DEFIANT GOVT INSTALLS ABSENTEEISM MACHINES

MBABANE – Government is going ahead with plans to install gadgets in schools to monitor teachers’ absenteeism.
This is despite the High Court having ordered government to stop installing the gadgets until proper consultation was done with the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT).

However, the Ministry of Education and Training is said to be imposing the gadgets, known as the Smart Schools System (3S), and is in the process of installing the equipment in six schools.
These schools are namely Salesian High School, Masundvwini High School, Bhunya Usuthu High School, Mazombizwe High School, Mbokojweni Primary School and Ntuthukweni Primary School.
Government’s action has prompted SNAT to run back to court to file an urgent application for an order setting aside the decision to unilaterally impose the new system pending completion of the consultative process.
SNAT Secretary General Zwelethu Mndzebele has informed the court that on March 14, 2018 they wrote a letter making their position clear that the introduction of the mobile software system was premature because the consultations were still underway.

SNAT suspends ADEA
participation

In the letter, Mndzebele informed acting Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Training Sibongile Mtshali that the SNAT National Executive Committee wished to inform her office that SNAT was suspending its participation in the ongoing ADEA (Association for the Development of Education in Africa) activities.

“SNAT had the impression that consultations were still ongoing with key stakeholders. In the case of SNAT, this is the General Council which constitutes branch leaders and all national committees. In our meeting with the ministry officials, we had emphasised consultation with our general council.
“To our dismay, we note that the ministry is proceeding with the process of implementing the programme. To this end, your office is informed that SNAT suspends her participation in this exercise immediately, pending completion of consultations within the association and adoption of same by the teachers’ organisation,” he wrote.

However, the ministry allegedly did not respond to this letter, instead, it decided to go on with the project despite its contemptuous nature.
Mndzebele alleges that this was done yet the ministry had not lodged an appeal against the existing judgment and neither had it filed a review application contesting the legality and or correctness of the judgment.

He therefore asked the court to interdict the ministry from proceeding with the projects as their branches are still discussing the issue and are yet to make their comments and views thereon. The views, Mndzebele said, would be collectively conveyed to the ministry in due course once all of them had taken a position on the issue.

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