Eswatini Labour Insight

  TUCOSWA activists during a protest action (file picture) On Monday 14 th November 2022 the newly appointed Prime Minister Mr Russell M Dlamini announced the appointment of cabinet ministers who he would be leading the 12 th Eswatini’s administration with. The ministers ranged from familiar faces in the form of Neal Rijkenberg, Pholile Shakantu, Prince Simelane, Princess Lindiwe, Mancoba Khumalo, Thuli Dladla , Phila Buthelezi, Chief Ndlaluhlaza Ndwandwe, Mabulala Maseko and Thambo Gina. There are also new faces such as Apollo Maphalala, Skhumbuzo Dlamini, Mduduzi Matsebula, Mandla Tshawuke, Bongani Nzima, Savannah Maziya, Jane Mkhonta and Prince Lonkhokhela and not so new faces like Owen Nxumalo a former Minister of Public Service who makes a return after being absent for a five year term. The most anticipated appointed ministerial appointment as far as workers are concerned ofcourse is the Minister of Labour and Social Welfare who this time around happened to be Phila Buthel...

  Pictured: Phila Buthelezi , Minister of Labour and Social Welfare. (Picture Credit: Eswatini Government) Matsanjeni North Member of Parliament Phila Buthelezi has been reappointed as the Minister of Labour and Social Welfare in the 12 th administration headed by Prime Minister Russel Dlamini. Buthelezi served in the same portfolio in the previous (11th) administration headed by Cleopas Dlamini having replaced the late Makhosi Vilakati who passed away during the COVID-19 period. Minister Vilakati had been appointed in 2018 at the inception of the 11 th administration and before his appointment into the cabinet Mr Buthelezi was serving as the Deputy Speaker of the 11th parliament. Other notable figures in the  20 individuals (inclusive of the Prime Minister Russel)  cabinet include the former social security fund ,the Eswatini National Provident Fund (ENPF), Chief Executive Officer Prince Lonkhokhela who has been appointed into the Natural Resources Portfolio as wel...

Pictured Above: Prince Lonkhokhela (picture courtesy: ENPF.co.sz) Written by Fundizwi Sikhondze   The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the premier social security scheme in Eswatini the Eswatini National Provident Fund (ENPF) Prince Lonkhokhela has been appointed into Eswatini's Senate by King Mswati III. Prince Lonkhokhela was appointed together with 19 other individuals into the senate including former Finance Minister Neal Rekjernberg and former leader of Swaziland National Association of Civil Servants (SNACS) who lately had focused her efforts in championing minority rights, Stucky Motsa. At the time of his appointment into the Senate Prince Lonkhokhela had served as the CEO of the ENPF for around 20 years. The appointment of Prince Lonkhokhela into Senate comes at a time when the ENPF had engaged in processes to find a replacement CEO since the Prince had reached retirement age and was now being engaged on a renewable contract basis pending the hiring of a new CEO. It is wo...

  Russel Dlamini after being appointed as the Prime Minister of Eswatini (picture credit: Eswatini Government Social Media platforms) On Friday 03 November 2023 the Head of State of Eswatini King Mswati III appointed Russell Mmemo Dlamini as the Prime Minister of Eswatini. Dlamini has been holding the all-important position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at the parastatal, the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) since 2015. Before joining the NDMA Dlamini worked at global NGO World Vision both in Eswatini and in Rwanda where he held positions such as Programmes Development Manager (2003-2005), Director: Quality Assurance (2006 – 2009),Integrated Programmes Director (2009- 2010) and Interim National Director (2010) as well as the Integrated Programmes Director in Rwanda between (2010-2014). Dlamini’s tenure at the NDMA particularly gained national prominence during the COVID-19 period when the agency served as the strategic centre for the containment of the pandemic to ...

Delegates in the UNI Africa Commerce Massmart (Walmart) Alliance posing for a group picture as they met to  strategise on collective bargaining approaches within the Massmart group. (Photo credit: UNI Commerce X Account) Written by Fundizwi Sikhondze - Publishing Editor On the 24 and 27th October 2023 the Secretary General of the Swaziland Commercial and Allied Workers Union (SCAWU) Comrade Philasande Mthethwa joined trade union leaders and activists  from several African countries in Johannesburg under the auspices of UNI Africa Commence. Trade unions engaged in the sessions were from countries including Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa and Zambia. The gathering was spilt into two sessions of two days. The first session served to strategise on collective bargaining and other issues that affect workers who are employed at Massmart/Walmart  across Africa. The second session served as a conference of the UNI Commercial Africa. The conference conduc...

A poster depicting AGOA 2023   (picture credit: sourced online) Written by Fundizwi Sikhondze - Publishing Editor The 20th Africa Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) Forum shall sit from 02 to 04 November 2023 in Johannesburg ,South Africa. The 2023 forum's theme is ," Partnering to Build a Resilient, Sustainable, and Inclusive AGOA to Support Economic Development, Industrialization and Quality Job Creation" a ccording to the AGOA website (agoa.info) . The AGOA forum according to the AGOA site (agoa.info) is a creature of the original AGOA legislation which on section  105  instructs the USA President to convene “ annual high-level meetings between appropriate officials of the United States Government and officials of the governments of sub- Saharan African countries in order to foster close economic ties between the United States and sub-Saharan Africa ”.  The forum's hosting alternates between the USA and the beneficiary African countries. In a press conference ho...

Picture sourced from the internet Written by Fundizwi Sikhondze The raging saga involving the  beneficiaries of the Eswatini Electricity Company Pensions Fund (EECPF), who have been fighting the EECPF in order to get the payment of benefits due to their dependants resumed, has shone the spotlight on the practices of pension funds in the country. This episode has perhaps revealed legislative weaknesses particularly legislation in relation to the protection of pension funds beneficiaries as well as a poor oversight exercised by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) over what can be described as risky practices of pension funds in the country. The background of this particular case is that it appears that Likhwane received funds from the different pension and provident funds and proceeded to invest the funds in investment vehicles such as ESW/Escponet Investment and Lingedla PTY LTD. From these funds, in the case of the EECPF, it appears , Likhwane was expected to facilit...