Tuesday 18 September 2018, marked the beginning of a
rolling national protest action called by the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland
(TUCOSWA). TUCOSWA is an umbrella body for the various unions organising in different
sectors of Swaziland.
The protests took place in four different cities and
towns from the four respective regions of Swaziland – Mbabane (the capital city
of Swaziland in the Hhohho region), Manzini (the most populous city of
Swaziland, under Manzini region), Nhlangano (in the Shiselweni region, south of
Swaziland) and Siteki (in the Lubombo region, east of Swaziland).
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| Thousands filled the streets of Manzini City on Tuesday 18 September 2018 in a nationwide march called by TUCOSWA against the Mswati regime to call for salary increment and better working conditions |
An estimated one hundred thousand (100 000) workers
marched on the streets of Swaziland during the national protest action. By
16h00, Tuesday 18 September 2018, the confirmed number of workers who were
injured either after receiving rubber bullet shots or after heavy assault by
police batons stood at ten (10). This occurred in the march that was in
Manzini.
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| A worker lies unconscious after attacks from the police of Swaziland during a peaceful march for salary increment and better working conditions. This was in Manzini. |
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| One of the first victims of police brutality in Manzini. She was rushed to the Raleigh Fitkin Memorial Hospital in Manzini. |
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| This worker was attacked by numerous police with batons in Manzini. |
The Communist Party of Swaziland congratulates the workers, including their federation, TUCOSWA, for these
historic marches. We view the attacks on the workers by Mswati’s police in
Manzini as a clear sign of the brutality of the Mswati regime. Mswati,
sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, is desperate to keep the people of
Swaziland suppressed, especially during the era of tinkhundla elections. The tinkhundla’s
secondary elections are scheduled for Friday 21 September 2018. These sham
elections are undemocratic and Mswati is trying to force the people to
participate in them. Desperate to intimidate workers, he unleashed his police
on unarmed peacefully marching workers in Manzini.
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| Early in the morning as workers were convening for the begging of the march |
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| As the numbers started growing, the police realised that they could not contain this mass of militant and determined workers. They then started reinforcing and adding numbers on their side. |
But the workers are undeterred. TUCOSWA has already issued an official
communication that the marches will continue on Wednesday 19 September 2018.
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| Thousands in Siteki also came out to protest against the Mswati regim eon 18 September 2018 |
The Communist Party of Swaziland will continue to be
part of the workers and contribute in whatever meaningful way possible.
The future belongs to the workers!
Below is the moment when Mswati's police attacked an unarmed worker in Manzini on Tuesday 18 September 2018.
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