SNAT REPORTS 25 MISCONDUCT CASES AGAINST TSC

MANZINI - A total of 25 teachers have laid claims of professional misconduct and corruption purported to have taken place at TSC.

The TSC is the Teaching Service Commission, which is responsible for making appointments (including promotions and transfers) and selection of candidates for appointment, confirmation of appointments, termination of appointments, disciplinary control and removal of teachers from office, among many functions.

In fact, the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) has reported the 25 cases to the Minister of Education and Training, Lady Mabuza and Principal Secretary Bertram Stewart.

This was disclosed by the teachers’ union Secretary General Sikelela Dlamini, in a statement which he issued yesterday. He said the number of cases was expected to increase as more teachers were bound to come forward with evidence pertaining to the suspected professional misconduct and corruption. 

An investigation that was conducted by this publication found that some of the cases of alleged professional misconduct and corruption include money for jobs, promotions, transfers and sexual abuse. 

Evidence 

The investigations also uncovered that SNAT was currently collecting available evidence about the so-called professional misconduct and corruption cases. In fact, an insider revealed that in some of the alleged cases, the teachers union was getting evidence like money transfers.

It should be noted that all the claims by the teachers’ union remain allegations as no one has been charged for any wrongdoing.

Dlamini said as a national executive committee (NEC) of the teachers’ union, they found it worthwhile to update the general membership, in particular, and the nation at large about the latest developments on the purported professional misconduct and corruption that was said to be taking place within the TSC.

He said the SNAT NEC met the minister and the PS on September 18, 2020 over the matter. The unionist said the meeting was held as a follow-up to a letter that the SNAT NEC wrote to the PS on August 27, 2020.

“We presented 25 cases of alleged professional misconduct and corruption. The cases were  submitted to SNAT by affected teachers,” the secretary general said.

In that meeting, SNAT also learnt that the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) had also started investigating the alleged corrupt practices by certain officers in the TSC. 

Furthermore, he said, as an association they were gravely concerned about the conduct of officers within the TSC. 

“For the record, it must be known that among the 25 cases that SNAT presented, there are those that point directly to officers who are holding high offices within the commission,” Dlamini claimed. 

He advised the officers in question to sit back and concentrate on the turbulence that could affect them. Certain elements relating to the statement issued by SNAT will not be published as they form part of serious allegations that have not been proven.

Of particular note, the secretary general said, was the realisation that such allegations of professional misconduct and corruption had made the office of the TSC chairman to be very resourceful in terms of how the different departments in the Ministry of Education and Training should operate in an ideal situation. 

“However, it is a misfortune that such educational information comes out for the first time in 10 years,” he said.

Justice 

Thereafter, he said as SNAT, they assured their members and the nation that in their impartial pursuit of justice, they faced neither left nor right, but forward. 

The unionist said the SNAT vehicle had no reverse gear and they had already crossed the point of no return in this regard. 

“We are only making a small contribution as an organisation, sisaphonsa litje esivivaneni ngekulungisa the country in the manner that we do,” he said. 

On another note, the secretary general invited all teachers who had evidence of corruption to approach his office, either personally, electronically and or telephonically. He said they were preparing for an offensive approach to the allegations and their ballistic missiles were ready for commissioning.  He then applauded the members who had taken the courage to come forward with such cases. He said the advice that had been given by some officers within the TSC that the affected educators should report the alleged purported cases of professional misconduct and corruption to the ACC or police was misguided. He said no one from the commission had a right to direct their members in terms of what they should do. He said they were responsible for their own course as SNAT.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: