Africa-Press – Eswatini. Workers in the Kingdom of eSwatini are celebrating the May Day under an extremely oppressive environment amid reluctance by the Government to increase salaries for civil servants including members of the security forces.
Eswatini is an absolute Monarchy with oppressive laws and, despite the enactment of the Industrial Relations Act that promotes freedom and the rights of workers, the country has been restricting and suppressing workers from exercising their right to protest.
Political parties are banned in eSwatini and in the past few weeks, State police officers have been embarking on a crackdown on pro-democracy activists particularly, members of the main and largest People’s United Democratic Movement(PUDEMO), dispersing meetings thus violating the right to freedom of assembly and association.
But even the legally recognized trade unions are reportedly receiving threats from the Government for associating with political parties and, urged not to allow these political entities to turn the May Day into political rallies.
As a result, the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland(TUCOSWA) subsequently banned political formations from addressing the May Workers Day Celebration on Thursday at the Salesian Sports Grounds.
Political parties normally seize the opportunity during the annual May Day Celebration to address workers, in a country where political parties are not allowed to hold meetings or use the highly censored State media to address the Nation.
Acting Government Spokesperson Thabile Mdluli declined to comment when reached by this publication.
But the political parties were divided ahead of the May Workers Day with some demanding to speak “during the May Workers Day if the main and largest People’s United Democratic Movement(PUDEMO) is also allowed to address the workers”.
Responding to the press amid emerging information suggesting that, political parties were scrambling to address the May Day, TUCOSWA Secretary General Mduduzi Gina said, a resolution was taken by affiliates, banning all political parties from addressing the May Workers Day but clarified that, these political parties will attend as invited as Guests.
Gina further clarified that, he was not aware of any division adding that, to the best of his knowledge, the message “has been communicated to the political parties and, they have been formally informed that, they won’t address the May Day.
“We don’t regard this as a division, this was a decision of the TUCOSWA General Council, political parties won’t address the May Day Celebration”, he said.
Reached for comments by this publication, Penuel Malinga, the Secretary General of the People’s United Democratic Movement(PUDEMO) said, they will respect the decision of the TUCOSWA leadership in this regard.
“May Day is Workers Day and we have been invited as guests which we appreciate. If you are an invited guest, you take orders from those who invited you. Workers are PUDEMO so we believe in the leadership of the workers to guide us amid the socio-economic challenges facing the country,” he said.
Eswatini has about 70% of the population living below the poverty line, a majority of the workers are financially struggling amid escalating costs of living with no salary increment.
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