MAY DAY DRAMA: PM DENIED PLATFORM TO ADDRESS WORKERS, LEAVES

MBABANE – Prime Minister (PM) Russell Dlamini left the Prince of Wales Sports Ground unceremoniously after he was denied the opportunity to address workers during the Workers’ Day celebration yesterday.

So hostile were the workers that police had to fire a stun grenade to deter them from coming too close to the PM’s motorcade, as he was hurriedly whisked away from the Prince of Wales.
Dlamini’s attendance of the May Day commemoration was groundbreaking, in that it was a first for the country for the head of government to grace a Workers’ Day celebration. He was in the company of the Minister of Labour and Social Security, Phila Buthelezi and Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs Jane Simelane. Just before he was invited to address the thousands of workers, the sound system was disconnected and when senior police officers went to enquire, they were told to back off.

Uncontrollable

At that stage, the event had been taken over by the workers, while the union executive committee members were kept at bay. The uncontrollable workers chanted slogans and danced close to the tent where the PM and his dignitaries were seated. Police had to form a human barrier to prevent them from getting close to the Cabinet members. Police officers, who are members of the PM’s security detail, were seen frequently communicating with the PM, purportedly on the status of his safety. He kept his calm, until a few missiles started flying from the workers. Soon, thereafter, he rose from his feet and wade way to his motorcade. The departure of the PM cut short the 2024 Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA)-organised May Day commemoration, leaving some workers dissatisfied. In the two hours that the PM graced the event, he had to stomach insults and unpalatable words that were uttered by some of the speakers who are members of political parties, as they were offered a platform to address the workers.

Concern

Some workers registered concern that the PM was not welcome at the May Day commemoration. Some unhappy workers also insulted the TUCOSWA National Executive Committee (NEC), calling them sell outs. TUCOSWA Secretary General (SG) Mduduzi Gina, had urged the workers and partners, more especially those from political parties, to behave in an orderly manner. TUCOSWA President Bheki Mamba said the presence of government officials was a step in the right direction towards forging social dialogue and decent work for workers.
Seemingly, the plea by these leaders feel on deaf ears. At around 11am, when Minister Buthelezi’s car entered the arena, people who were seen wearing Communist Party of Swaziland (CPS) T-shirts started hurling insults at him, saying; ‘Asitifuni Tinkhundla emcimbini webasebenti’. They even tried to push the car away, but were deterred by swift intervention by the police. The group was instructed not to come close to the VIP tent, where the minister and other dignitaries were seated. The Programme Director, who is also the second TUCOSWA SG, Sikelela Dlamini, also had a tough time telling workers not to come too close to the stage and asked the marshals to help.

Protocol

At about noon, the minister of Tourism waited outside the gate as the government protocol and security were monitoring if it was safe for Cabinet ministers to make their way into the arena. This was after the nasty experience that Minister Buthelezi had been subjected to. While Minister Simelane, Minister Buthelezi had still not alighted from his car. Eventually, the minister of Tourism made it to the venue and parked next to the minister of Labour, but they both did not alight from their cars. The police had to tighten the security around the VIP tents as they were preparing the place for the PM. The PM arrived at 12.55pm and made his way to the VIP tent, while the crowd burst into struggle songs. His security detail, together with the TUCOSWA National Executive, was constantly monitoring the situation at the stadium. The TUCOSWA NEC encouraged speakers to speak freely as they addressed government officials and the general gathering.

TUCOSWA President Mamba said that was the right platform for the government to learn about the plight of workers, both from the private and public sectors. Though some speakers spoke in harsh terms, the PM was seemingly not moved, as he would occasionally laugh. However, the mood started to change when the representatives of the Political Party Assembly (PPA) took the stage. They started insulting struggle songs directed to the PM and national authorities. These songs were led by Sakhile ‘Awviva’ Nxumalo, who was geared in the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) regalia. The Vice President, Wandile Dludlu’s address was laced with insulting words to degrade the person of the PM. This made some people in the VIP’s tent to feel uncomfortable.

Gathering

Minister Buthelezi was invited to address the gathering and further introduce the PM. The workers were told that the minister and the PM would not use the designated stage, but would address the gathering from the VIP tent. That is when the workers shifted focus to the VIP tent and sang songs to deprive speakers of any chance of being audible. The minister of Labour tried to get the attention of the workers as he shouted ‘amandla’, but some people, mainly those from the two political parties, continued to sing to political songs. Soon, the sound system was disconnected, as the minister was trying to speak. The TUCOSWA SG and president left their VIP seats, together with marshals, to try and calm the rowdy crowd, but they were unsuccessful. The PM then told them that he had no other option but to leave. As the PM’s motorcade left the arena, the Cabinet ministers followed. The workers’ leaders also gradually left the stadium and told their members that the day had been spoilt.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: