Mbabane – The Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) allegedly pays E413,028 per annum as a subscription to the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA).
This was revealed amid a public spat between The SNAT Platform Editor, Mxolisi Ngcamphalala, and TUCOSWA Treasurer, Thabile Zwane, following SNAT’s announcement that it had received E300,000 sponsorship from Pick n Pay for the upcoming Teachers’ Day Commemoration scheduled for Friday.
Zwane took to Facebook to throw a jab at the teachers’ union, writing: “Nitsi nasenicedze kudla lemali yetinkhundla nibuye nitosho ngubani ke lolotsengisako,” which loosely translates to, “After getting funding from Tinkhundla system allies, you should come back and explain who the sell-out really is.”
Her comment appeared to reference recent accusations by SNAT Secretary General, Lot Vilakati, who has repeatedly labelled TUCOSWA leaders as “sell-outs” allegedly colluding with the employers behind workers’ backs, a move they labelled to be anti-trade unions.
Vilakati’s remarks have since landed him in legal trouble, as TUCOSWA General Secretary, Mduduzi Gina, has filed a defamation lawsuit against him, demanding E500,000 in damages for defamation of character.
In response to Zwane’s post, Ngcamphalala shared a screenshot and wrote: “Immediately after the E300,000.00 sponsorship from Pick n Pay towards the 2025 Teachers’ Day Commemoration, the TUCOSWA Treasurer Ms. Thabile Zwane had this to say on same. The SNAT pays E413,028.00 per annum as a subscription to the Federation.”
The disclosure of this figure shocked many SNAT members, who questioned why the union pays such a hefty subscription fee to TUCOSWA and what tangible benefits they receive in return.
TUCOSWA serves as the umbrella body for all trade unions in Eswatini, representing workers from private, public, and semi-public sectors.
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