Mbabane: Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) have come out to set the record straight on allegations levelled against them by the Minister of Education and Training Lady Howard Mabuza on leaked information.
On May 6, 2020 in one of the local newspapers, Mabuza said the 15 demands tabled by SNAT were government’s work in progress plan, so someone could have leaked the information to SNAT, hence now SNAT presented as theirs. That followed that on May 4, SNAT presented 15 demands to government to meet before considering to open schools. These demands include disinfecting all the 970 schools (Primary and High Schools) and the 30 tertiary institutions (public and private) before opening them for continuation of the academic calendar that has already been crippled by the coronavirus pandemic.
Another demand was that the government should deploy nurses in the learning institutions so to conduct massive testing for teachers and students upon arrival at the schools. The demands did not go down well with government, thus alleging that this was their idea which they were on working on to implement before opening schools.
Through a statement issued by SNAT General Secretary, Sikelela Dlamini, SNAT is refuted the allegations by the minister, saying that SNAT imitated the suggested requirements from her ministry was an Insult to the intelligence of the 14 000 teachers who are members of the association country-wide.
Dlamini said SNAT has not been part and parcel of the deliberations of the Education Sector Team (SMT), hence there is no way SNAT could have got the information from the ministry but this act by the minister suggest that she(Mabuza) does not trust the SMT with confidential information. The SNAT secretary general labeled the act of the minister as an irritational and undermining the Labour laws of the country. Dlamini went on to say, Mabuza who is a Member of Parliament from Mafutseni constituency is not a member of the SNAT but rather a member of the Swaziland Principals Association (SWAPA) which is legally registered but not recognized. Mabuza is therefore trying to recognize SWAPA by including them (SWAPA) in all consultative meetings held at the ministry.
Minister Mabuza, before being elected to be the MP and appointment to Cabinet was the Principal for one the schools in the kingdom. “The stinking attitude that the Mafutseni MP has towards SNAT cannot water down efforts to represent interest of our members” reads the statement.
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