TEACHERS ARRESTED AFTER WEDNESDAY’S PROTEST

MBABANE – Following the march by civil servants to deliver a petition to the Prime Minister’s office on Wednesday, two teachers were arrested and charged for contravening the Public Order Act No.17 of 1963.
They are alleged to have placed big stones on the road to Cabinet offices.

The teachers; Mbongwa Ernest Dlamini and Mcolisi Ngcamphalala were part of the 300 irate civil servants who took part in the march to deliver a petition to government and demanded the salary review report.
Dlamini is a teacher at Mhubhe High School while Ngcamphalala is stationed at Duze Primary School.

The latter is the Chairperson of the Swaziland National Association of Teachers for the Manzini branch while Ngcamphalala is a SNAT member under the Big-Bend Branch.
They were rounded up by members of the Royal Swaziland Police at their respect places of abode on Thursday afternoon. The duo yesterday appeared at the Mbabane Magistrates Court.

It is alleged that they are guilty of contravening Section 11(1) and (c) as read together with Section 11 (2) (b) of the Public Order Act of 1963. “In that upon or about February 3, 2016 near Mbabane, the said accused persons, acting jointly in furtherance of a common purpose did unlawfully placed big stones on the road to the Cabinet of Swaziland offices with intent to or knowing it to be likely that the act will impair the usefulness or efficiency of the road which is used by Government,” reads part of the charge sheet.

During their court appearance yesterday they did not make any plea.
It was after Prosecutor Melusi Lukhele had applied that they be remanded back to custody that their lawyer, Bonginkhosi Xaba, moved an application that they be admitted to bail.

Lukhele told the court that the bail application was not opposed.
The about 300 civil servants, who partook in the march to deliver the petitions to government are reported to have clashed three times with the police as they defied their order of not marching through the city centre.

It was reported by our sister publication the Times of Swaziland that the clashes started after the public sector union’s leaders decided to postpone the delivering of the petition to Prime Minister Sibusiso Dlamini.
They are reported to have assembled at the Prime Minister’s office gate whereat they took a decision that they would march through the city centre to the Coronation Park for further speeches.

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