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 TRADE UNION CONGRESS OF SWAZILAND STATEMENT ON THE RECENT PURCHASE OF EXPENSIVE VEHICLES BY THE KING IN THE FACE OF COLLAPSE OF HEALTH AND EDUCATION IN THE COUNTRY.


TRADE UNION CONGRESS OF SWAZILAND (TUCOSWA) Masalesikhundleni Street,       P. O. Box 1158 Plot #290         MANZINI Opposite: Lulama Health Clinic & Makhosi X-ray Tel: +268-25059514 Email: tucoswa@swazi.net/tucoswa@yahoo.com              

31st October, 2019

TUCOSWA STATEMENT ON THE PURCHASE OF LUXURIOUS ROLS – ROYCE CARS

Introduction The Trade Union Congress of Swaziland records its utmost shock and disappointment on the claims that the Government has purchased a fleet of luxurious cars for personal use by some individuals within the echelons of power.

The purchase happened at a time when the country is reported to be in dire financial constraints. Our minds are boggled by the priority considerations of those that hold the authority to distribute the wealth of the country specially the public funds which in the main is financed by the hard earned taxes of the workers.

No reasonable person could even think that the country needs or can afford to buy the most expensive cars at a time when the country is faced with a lot of social and economic ills.  At this stage the country does not need cars, it needs medical drugs in public hospitals.  People are dying in droves because clinics have run dry of even the basics of the medical utilities and drugs.

Any priority given to any other item in complete ignorance of this fact is in fact genocide.  It is direct genocide to the citizens of this country who have a social contract with the government by virtue of them paying taxes, forced as they are. The Government has for the past three years consecutively refused to adjust the salaries of public and semi-public workers on claims that it is not affording.   The peanuts social grants given to the disabled and elderly are not paid in time and if paid they are short.  
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Scholarships for the students in tertiary institutions are a challenge to the Government resulting on may qualifying students being denied their constitutional rights to pursue their intended trades and their future collapsing in their hands.  The country is in a crisis, we don’t need cars, Rolls-Royce cars are a luxury, and they are a “nice to have”.  We need basic commodities the “must have”, affordable electricity, water and gasoline for the industries and the general public.

The Government must come out clear on this matter, the country must be informed on how the decision to buy cars was made as a priority to all the challenges facing it.

It is still very fresh in our minds as it is not long-ago when the Government informed the nation that a “good Samaritan” had purchased an aircraft for the King.

The said generous individual was however said to have elected to hide his head in a cardboard box or had put a balaclava.  We warned against the country dealing with such characters.  True to our warning, it later transpired that the balaclava man was an international crook and thief who was interested in stealing our natural resources.

It is now clear even to those who had started to sing along the Mandvulo hymn that “there is no money”, that infact there is money in abundance within the Government corridors.  The TUCOSWA in response to this government posture of opulence will intensify its noble demands for the following:

 Affordable and quality public health and education.  Increase of wages for the public and semi-public workers.  Increased regular and consistent payment of social grants to the elderly and disabled.  Affordable electricity, water and gasoline.
 Issued by TUCOSWA Secretariat:

Contacts:  Mduduzi C. Gina:   76119211 / 79792763  ,Muzikayise Mhlanga 76023348


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