July 2024 – Education International (EI) has initiated a petition on the LabourStart trade union platform to support the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT), their local affiliate. EI urged the Eswatini Teaching Service Commission (TSC) to acknowledge SNAT as a partner in social dialogue, reinstate SNAT President Mbongwa Dlamini to his teaching position, and settle his overdue salary as mandated by the court.
For many years, the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT), along with its President Mbongwa Dlamini and General Secretary Lot Mduduzi Vilakati, have been targeted by the authorities in Eswatini. In June 2024, the International Labour Conference expressed “deep concern over the deteriorating state of public order and its negative impact on trade union rights in Eswatini, along with a culture of impunity for crimes against trade unionists.”
EI will continue to advocate for the respect basic human and trade union rights of SNAT leaders and members and for the introduction of democratic governance in Eswatini.