Swaziland Govt launches fund to help workers laid-off by coronavirus lockdown

The Swaziland (eSwatini) Government has announced a E25 million (US$1.5 million) fund to help people laid-off from jobs because of the present coronavirus lockdown in the kingdom.

Swazi Prime Minister Ambrose Dlamini announced after reports that tens of thousands of people could lose jobs. The kingdom has been in partial lockdown since 27 March 2020.

Dlamini, in a statement on Friday (5 June 2020) said the Ministry of Labour and Social Security would in due course announce details of the fund.

He added that the government would also put forward legislation to introduce an Unemployment Insurance Fund to protect people after they had lost jobs.

Dlamini announced that a number of businesses including manufacturers, distributors and wholesalers of alcohol would be allowed to reopen from 15 June under strict health and hygiene conditions. 

He warned, ‘Any business which, on inspection, will be found to be in violation of the permitted conditions will be immediately closed.’

He said people were still expected to stay at home and only move when necessary as the lockdown continued.

Dlamini said there could be a phased reopening of schools and tertiary institutions from 1 July.

He said, ‘For the objectives of the 2020 academic year to be achieved, we need to allow the current Form 5 learners to progress to tertiary level. To do so they need to sit for their examinations and complete their end of school cycle. 

‘In preparation for the reopening of schools and tertiary institutions, personnel will be trained on COVID-19 prevention and control, and on ways of adapting to the “new normal” while ensuring that teaching and learning continues.’

See also

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Thousands of job lay-offs hit Swaziland as coronavirus lockdown continues

About 9,000 people in Swaziland (eSwatini) are about to lose their jobs because of the coronavirus lockdown in the kingdom.

Labour Commissioner Mthunzi Shabangu said that 57 companies had applied to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security for permission to lay-off the workers.

He said, ‘It is evident that more people are yet to lose their jobs, because we have been receiving requests through and through.’

By law the companies are required to get permission from the ministry to lay-off workers but Shabangu told the eSwatini Observer that some had done so without notification.

The lay-offs are considered temporary for the duration of the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis but there is no guarantee that workers will get their jobs back. The workers will receive no wages during the lay-offs.

Meanwhile Swazi senators in the portfolio committee complained that a E90 million (US$5.3 million) relief fund set up to give assistance during the coronavirus lockdown was not helping micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME). 

They asked for a meeting with key ministries, including finance, labour and social security, housing and urban development and commerce, industry and trade to discuss possible solutions.

Director of MSME Mluleki Dlamini presented senators with a proposed model for MSME Finance Relief which he said was currently being developed by government.

Elsewhere, the Swazi Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade has closed 52 businesses for failure to observe the partial lockdown regulations. The lockdown began on 27 March 2020.

Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade Manqoba Khumalo said in a statement that some companies deliberately contravened the measures. These included not having protective clothing or sanitisers.

See also

Tens of thousands of jobs at risk in Swaziland as coronavirus pandemic continues

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Coronavirus lockdown costs thousands of jobs in Swaziland, people evicted from homes

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Coronavirus lockdown costs thousands of jobs in Swaziland, people evicted from homes

More than 8,000  people have been laid off from their jobs in Swaziland (eSwatini) because of the coronavirus lockdown presently gripping the kingdom.

The figure, released by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, does not include unknown numbers of people who work for themselves or in the informal economy. The figures only included those firms that had officially informed the ministry. The number out of work is therefore expected to grow.

In a statement released on Monday (4 May 2020) Minister of Labour and Social Security Makhosi Vilakati said 43 companies had laid off a total of 8,429 workers. Of those 8,121 were from six companies in the textile industry. 

Swaziland has been in a partial lockdown since 27 March with only essential services allowed to operate. The laid-off workers are not being paid.

Vilakati said he expected the workers to get their jobs back when the crisis was over.

Meanwhile, the Times of eSwatini reported, the Acting Commissioner of Labour Mthunzi Shabangu said that there were more than 20 companies which had reported that they would be forced to lay off workers because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Shabangu said more than 5,000 workers had been affected to date and that figure might double.

Landlords in the industrial town of Matsapha where many textile firms are based have reportedly evicted tenants from their homes because of non-payment of rent. The eSwatini Observer reported on Monday that people had been seen vacating one-bedroom flats during the weekend.

It reported, ‘Most of those who were moving out made it clear that they could no longer stay in the rented flats because they were in arrears for March and April and landlords were uncompromising when it comes to rent.

‘What makes the situation worse, according to some textile workers, is that they are not sure if they would still have their jobs when the situation normalises.’

