The Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) is demanding that money stolen by Swazi politicians and hidden in foreign banks should be frozen.
Teachers believe top government officials, including cabinet ministers and high-ranking civil servants, have corruptly amassed money that properly belongs to the Swazi people.
The demand was contained in a petition due to be delivered today (1 June 2011) in Swaziland to the United States embassy, the South African High Commission, Swazi cabinet offices and the Ministry of Finance.
Muzi Mhlanga, SNAT Secretary General, is reported by the Times of Swaziland saying, ‘We want a freeze of the money belonging to certain individuals who steal and hide it in foreign banks that are in countries like Switzerland and the United States.’
The teachers who are staging the first of regular monthly one-day protests are also demanding that the South African and American governments stop supporting the undemocratic Swazi political system, known as Tinkhundla.
‘The Tinkhundla system shouldn’t be supported because of its corruption and mismanagement of funds. We want South Africa and America to help Swaziland democratise. We want a peaceful transition to democracy,’ Mhlanga told the Times.
As the teachers deliver the petitions in today’s scheduled one-day protest, schools are anticipated to close as SNAT expects all its members of be part of the action.
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