Teachers in Swaziland are to march on the Ministry of
Education tomorrow (3 August 2012) to demand the reinstatement of 110 teachers
who were sacked by the government for taking part in a pay strike.
The Swazi Ministry of Education made good on its threat
to sack teachers if they did not stop their five-week old strike and return to
work.
Members of the Swaziland National association of Teachers
(SNAT) are defying orders to return to work and the strike is continuing. They
are seeking a 4.5 percent pay rise.
In the past month peacefully-protesting teachers have endured
teargas, rubber bullets and baton charges from police and state forces in the
kingdom ruled by King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch.
The government is now sending local chiefs and headmen
into schools to spy on teachers. They are required to report names of teachers
who are not working normally.
Wilson Ntshangase, the Minister of Education, told local media that so far 110 teachers have been fired for not teaching between Monday
and Tuesday. The figure is expected to rise as information is collected about Wednesday.
Ntshangase said a pool of newly-qualified teachers was ready to take over the classes
of the sacked teachers.
See also
POLICE ON STREETS AS STRIKE GOES ON
TROOPS ON STANDBY TO BREAK STRIKE
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