THE Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) has resolved to pay its outgoing president Mbongwa Dlamini his full salary until he is formally reinstated as a teacher by the Teaching Service Commission (TSC).
SNAT Secretary General Lot Vilakati disclosed that the union had taken the decision to ensure Dlamini continued receiving an income while awaiting his official return to government payroll.
According to Vilakati the reinstatement would also enable Dlamini, aged 50, to continue in the teaching service until he reaches the retirement age of 60, when he would become eligible for his pension.
He added that should Dlamini encounter difficulties accessing his pension upon retirement, SNAT would continue paying him the pension benefits he would otherwise have been entitled to receive from government. The decision comes amid a protracted legal battle between Dlamini and the TSC following his dismissal from the teaching service in August, 2023, a decision that was subsequently overturned by the courts.
Dlamini’s troubles with the employer dated back to disciplinary proceedings in which he faced allegations of misconduct, including absenteeism and making statements that allegedly undermined the teaching service. In a letter dated October 5, 2022, Schools Manager Lungelo Nhlengethwa accused Dlamini of being absent from work without permission from his immediate supervisor for 109 days between December, 2021 and October, 2022.
At the time, Dlamini was teaching at Moyeni High School, where he had started working in October, 2021 after spending two years and four months on suspension while stationed at Mhubhe High School.
In the letter, Nhlengethwa alleged that Dlamini’s absence from duty had negatively affected teaching and learning at the school, particularly among pupils who were supposed to receive instruction from him. He was further accused of disregarding the authority of his immediate supervisor by allegedly staying away from work without permission.
Dlamini was consequently directed to provide written reasons why disciplinary action should not be taken against him. He was also asked to explain why he should not be required to repay government the salaries he had allegedly received during periods when he was absent from duty. The absenteeism allegations followed an earlier notice of misconduct issued by the office of the schools manager on August 9, 2022, in which three complaints were levelled against him.
One of the allegations concerned a video announcement Dlamini allegedly circulated through SNAT and Swaziland News Facebook platforms, in which he reportedly urged teachers not to report for work on August 8, 2022.
The complaint alleged that the announcement contravened Section 15(1) (a) of the TSC Regulations of 1983. He was also accused of violating Section 15(1) (g) of the regulations by allegedly bringing the teaching service into disrepute through the announcement.
Another wrongdoing was that Dlamini allegedly failed to retract his statement after senior government officials had indicated that work would continue as normal on the day in question, thus contravening Section 15(1) (i) of the same regulations. The disciplinary process culminated in Dlamini’s dismissal in August, 2023, after the TSC proceeded with the hearing in his absence.
According to the court proceedings, Dlamini’s lawyer, Lucky Howe, had encountered personal challenges following the death of his sister and sought a postponement of the proceedings scheduled for August 23, 2023. TSC allegedly declined the postponement request and proceeded with the disciplinary process without Dlamini and his legal representative, ultimately terminating his employment. Aggrieved by the decision, Dlamini approached the Industrial Court, which ruled in his favour and set aside the dismissal.
The court found that the TSC had failed to exercise its discretion judicially when it refused to postpone the proceedings, despite the exceptional circumstances affecting Dlamini’s lawyer.
It held that the decision to terminate Dlamini’s employment, communicated orally in August, 2023 and subsequently confirmed in writing in November of the same year, was null and void. The court further ordered that the disciplinary proceedings against Dlamini commence de novo, meaning they had to start afresh.
Dissatisfied with the Industrial Court’s decision, TSC, through Chairman Dr Amos Mahlalela, approached the High Court seeking a review of the ruling. The commission argued that the Industrial Court lacked jurisdiction because the mandatory pre-litigation procedures provided for under Part VIII of the Industrial Relations Act of 2000 had allegedly not been followed.
The TSC also contended that Dlamini had deliberately delayed the disciplinary process by repeatedly seeking postponements and failing to attend proceedings.
However, High Court Judge Zonke Magagula upheld the Industrial Court’s decision to set aside Dlamini’s dismissal. In August, 2025, the High Court ruling cleared the way for Dlamini’s reinstatement at Moyeni High School.
Despite the court’s decision, however, Dlamini has yet to resume his teaching duties at the institution.
The delay has reportedly been attributed to the TSC’s alleged failure to issue a formal instrument notifying Moyeni High School of Dlamini’s reinstatement. When Dlamini reported to the school on August 4, 2025, intending to resume his duties, he was allegedly informed by the Headteacher Sabelo Manyatsi that he could not return to work without an official reinstatement instrument from the commission.
Consequently, despite the court rulings in his favour, Dlamini remains outside the classroom while awaiting the administrative step that would formally restore him to his teaching position.
Outgoing NEC continues until…
THE outgoing National Executive Committee (NEC) of SNAT will continue managing the affairs of the union until October 26, despite the election of a new leadership.
SNAT Secretary General Lot Vilakati said the outgoing committee would remain at the helm until the official handover of power to the newly elected NEC.
According to Vilakati, the union will host a formal handover ceremony, during which the incoming leadership will officially assume its responsibilities.
He explained that the election of the new committee did not immediately transfer the administration of the union. The development follows a change of leadership at SNAT, with former Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA) second deputy secretary general Sikelela ‘Mlaba’ Dlamini elected as the union’s new President.
Dlamini emerged victorious during the union’s 2026 Annual Conference, held at Esibayeni Lodge in Matsapha on September 28-30, under the theme, ‘Empowering Union Members to Deepen, Defend and Advance Workers’ Collective Bargaining.’
He takes over from Mbongwa Ernest Dlamini, who served two consecutive terms as SNAT president, from 2018 to 2022 and again from 2022 to 2026.
Meanwhile, Vilakati retained his position as Secretary General after being re-elected unopposed, while Deputy Secretary General Mxolisi Ngcamphalala also secured another term without facing opposition.
