By Musa Mdluli

MBABANE:Mbongwa Dlamini,the President of the Swaziland National Association of Teachers(SNAT) has labelled Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo a “political activist interfering in labour issues between the union and the employer”.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday after Nxumalo issued a statement,blaming the SNAT Executive for what he described as provoking the police and holding Teaching Service Commission(TSC) Commissioners hostage, the SNAT President said, Alpheous Nxumalo does not feature anywhere, in the matter between him as an employee and, Government as the employer.

Police invaded the Ministry of Education Offices on Tuesday and assaulted Secretary General Lot Vilakati and other Executive members merely for,representing the SNAT President by demanding his outstanding salaries as per the court order defied by the eSwatini Government.

But the Government Spokesperson had, through a press statement, earlier warned SNAT against allowing the organization to be hijacked by political activists, he did mention the names of the political activists hijacking the teachers union.

“The union was at the TSC to engage the employer on behalf of an employee, we don’t regard Government as a political institution in this regard but as an employer. So matters involving an employee are discussed within the premises of the employer. Alpheous Nxumalo is the Spokesperson for Government as a political institution and therefore, he is actually, the political activist interfering in matters between an employer and an employee,” said the SNAT President.

The SNAT President further said, the Government Spokesperson was seeking public sympathy on behalf of the police by accusing Secretary General Lot Vilakati of ‘labelling’ the police officers who assaulted the SNAT Executive members.

“Who would have ‘labelled’ them if they were sitting at the Police Station without disturbing the trade union leaders who were there to represent an employee?”, he wondered.

Dlamini then dismissed the sentiments of the Government Spokesperson who alleged that, “the matter involving him and the TSC is pending before court”.

The SNAT President clarified that, the TSC applied for leave to appeal and there’s no order staying the current court order directing Government to reinstate him and pay all his outstanding salaries.

“Lokusho kutsi basayocela ku-appeala there’s no order staying the current court order ,” he said.