Swaziland fires striking teachers

Mbabane - The Swazi government has fired 110 teachers who ignored a court order forcing them to end a five-week strike which shut down schools across the country, media reported on Thursday.

The dismissal came after the teachers ignored a court order to end the strike.

"They have been fired with immediate effect," Education Minister Wilson Ntshangase told The Times of Swaziland.

Teachers in this impoverished absolute monarchy have not had a pay increase since 2010 as King Mswati III's government battles to finance its massive public wage bill.

They are demanding a 4.5% salary increase. Nurses also joined in the strike but have since returned to work.

Ntshangase said traditional chiefs and headmen had been roped in to monitor schools and report teachers who do not report for duty.

"Chiefs are now reporting teachers who do not teach. My advice to teachers is that they return to class," he said.


The International Monetary Fund has urged the government to slash its public wage bill as the economy stagnates, but has pulled its team from the country after the kingdom made no progress on reforms.


Some of the country's 14 000 teachers who joined the strike have had their salaries slashed and received only $4 for their last paycheck.


Teachers point to a 30% increase lawmakers awarded themselves in 2010.

"If you've paid yourself so much, why can't you pay them?" asked Mazibuko.

"The politicians' kids are outside the country. The king's children are outside the country."

"They will not invest in educating kids for the poor," she said.

Public servants also blame the lavish lifestyle of Mswati and his 13 wives. Forbes magazine rates him as among the world's 15 richest royals, keeping each wife in her own palace.

This week opposition groups claimed three of the queens and an entourage of 66 would travel to Las Vegas for a holiday.

The lawmakers' big paychecks "could be contributing towards the hefty salary bill that we have," Simelane said. "If it is not (withdrawn) amid the outcry... discontent will be very rife."

About 60% of the tiny country's 1.1 million people live on less than $2 a day. The UN World Food Programme says one-fifth of the country experienced food shortages this year.