BORDER BLOCKADES NEXT WEEK – COSATU

MBABANE – As part of the Eswatini Global Week of Action, three of the border gates connecting South Africa and the kingdom are expected to come to a standstill as COSATU has vowed to stage blockades on September 9, 2021.

COSATU is an acronym for Congress of South African Trade Unions. It was said that the three ports of entry would be blocked on the South African side by the union members in solidarity with emaSwati who are currently calling for political reforms. COSATU Deputy International Secretary Zanele Mathebula confirmed the activities which would be taking place during the Eswatini Global Week of Action. Mathebula stated that in partnership with the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA), the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), Eswatini Diaspora, Mpumalanga, KZN and other affiliates, they had a meeting and agreed on six activities to take place from September 6 to 9, 2021.

She said COSATU would be joining in the border blockades and visual sessions where they would be discussing the issue of Eswatini demands and what exactly independence meant as they forged through the global pandemic of COVID-19 and as they struggled with socio-economic issues that were facing SADC, in particular, Eswatini with the issues of poverty, unemployment and alleged police brutality among others. Mathebula said it was important that they got different views of the people of the kingdom and knew exactly what it was that they wanted. Also, she said they wanted to ascertain whether the people of Eswatini were speaking in a unified voice in order that they mobilise globally to ensure that emaSwati received the support they needed, raising their voices and making the authorities to listen. According to Mathebula, they wanted the monarchy to understand that the people were asking for a different Eswatini and allow them to have a regime that would allow them to choose their own leaders while the monarchy existed separately.

Democracy

“Some are talking about constitutional democracy and some are just taking about democracy in general. So we want to hear the collective voice of the people of Eswatini so we know exactly what the demands are,” she said. Matebula said after understanding the demands, they would mobilise internationally to make sure that the people of Eswatini got the attention and support they needed. Furthermore, she stated that they understood that people died during the recent unrest and that there were those who were arrested and some were released while others were still in jail. Also, she stated that they had information to the effect that numerous people were injured in the process. She added that there was also the issue of Amos Mbedzi, who was a political prisoner kept in Eswatini and was medically unfit to stay in jail, while the courts were refusing to even release him on medical parole.

This, she said, was another objective that they hoped to achieve when they gained support internationally. Mathebula said the rights of Mbedze were being trembled upon, while he was on his death bed, but was still kept in prison. He added that there were other political prisoners whom they wanted released, including the two incarcerated Members of Parliament (MPs) Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza of Hosea and Mthandeni Dube of Ngwempisi, who wanted to make Parliament understand what the people wanted, but were arrested for trying to relay that message. Currently, she said they were seeing denial from the authorities that the people were tired and wanted change and move away from poverty to be self-reliant. Mathebula said emaSwati were calling for dialogue and a way towards a different Eswatini.

She added that through the week, they would have a global virtual seminar that included emaSwati in diaspora, who would be leading the talks in partnership with COSATU. TUCOSWA’s Mduduzi Gina stated that COSATU would be leading the blockades and could be joined by a mass democratic movement as it obtained in SA. Gina said they wanted to send a clear message that dialogue was needed in the country to resolve the tension. He stated that the activities were meant to commemorate the Global Week of Action and the initiatives showed that it could not be business as usual where people were complaining and calling for reforms. These activities, he said, encouraged dialogue. 

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