Africa-Press – Eswatini. What started off as a good day of celebrations for the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) ended on a sour note, as leaders ended up being assaulted by unknown people.
On Friday over 11 000 teachers converged in Big Bend to commemorate the 2023 World Teachers Day. The event was proceeding smoothly until unknown people invaded the gathering and started demanding t-shirts, which were meant for members.
Another factor which made things worse was the shortage of food. There were concerns raised by members that the food served by SNAT was not up to standard.
SNAT Secretary General Lot Vilakati released a statement yesterday explaining what transpired during the event.
Vilakati said they saw a huge turnout as numbers were over 11 000. The secretary general said it was unfortunate that the numbers got double and as the numbers swelled, the crisis started.
“We have also learnt that some leaders of branches were insulted and others beaten by some people who are not teachers. These were said to be demanding t-shirts. Shockingly, some of these were not SNAT members. The violence and looting is condemned in the strongest possible terms,” the secretary general stated.
Vilakati appreciated the concerns raised by members about the event, saying the National Executive Committee (NEC) did all it could to ensure smooth operations. The secretary general apologised for the food shortage, saying the contributing factor was the numbers that were submitted by branches for teachers, who supposedly registered.
“It must be noted that branches who came on time for their food received same. The absence of soft drinks was also not what we planned for. Unfortunately, suppliers failed to supply us with the numbers that were required,” Vilakati stated.
On the issue of food, Vilakati said the NEC appreciates the efforts made by all those who committed themselves in assisting the preparation of food. All preparations had been made to ensure that the challenges associated with food were resolved.
Giving a brief background, Vilakati said during the 2022 Teachers Day, there was an outcry on the same matter with certain branches getting food which was viewed to be sub-standard.
“There were calls made by the membership in our platforms to the effect that the food given to teachers should be quality and uniform.
These sentiments were also expressed by our General Council. The NEC took that advice. We had intended to provide a proper meal,” Vilakati stated.
He said notwithstanding, unforeseen challenges obstructed their aspirations. According to the secretary general, the major challenge that they had was minimal human resource to assist in the preparations and this resulted in them failing to finish cooking on time.
“Due to the shortage of manpower in the cooking department, the cookers who were engaged by the SNAT NEC were overwhelmed by the number of teachers in attendance. This led to a deviation from the original plan of a braai, thus resorting to mix with stew to save the situation,” Vilakati stated.
He went on to explain that the meat was not all utilized-due to lack of manpower, saying there were leftovers.
For More News And Analysis About Eswatini Follow Africa-Press
