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MBABANE - The Secretary General (SG) of the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland Mduduzi Gina has observed that the current situation is no longer conducive for workers in the country.
He said the prevailing socio-economic and political situation had become toxic such that workers were unable to exercise their rights of assembly, associate and speak freely.
Gina said the federation noted with serious concern the escalating violation of trade union’s rights to assembly, under the justification of restoring public order and peace. He accused the State security forces of being responsible for undermining the rights of workers. “It has become clear that the country has now been deemed to be in a political state of emergency,” Gina alleged. However, government has repeatedly denied the existence of a state of emergency.
Gina said the army was intimidating and restricting the general movement of citizens. He noted how the workers were first in the receiving end of this inconvenience. He further alleged that though there was no official curfew declared, workers were being harassed and intimidated, while some were shot at by security forces on their way to and from work.
“The working environment has been deliberately made not to be conducive for workers to sustain their livelihoods,” he said. Gina noted that the country was in political crossroads and its future would be determined by the path it would take as well as the timing for embarking on that path. “The political crossroads that we are in, as a country, requires decisive leadership to drive towards the correct direction,” he added. The secretary general added that history had proven that violence in all its forms had never been a solution.
Conflict
“Resolutions of conflict can only be a result of a negotiated settlement. The federation supports any initiative towards a genuine dialogue for the country, to come out of these political woods,” he said.
Meanwhile Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo said the trade union congress was over suspicious about the situation on the ground.
Nxumalo said in the past two weeks, there were allegations that the country was in a political state of emergency. He said these allegations were misleading because government had never at any point announced a state of emergency in the country. He explained that if it were to declare a state of emergency, government would have to follow certain steps, which were mandatory legal requirements.
“This processes cannot be implemented outside the provisions of the law, let alone to be executed under cover. TUCOSWA is being over suspicious about the situation on the ground,” he added. He explained that in any case, the national security services of the country were tasked with the responsibility to protect the country from territorial integrity at all times. Nxumalo said under these circumstances, they did not need a state of emergency to do so. He highlighted that Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF), in its operations, though classified had a responsibility to conduct vehicle check points (VCP), which they were aptly trained to do.