 13.67% over and above the already awarded 7% tariff increase for the 2026/27 financial year. In total the EEC'c application, if successful, will lead to the electricity tariff to be adjusted 20.67% higher on 1st April 2026, the commencement period for the 2026/27 financial year. The application was submitted to the energy regulator, the Eswatini Energy Regulatory Authority (ESERA) around the 29 th December 2025. ESERA is a regulatory authority in the energy sector that was established by the Energy Regulatory Act 2007 to regulate ethe energy industry including the setting of the tariffs.  In their application the EEC indicated that they were encountering difficult conditions, particularly, the costs associated with the importation of energy from South Africa, from Mozambique, from the Southern African P...

  Workers attending the TUCOSWA International Workers Day rally in Bigbend on 1st May 2023 (photo credit: ELI) Written by Fundizwi Sikhondze The year 2026 has arrived and with it are the usual bells and whistles that are a norm with each new year. A new year always presents an opportunity to reflect and trace the steps taken in the previous year with the intention to do better in the new year. If looked into in proper context it is quite evident that the year 2026 will be another where immense challenges will persist and will continue to stand before workers progress. In the midst of the challenges however there are also grand possibilities that major victories may be recorded by workers in their endeavour for better lives.  In this piece some reflections will be made on selected key milestones of year 2025 and then selected projections for 2026 from trade unions will be presented as well. Public service labour market In the year 2025 victories celebrated include the impleme...

  The logo of the CSC (Source:Online) Written by Fundizwi Sikhondze The restructuring process for the Civil Service Commission (CSC) appears to have gained full speed after the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Eswatini introduced a consultant to the CSC to help drive the restructuring work. The Ministry of Public Service and Administration social media page reported on the 19 th December 2025 that the consultant, Ms Sharon Maziya, was introduced or handed over by the UNDP Eswatini to the CSC to commence her duties. Ms Maziya is a human resources expert who according to her LinkedIn profile boasts over 25 years’ experience in leading significant, enterprise-wide change management and holds a Master’s degree in Leadership and Change Management amongst several qualifications. The UNDP Eswatini had posted the advert for an Individual Consultant for the organisational Restructuring of the Civil service on their website ( https://ungm.org ) on 9 th  October 2025. The...

  Pictured above: Derrick Shiba,the Chairperson of the ENPF Board of Directors (Picture credit: Online sources) Written by Fundizwi Sikhondze  The appointment of businessman Derrick Shiba to the position of chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Eswatini National Provident Fund (ENPF) has come under heavy criticism by the social partners, the business and labour federations. The Minister of Labour and Social Security Phila Buthelezi has however put up strong defence by sarcastically asking them to go to court if not satisfied with the decision.  Mr Shiba is otherwise known as the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Inyatsi Group of Companies. He is also known to own and run a Eswatini Premier League football team called Nsingizini Hotspur. The social partners' first reaction to the appointment of the board was to notify Minister Buthelezi of their discontent about the appointment and they also sought a consultative engagement with him regarding the matter. The ...

  SNAT members marching through the streets of Manzini to Mavuso Trade Center Stadium for their Teachers Day Commemoration 2025 (picture credit: The SNAT PLatform). Eswatini educators union the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) hosted their annual World Teachers Day Commemoration at the Mavuso Trade Center in Manzini on Friday 24th October 2025.  The global observance of World Teachers Day takes place on 5th October of each year and internationally organisations such as United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Education International (EI) and International Labour Organisation (ILO) usually announce major campaigns on the day along a stated theme. The 2025 International World Teachers Day theme stated that, "Recasting teaching as a collaborative profession".   The SNAT World Teachers Day featured two sets of programmes, a daytime as well as a nighttime programme. The daytime programme features a march through Manzini c...

  SNAGAP President Dumile Dlamini (L)and SNAT President Mbongwa Dlamini (R) signing the agreement with the Eswatini Government Written by Fundizwi Sikhondze On the early evening of Wednesday 15th October 2025 the Eswatini Government and the Public Services Unions (PSUs) reached an agreement on the implementation of the salary review and jobs grading process. The parties then signed a collective agreement that guided the modalities of the  implementation of the recommendations that had been pronounced out by Emergency Human Consultancy in their report delivered and accepted by the parties. According to the collective agreement the implemented salary review was the Scenario Three (3) of the five (5) implementation scenarios proposed in the salary review and job grading report. Scenario three was described as the one scenario that aimed for the middle round and was characterised to be "making moderate yet impactful adjustment to the current salary structure". The collective agr...

PSU leaders at the JNF (picture credit: The SNAT Platform) After holding marathon meetings from Thursday 9 th to Friday 10 th October 2025 the Joint Negotiations Forum (JNF) parties, namely the Eswatini Government Negotiations Team (GNT)and the Public Service Unions (PSUs) took a break of a few days to allow the two parties to refresh their mandates with their principals.  It is expected that the government negotiations team will consult with the cabinet of ministers on Tuesday 14 th October 2025. In the same vein it is expected that the PSUs will conduct a report back and renewal of mandate process through a Joint General Council of all the PSUs on the same day, Tuesday 14th October 2025. The week that ended on 10th October 2025 was an eventful week for the public service collective bargaining. It swing into high gear from Monday 6th October with a well attended joint public service mass meeting at the SNAT Center in Manzini. In the joint public service mass meeting the salary ...

  Labour and Social Security Minister Phila Buthelezi (left) posing with the Board of Governors Chairperson Mzwandile Dlamini (right) and Executive Director Lomkhosi  Dlamini- Magagula (middle). (Picture courtesy of Ministry of Labour and Social Security social media platforms) Minister of Labour and Social Security Phila Buthelezi, on Friday 10th October 2025,  appointed the Board of Governors of the Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration Commission (CMAC) for a three (3) year term in office.  The CMAC is a key labour market dispute resolution institution established by the principal labour relations legislation in Eswatini ,the Industrial Relations Act (2000 as amended). Section 62 of the IR Act (2000 as amended), titled ,Establishment of the Conciliation ,Mediation and Arbitration Commission (CMAC), provides for the establishment of CMAC as a an independent body corporate.  The functions of the CMAC according to section 64 of the IR (2000 as amended) include ...

Minister Phila Buthelezi  (In traditional regalia) pictured with some of the newly appointed members of the ENPF Board  (picture courtesy of Ministry of Labour and Social Security social media platforms) Written by Fundizwi Sikhondze On Wednesday 08 October 2025 the Minister of Labour and Social Security Phila Buthelezi announced a new board for the Eswatini National Provident Fund (ENPF).The announcement of the new board comes after the lapse of the term of office of the previous ENPF board on 15th September 2025. The previous board was chaired by TUCOSWA Secretary General Mduduzi Gina.  The newly appointed board is chaired by business person and football boss Derrick Shiba as its chairperson. The newly appointed Deputy Chairperson is Business Eswatini's Chief Executive Officer (CEO)  E. Nathi Dlamini. The rest of the newly appointed board members are Tokie Howe (Business Eswatini),Philasande Mthethwa (TUCOSWA),Wander Mkhonza (TUCOSWA) Themba Dlamini (FESBC),Phenduk...

Pictured Above: Singing of struggle songs during the PSUs Joint Mass Meeting at the SNAT Center in Manzini on Monday 6th October 2025 Written by Fundizwi Sikhondze The Joint Mass Meeting of PSUs on Monday 6th October 2025 resolved to host a protest march on the Government of Eswatini to call for the implementation of the salary review and jobs grading report that has been submitted by the joint consultancy of Umelusi and Emergency Consultancies (The Consultant) on Wednesday 8th October 2025. The joint mass meeting of the PSUs first received a report from the Secretariat of the unions on what transpired at the Joint Negotiations Forum (JNF) on Friday 03 October 2025. According to the report the government and the unions were in agreement that the Scenario 3 be utilised to implement the salary review for all public service workers. According to the Secretary General of the Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU) Mayibongwe Masangane, the other four scenarios did not recommend any mone...

  Pictured above: PSUs members at the entrance of the Ministry of Public services in Mbabane in June 2025. Picture by the ELI Written by Fundizwi Sikhondze The Public Services Union leaders have called a mass meeting  for all public services union members or civil servants at the SNAT Center in Manzini on Monday 06 October 2025 at 0900 in the morning. The announcement was made by the PSU leaders on Friday 03 October 2025 in their online report back session after a meeting of the Joint Negotiations Forum (JNF) where they met with the negotiating team of the Government of Eswatini. The PSUs comprise of National Public Service and Allied Workers Union (NAPSAWU), the Swaziland National Government Accounting Personnel (SNAGAP), the  Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) and the Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU).  The mass meeting is expected to receive a report from the leaders of the PSU's on what transpired at the JNF on Friday 03 October 2025, ther...

  Pictured Above: TUCOSWA President Bheki Mamba addressing the SNAT 79th/71st Annual Conference of Delegates The president of the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland ( TUCOSWA ) Comrade Bheki Mamba has called for the unity of all workers in Eswatini . President Mamba made these remarks while addressing the 79th/77th Annual Conference of the teachers union, the  Swaziland National Association of Teachers ( SNAT ) that was held in Matsapha from 26th and 28th September 2025. The conference theme stated, "Strengthening workplace organisation through massive recruitment and deepening class consciousness" The president addressed several issues in his slightly above 30 minute address at the conference including imploring SNAT to use their conference to discuss issues including the Employment Bill 2025 and its implications of the hiring of teachers, the quality of education in Eswatini , harassment and sexual abuse at the workplace ,Employment of teachers on precarious contracts, t...

  NAPSAWU Acting General Secretary Comrade Msimeto Malindzisa (Picture Credit: NAPSAWU Facebook page) Written by Fundizwi Sikhondze On Sunday 21 September 2025 public sector trade union, the National Public Service and Allied Workers Union (NAPSAWU) announced that they would be commencing with nationwide membership consultations on the salary review report on Monday 22 and on Tuesday 23 September 2025.  The announcement was made by the NAPSAWU Acting General Secretary (AGS) Comrade Msimeto Malindzisa on the union’s facebook page. AGS Msimeto announced that they are commencing with the consultations after being contacted by the consultant on Friday 19 th September 2025 whereat the union was given the green light to commence consultations with members on the report . The AGS further announced that each of the four region of Eswatini would host two consultation meetings, at two different towns, one to be held at 10 am and another at 1400hrs on each of the two days. ...

Public Services workers protesting in Mbabane (Credit: File picture) Witten by Fundizwi Sikhondze   The Eswatini Minister for Finance Neal Rijkenberg is suspected to have compromised collective bargaining or negotiations in the public service. The minister made the now controversial remarks on Tuesday 26th August 2025 while conducting what could be seen as a routine interview with state broadcasting channel, the Eswatini Television for their news feature, Market View.  During the interview when the subject of the salary review was broached the Minister expressed fear that financial constraints on the government may make the recommendations difficult to implement. "As a government as you know we have provided half a billion as a pre-emptive budget amount for salary review, To try and find more money in this year's budget will be very very be difficult and so unfortunately if the salary review is showing to be a much higher number we going to have to probably maybe negotiate wit...

  Pictured Above: Ministry of Public Service and Administration Principal Secretary Mthunzi Shabangu (L) receiving the Pre Final Salary Review and Jobs Grading report from Emergency Growth/Umelusi Consulting's Siphephiso Dlamini (R). Picture credit: SNAT Platform. Written by Fundizwi Sikhondze The pre final draft report of the public service Salary Review and Jobs Grading report was released to the participants of Joint Negotiations Forum on Tuesday 9 th September 2025 by the consultancy team, a partnership comprising of Emergency Growth and Umalusi Consultancy. The report was symbolically delivered to the leader of the government negotiations team and Principal Secretary to the Ministry of Public Service and Administration, Mthunzi Shabangu. The Public Sector Unions, namely, National Public Service and Allied Workers Union (NAPSAWU),the Swaziland National Government Accountants Personnel (SNAGAP), Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) and the Swaziland Democratic ...

  PSU leaders at the Ministry of Public Service in Mbabane on 02 July 2025 (Picture Credit: Eswatini Labour Insight) Written by Fundizwi Sikhondze (Eswatini Labour Insight Publisher) The public services workers represented by the Public Services Unions (PSUs) - namely the National Public Services and Allied Workers Union (NAPSAWU), Swaziland National Association of Government Accounting Personnel (SNAGAP), the Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU) and the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) - continue with their wait for the delivery of salary review report by the consultant, a joint venture of Umelusi Consultants and Emergency Growth Consultancy project.  The delays in the release of the report two weeks after the delivery of the draft report on the 15th August 2025 continue to cause tensions between the PSUs and the Eswatini government.  In the JNF that took place on 21st August 2025 the government and the consultant had failed to produce and p...

  Pictured Above: Workers marching to King Sobhuza II Stadium,Nhlangano (File Picture) Written by Fundizwi Sikhondze The Eswatini Parliament through the office of the Clerk to Parliament has released a public notification  informing the public of public hearings for the contentious piece of legislation, the Eswatini National Pension Fund Bill, 2025 (Bill No.13 of 2025). The public public hearing process according to the public notice will be to the portfolio committee of labour and social security as they are currently in the process of reviewing the bills. Further the announcement stated that submissions can be made both in writing and orally. The email for the submission is as follows; elubumbeni2@gmail.com or adminparl@swazi.net The ENPF Bill (2005) is a legislative piece that seeks amongst several objectives to ,establish the Eswatini National Pension Fund (ENPF). to convert the Eswatini National Provident Fund to the Eswatini National Pension Fund, to make provision for...