Times Of Swaziland: COPS ‘ELECTRO-SHOCK’ MARCHING NURSES

COPS ‘ELECTRO-SHOCK’ MARCHING NURSES
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BY THEMBINKOSI MAVIMBELA on 30/08/2018 08:39:00


MBABANE – Tensions reached beyond boiling point yesterday after police
officers reportedly used tasers on nurses who were ‘walking’ to the
Ministries of Public Service and that of Health, to deliver petitions.
The bone of contention was a dispute about which route they should use as they
went about their mission. Some nurses under the Swaziland Democratic Nurses
Union (SWADNU) claimed that police manhandled and used tasers on them during
their march to the two ministries. The nurses claimed that they were shoved out
of a certain store along Gwamile Street and further assaulted with a taser by a
male officer. They reported their grievance to the Mbabane Police Deputy Station
Commander Amos Dlamini, who had a conversation with the affected nurse. “That
male police officer manhandled me and further used a taser without any
provocation. As a result I had to leave my money with the shop attendant,”
narrated the affected nurse as she pointed at the police officer who allegedly
used the taser on her.
Dlamini later gave her permission to go back to the shop she was referring to
and get her money. This was at a stage when police and those who participated in
the march clashed several times over which route they should use to go to the
ministries.
Police instructed the marchers, who included members of the Swaziland National
Association of Teachers (SNAT), Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA) and
the Swaziland United Democratic Front (SUDF) to mention a few; to use Zwide
Street and not any other. The marchers argued that they could not use the said
route because their intention was not to go to the Central Transport
Administration (CTA) but to the ministries. SWADNU President Bheki Mamba had
earlier addressed them and informed them that the Municipal Council of Mbabane
declined to give them permission to march along Mdzimba Avenue (street along the
Freedom Park). Mamba said although they were aware that this was a public road
which they could use, they would respect the municipal council and not march
along it.
“Comrades, we will not march but we will disperse, walk to the Engen Filling
Station without singing and then march to the Ministry of Health,” Mamba said.
However, as they dispersed and walked in different directions, police blocked
them. They particularly formed a three-line human shield along Mdzimba Avenue
and blocked any person wearing a SWADNU t-shirt and others whom they suspected
were part of the march. The first line of the police barricade was formed by
police officers who were armed with batons. About two metres behind these was
another line of officers who carried shields and were armed with batons. Behind
them was yet another line of police officers who wore riot gears, carried batons
while others were armed with guns.
Meanwhile, behind them there was a Casspir and a riot vehicle from the
Operational Support Service Unit (USSU). There was pushing, shoving and exchange
of heated words as those who were part of the march argued that they were not
marching but walking to where they would then embark on their intended march.