SHUTDOWN: PLAN TO ENGAGE TRANSPORT, EEC, EWSC, BANK WORKERS

MANZINI - Political formations are in the process of engaging workers from the transport industry, EEC, EWSC and banks as they plan a total shutdown without going to the streets.

In fact, the plan is to ensure that there is no public transport to ferry people from one place to another, cut electricity and water supplies and make sure that banks do not operate. This plan was revealed by impeccable sources within the political formations and trade unions. The sources said the progressive movement was planning to partner with workers from the transport sector, Eswatini Electricity Company (EEC), Eswatini Water Services Corporation (EWSC) as they believe that if they could stay away from work, the country would be grounded.

According to the sources, this plan has been discussed by the leaders of the progressive movement for a while and was among the agenda items during their meeting which was organised by the Multi-Stakeholders Forum (MSF) held at the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) Centre last Friday. This meeting was attended by leaders of political parties and trade unions, including those from the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA). The planned total shutdown will be announced once they have met the relevant stakeholders and agreed on the date. They said the leaders of the progressive movement said they had noted that every time they demonstrated on the streets, members of the State security organs allegedly assaulted and shot them.

“It seems like they (members of the State security organs) have an agenda on implementing a total onslaught on protesters,” the sources said. They added that since government seemed to be all out to stop lawful protest actions, using force and violence, when implementing their plan, there would be no need to follow the Public Order Act of 2017, since there would be no demonstrations. One of the people who talked about this plan is MSF Chairman Thulani Maseko.

Consultation

TUCOSWA Acting Secretary General Mduduzi Gina confirmed that they were in consultation with other stakeholders who wanted to be part of the fight for political reforms. He said even today, they would be having a meeting with some of the stakeholders. Gina said dates for the total shutdown would be announced in due course. On the other hand, a source within the Swaziland Water Services and Allied Workers Union (SWAWSAWU) said even though they had not met with the progressives, interrupting water supply was in their plans as they were currently in talks with the employer over the implementation of a salary review report which was issued around August 2021. In that regard, he said the executive committee would react to this after they had a meeting with the progressives.

On the other hand, insiders within the public transport industry said another strike action could not be ruled out  because they were still awaiting answers from government regarding their demand that the incarcerated Members of Parliament (MPs) be released. The source revealed that their representatives would be meeting the leaders of the progressives either today or tomorrow. He said after that meeting, they would be able to comment more about the matter.

On the same note, the Swaziland Union of Financial Institutions and Allied Workers (SUFIAW) Secretary General (SG) Jabu Shiba, said it would be difficult for her to comment on the matter before the meeting with the leaders of the political formations and trade unions under TUCOSWA. She said they needed to hear the strategy before they could comment.

Meanwhile, Swaziland Electricity Supply Maintenance and Allied Workers Union (SESMAWU) Secretary General Maureen Nkambule said no one had approached them so far. In that regard, she said they would be in a better position to talk about this issue after they had been engaged by the progressives.
It is worth noting that recently, government, through the police, stopped a march which was organised by public sector associations (PSAs) where they had planned to lead civil servants to deliver a petition to the Ministry of Public Service, where they were going to demand the 2021 salary review among other things.
On the other hand, Government Spokesperson Sabelo Dlamini, who was informed by this publication about the planned shutdown, said nothing had been communicated to the administration regarding the issue. As such, he said government was not aware of those plans.

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