He began to brush shoulders with Swazi politics sometime in the 1970s during a teachers' strike. All teachers were summoned by his Majesty king Sobhuza II at the royal kraal to express their concerns. On this day, one of the main speakers to speak on behalf of teachers was the late former deputy prime minister Albert Shabangu. Dlamini was not scheduled to speak on that day, but his colleagues requested that he should speak on behalf of them. He spoke with eloquent SiSwati and received widespread cheers from his colleagues for having defended their strike and clearly making the needs of the teachers known. From time to time, Dlamini would serve King Sobhuza II.