SHUTDOWN ORGANISERS SHOULD NOT BULLY US - SOME BUSINESSPEOPLE

MBABANE - Some businesspeople are pleading with those behind the circulating poster about a possible shutdown in the country on August 15, to not bully them.

The poster started circulating on Monday just after news broke that incarcerated Members of Parliament (MPs) Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube had their bail application dismissed. Even though those in the forefront of the proposed shutdown remain unknown, the poster has seemingly caused nothing but fear of the unknown among some emaSwati as witnessed in their reactions. The shutdown is under the hashtag ‘Kungahlwa Kwenile Civil War’. The term ‘kugahlwa kwenile’ was the buzzword during the protests which culminated in vandalism, looting and loss of life at the end of June.

Poster

Content contained in the poster is to the effect that beginning on August 15, which falls on Sunday, there would be a total shutdown in the country. It is said that all businesses should to close and those operating would hugely suffer together with those who would be caught going to work. ‘‘All those going to work will be disciplined, any vehicle going to work will be charged E50,’’ reads part of the circulating poster. However, Government Spokesperson Sabelo Dlamini said government would leave no stone unturned to make sure that the people of Eswatini were safe. Some interviewed businesspeople said they had seen the poster and were pleading with the activists to not bully them or their businesses.

“I was hugely affected the last time and now there are rumours of another unrest. Can we not be part of that; we are already dealing with COVID-19 and now this,” said a businessman in the Mbabane city. Another vocal business owner, Navid Malar Mohammed, who owns a number of shops around the city, said they were being bullied. Mohammed said they were obviously threatened by the circulating poster and that it was a wait and see situation between them and the said activists. “They are now bullying us and we have no means to help ourselves. We incurred losses from the previous unrest and now we have to deal with another one,” said Mohammed during the interview.

Clarified

Meanwhile, some interviewed political activist and union leaders have further clarified that they did not condone violence and bullying of businesspeople. They further added that they did not know the author of the circulating poster. Sibongile Mazibuko, the President of the Ngwane National Liberatory Congress (NNLC), said government was the determining factor on such issues. Mazibuko said although they were not for violence or loss of life, the situation was already bad.  Mazibuko said the reason people had decided to take to the streets again was because government did not want to hear them out. “Government is adamant on not hearing us out, they do not want us to have a dialogue or a genuine roundtable conversation,’’ said Mazibuko. The president further said all they wanted for now was for the two incarcerated MPs to be released.

Mazibuko said their intentions were not to harm businesses and lose lives again but they wanted change and a peaceful dialogue. “We have been asking and pleading with government for a peaceful dialogue but they do not want to hear us. Taking to the streets now is the only way to be heard,” said Mazibuko. Echoing her sentiments was Swaziland National Union of Students (SNUS) President Xolani Maseko, who said it was a point of no return.

Worse

“Things will only get worse from here and for as long as the government does not want to hear us out, we will continue making the right noise and if it calls for the shutdown, then so be it,’’ said Maseko. Maseko further said the people had no choice but to resort to violence again because government did not want to listen to them. He distanced the union from the poster and said they were not linked to the circulating poster. It is a fact that during the political unrest which was experienced in June, many businesses were vandalised, looted while some structures were torched. In an interview, Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati said they had a way of dealing with people and social media users who were inciting violence. Vilakati, however, said they could not divulge how they would deal or identify people inciting violence, especially on social media. “We have our way and we have seen the circulating posters. We cannot reveal our plan because it may compromise our security details,” said Vilakati.

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