DON’T FEAR DEATH, GO TO WORK - ACTING PM

NHLANGANO – “Do not be scared to go to work because you fear death, everyone will die eventually.”

The above words were said by the Acting Prime Minister Themba Masuku who was interacting with public transport operators and workers who were found in Nhlangano town at around 3pm yesterday. Masuku was in Nhlangano along with the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Pholile Shakantu, to visit businesses following the shutdown of public transport in the past two days. He was responding to a statement made by one of the public transport workers, who said they were afraid they might be attacked for going to work, yet there was an ‘order’ directing them not to do so.

Masuku said a person’s bravery could either kill or rescue him. He questioned the workers on the rationale of not showing up for work and not benefiting anything at the end of the day.
The acting PM was questioned on how they were supposed to survive in the event they decided to go to work and had their properties destroyed. He responded by saying: “Life is about choices, ours is to encourage one to do the right thing. Some were nervous but they had their properties torched, while in obeying those orders, some were even killed.” When the transport workers told Masuku to pay attention to what the people issuing the orders wanted, he responded by stating that the people issuing these orders were supposed to come out on what they wanted.

Voiceless

He stated that the voiceless man was not suffering but the people on the ground, including the commuters and the operators. He stated that the ‘commander’ was enjoying life in South Africa, while they were suffering. “We don’t know when will the ‘commander’ tell you to stop working again, hence the reason we are here to encourage you not to listen to people you do not know and haven’t seen,” he added. Masuku narrated that the impact of deciding not to provide transport was affecting many people; from a pregnant woman who wanted to go to hospital to deliver her baby, to those who missed their dialysis and those who did not take diabetes medication because there was no transport to get to hospital. He was echoed by a passenger who was identified as Nkambule, who narrated that his wife was sick but couldn’t go to hospital due to lack of transport.

Nkambule further said they were worried about the generation they raised as they were not living for the future but for now and did not think of where they would be when they were older. Masuku encouraged the transport workers who were on the ground yesterday to ferry all passengers to their various destinations, regardless of where their permits were directing them to work. He gave E1 000 to one of those in office in the transport industry to share. In a later interview, Masuku narrated that the purpose of the visit was to encourage shops to continue operating regardless of the situation. He said they were pleased to note that some shops were operating along with transport workers in some towns. He stated that they would not withdraw government buses for now because there were a lot of people who needed transport. In Manzini, he said there was a government bus that was sent to Buhleni to drop off commuters who were headed there and along the way, as well those headed to Siteki.

Even today, Masuku stated that government transport would be available to serve emaSwati in the event they had challenges. He stated that they would add more if need be. “Lastly, when you having a fight with a particular person, do not punish other people but face the one you’re in bad terms with,” remarked Masuku. He mentioned that they were discouraging businesses from closing, adding that an instrument would instruct them to close when there was need. In Nhlangano, Masuku went to the textile firms before visiting town. He went around the shops and noted that some were closed. In one of the shops, Masuku paid groceries for a man he referred to as a pastor whom he knew.

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