He stressed that this migration towards more developed countries poses a significant threat to the teaching profession within the country and should be addressed immediately. "We are worried as the bloc of the Southern region of Africa. There is an exodus of teachers which we expect every government to frown upon. We do not expect any government to support the exodus of teachers," stated Dlamini. He emphasised that the teaching profession plays a pivotal role in the early development of individuals and contributes significantly to the nation's progress, demanding that it be held in high esteem. The widespread departure of educators from the region, according to Dlamini, undermines the development of both the individual countries and the entire Southern African region. Dlamini shared these thoughts during the formal inauguration of the SATO Solidarity Games, which took place on Friday. This year's iteration of the games carried the theme 'Building a Strong, Unified, and Progressive Workers' Union to Decolonise Education'. The SATO Solidarity Games spanned from Friday to Saturday. Dlamini also highlighted the urgent need to decolonise the education systems across the region, noting that this step would help safeguard teachers from being lured away. "We have observed as SATO that there is a need to decolonise education in the region.
This is because we understand that we need to usher in education that is relevant to our citizens. The West can take our teachers because they have even colonised our education, we are still relevant to them more than we are to us. The more we become relevant to us we are not going to fit in their education, so there we will be no need for them to take teachers in Africa and Southern Africa to be in particular," he expressed. The Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Anna Mokgethi, warmly welcomed the SATO initiative commending its role in providing a platform for labour movements to exchange insights and experiences across their respective countries, thus nurturing shared wisdom. "It's through engaging labour movements, who safeguard their members' rights, that governments worldwide can effectively address labour-related concerns. The inclusive labour policies and regulations that we value in our countries stem from the harmonious collaboration between governments and trade unions," Mokgethi asserted. Representatives from Lesotho, Eswatini, Namibia, Mozambique, Zambia, Angola, and South Africa convened at the Mogoditshane Senior School for the 2023 SATO Solidarity event.