One woman told the Observer, ‘I am a textile factory worker and due to the spread of the COVID-19,  we were told to stay home without pay. Things have been hard for me, I can barely put food on the table for my three  children.’

See also

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People face ‘imminent death from hunger’ in Swaziland as coronavirus lockdown hits poorest

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Swaziland Government breaks promise to pay overdue student allowances

The Swaziland (eSwatini) Government has broken its promise to pay tertiary student their living allowances. It is the latest in a string of broken promises.

Students who boycotted classes in protest across the kingdom ruled by King Mswati III as an absolute monarch only returned after the promise of payment was made.

The latest deadline of 10 January 2020 has been missed, meaning students have not been paid for five months. The Swazi Government first gave a deadline for the missed payments of 20 November 2019.

It is mostly first year students from universities and colleges across the kingdom who are affected.

Registration for the second semester started on Monday (13 January 2020).

The Swaziland News, an online newspaper, reported Thulani Mkhaliphi the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security said there were ‘technical challenges’ in making the payments.

Swaziland is in financial meltdown and public services across the kingdom are grinding to a halt because the Government has not paid bills to suppliers. 

The newspaper reported some students had been evicted from their rented flats in Manzini because they were unable to pay rent.

In November 2019 police fired live ammunition and shot a university student with a rubber bullet at the Southern Africa Nazarene University (SANU) in Manzini during class boycotts.

Students across the kingdom were angry that the government failed to keep its promise to pay them their allowances for books, accommodation and other equipment.

See also

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Swaziland students boycott classes as Govt. breaks promise to pay allowances

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Striking Swaziland students win victory in dispute with government

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Swaziland students boycott classes as Govt. breaks promise to pay allowances

Students in Swaziland (eSwatini) boycotted classes and at least one college has been closed after the government failed to honour its promise to pay allowances.

Some students have been without payment for the past two months.

The William Pitcher teacher training college at Manzini was closed down indefinitely, according to a report from the Swaziland Youth Congress.

Students at the Southern Africa Nazarene University at Manzini have also boycotted classes.

The government fails to pay allowances on time most years and boycotts routinely take place. In September 2019 students only agreed to return to classes after the government promised to double their allowances and pay it monthly. No payments have been made in the past two months.

A statement from the SANU student representative council (SRC) said it wanted the immediate release of book, practical and monthly allowances; scholarship for all students admitted at the institution and allowances to be increased to meet students’ economic needs.

SANU SRC Secretary General Colani Khulekani Maseko sustained serious injuries during a confrontation with other non-protesting students and was admitted to the Raleigh Fitkin Memorial Hospital, the Observer on Saturday reported.

It said some students who were not government sponsored wanted to continue with classes. Police were called to SANU after students marched on the university administration.

SANU SRC President Tholumuzi Gubevu Simelane told the newspaper the first day of class boycott was a huge success. ‘The boycott continues until our demands are met,’ he said.

The Swazi News reported Simelane said the students were concerned about government’s inability to uphold its agreement to pay their monthly allowances within a period of 30 days. This was stipulated by a clause contained in the pre-service tertiary education study loan agreement form the students signed in September 2019. 

Simelane said they had not received their allowances for September and October.

In a letter to tertiary institutions the Ministry of Labour and Social Security said payments had been delayed because it did not have all students’ bank details.

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Striking Swaziland students win victory in dispute with government

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Striking Swaziland students win victory in dispute with government

University and college students in Swaziland / eSwatini won a victory over government, forcing it to double their personal allowances.

All tertiary institutions in the kingdom where King Mswati III rules as an absolute monarch were closed after students protests, including strikes, local media reported.

The dispute had been going on for a number of years. Students are also campaigning for scholarships to be made available for all who qualify and want them. There are also concerns about resources. These issues have not been resolved.

The Swazi Observer, a newspaper in effect owned by King Mswati, reported government would raise the E800 personal allowance per month to E1,690. This covers accommodation, food, transport and other personal allowances. The government had said it was broke and could not afford to pay. 

Public services across the kingdom, including health, education and policing are crumbling. The government owes its suppliers about E3 billion (US$215 million). Public servants are due to hold a national strike in a long-running campaign to get cost-of-living salary adjustments. 

Ministry of Labour and Social Security Principal Secretary Thulani Mkhaliphi said this year government supported about 13,000 students through the Students Study Loan Scheme.

See also

Swaziland university closed indefinitely as student protests continue

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2019/08/swaziland-university-closed.html

Limkokwing University, Swaziland, asks High Court to force end to class boycott

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2019/08/limkokwing-university-swaziland-asks.html

Swaziland police hold and ‘torture’ students after protest march on Govt ministry

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