MBABANE – Tensions are mounting within Cabinet as Minister of Education and Training Owen Nxumalo finds himself at odds with Prime Minister Russell Dlamini over a series of high profile policy disputes, ranging from the proposed privatisation of Bahá’í mission schools to the stalled SADC University of Transformation project.
Nxumalo, once viewed by insiders as one of the prime minister’s close allies in the early days of the administration, has increasingly taken positions that place him in open disagreement with the head of government. What began as quiet differences behind closed doors has gradually played out in court papers and on the floor of Parliament.
The rift first surfaced publicly during the legal battle over the attempted privatisation of Bahá’í mission schools. Nxumalo allowed the process to proceed, maintaining that he had consulted Cabinet before doing so. 
However, in an affidavit filed before the High Court, the prime minister rejected that account. He stated that the matter had neither been presented to nor resolved by Cabinet, and that any claim of Cabinet approval had no basis. He warned that permitting the privatisation of mission schools could destabilise the education system and compromise access to learning for thousands of pupils across the country.
The prime minister further stated that no Cabinet resolution supported such a move and that decisions of that magnitude fall under the authority of technical structures within the ministry rather than unilateral ministerial action.
Following the court exchange, relations between the two appeared to cool. Nxumalo later aligned himself with ICT Minister Savannah Maziya during parliamentary debates concerning the Royal Science and Technology Park.
As Maziya raised concerns in Parliament over delays and bottlenecks, including the role of the prime minister’s office in the delayed appointment of a substantive chief executive officer, Nxumalo’s contributions suggested that frustrations within Cabinet were not isolated.
The education minister has also expressed concern over the rollout of the Grade 0 early childhood education programme. Addressing Parliament, he warned that internal political dynamics were threatening progress.
“Egos are at play here,” he said.
Although he did not name any individual, the statement was widely interpreted within political circles as a reflection of deeper Cabinet divisions.
The most recent flashpoint centres on the SADC University of Transformation project, which has faced repeated delays. Appearing before both Houses of Parliament, Nxumalo insisted that the initiative falls squarely under the Ministry of Education and Training in terms of legal mandate and institutional capacity.
“We are and have been ready to deal with the issue of the SADC University, but it should come back to the rightful ministry,” he said.
His stance contrasts with the approach taken by the prime minister’s office, which has overseen the project as a cross government undertaking. The disagreement has extended beyond the Executive, with the House of Assembly Finance Committee removing E8.75 million that had been allocated to the project.
