A Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Computer Science Education graduate from the University of Eswatini (UNESWA) has allegedly been fired from her job for attending her graduation.
Sebenele Dlamini was amongst the thousands of graduates honoured at the 43rd UNESWA graduation ceremony on Saturday, which was graced by His Majesty King Mswati III.
Dlamini had been working at Let Us Repair, an Asian-owned business located at the Matsapha Lifestyle Centre, for just two months. She claims her dismissal came shortly after attending the ceremony, despite having requested time off earlier in the week.
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Dlamini claimed that she approached her employer on Tuesday to request time off for Friday and Saturday so that she could prepare for and attend her graduation, as well as a thanksgiving celebration organised by her family.
According to her, the employer responded that a final decision would be made on Friday, noting that he might be unavailable during those days, implying she would be expected at work.
“On Friday, I followed up to get a clear answer, only to be told I had to report for duty because my boss wouldn’t be around. He said if I chose to attend the graduation, I should consider myself no longer employed at the shop,” she alleged.
Despite being warned not to attend, Dlamini chose to go to her graduation.
She described it as a once-in-a-lifetime milestone that held deep personal significance.
Related: King to UNESWA graduates: ‘Be patient amid job market challenges’
“I later received a call from another boss asking where I was, since I had been told not to attend. I told him I couldn’t miss the graduation ceremony as it was important to me and only happens once,” she said.
Following that conversation, Dlamini was informed that she had ‘made her choice’ and should not return to work. When she went back to her workplace the next day, she was paid E700 for the nine days she had worked for October and also told that her services were no longer required. “I was earning E1 900 a month. Now that I have lost my job, I honestly don’t know what to do. Iam actively looking for any available employment. At the shop, we were allowed just two off-days a month and could only take time off for medical reasons,” she added.
Let Us Repair Director Abu Sufyani confirmed that Dlamini had been told her presence was required over the weekend to help manage the shop. “I was genuinely happy for her, graduating is a great achievement, even for my business. But she chose her graduation ceremony over her job, and there was nothing more I could do.
I hired her to support the business, and if that’s no longer happening, I have to let her go,” he said. Sufyani said he held no ill feelings towards Dlamini and had even compensated her with additional pay for the days she worked.
He explained that her absence would have left the shop in the hands of inexperienced staff, potentially disrupting operations. “The other workers are still not familiar with how things run, which is why she couldn’t be off that day. It would have been understandable if she were sick,” he added.
Minister of Labour and Social Security Phila Buthelezi criticised the employer’s actions, saying they were procedurally flawed. He emphasised that dismissing an employee without following proper channels violated labour laws. “An employee cannot just be fired. They must first be taken through a disciplinary hearing.” He stressed that any issue warranting disciplinary action should begin with a formal warning and be handled through established legal processes.
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