FROM THE SHOPFLOOR: TUCOSWA Acting SG MDUDUZI GINA shares workers' perspectives on police brutality and its dreadful effect on worker rights in Eswatini .
FROM THE SHOPFLOOR - OPINION
THE
ANATOMY OF POLICE BRUTALITY IN ESWATINI ACCORDING TO WORKERS
The only genuine workers’ federation in Eswatini,
the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA) continues to observe the
activities carried out by the youth of the country in the wake of the brutal and
senseless killing of Thabani Nkomonye in the month of May 2021. Workers
continue to pray for the healing of the family of Mr Nkomonye after their
unexpected loss of such a young life.
Workers are however elated that out of
this painful episode the youth of the country, in their different formations,
have finally found the strength to walk hand in hand with the rest of society
to fight for a just, free and democratic Eswatini that not only respects human
rights as an abstract concept but respects political and women’s rights which
have been in short supply and neglected in the country for a long time.
Workers organisations, led by TUCOSWA,
together with other progressive formations, have historically borne the brunt
of political brutality in the country. Worker leaders have been routinely abducted
before and their residences raided and generally harassed. Moreover, gatherings
such as workers’ day rally’s and protest actions have routinely been turned
into violence sprees by the police with no consequences. Just in September
2018, police unleashed its brutality on workers in Manzini during a protest
action then banned further protests in the subsequent days. In that protest
several workers were hospitalised with serious injuries including high ranking
officials of NAWUSHI and many other innocent citizens of Manzini. In other
protests police have caused injuries to workers and to high ranking officials
of trade unions such as NAPSAWU, SNAT to name but a few. The most memorable of
whom, of course, was the permanent injury suffered by the current 2nd
deputy Secretary General of TUCOSWA CDE Muzi Mhlanga who lost a front tooth at
the hands of the police a few years ago.
Workers have also not forgotten that in
the year 2010 in a worker’s day gathering at Salesian Sports Ground a worker
and political activist Sipho Jele was abducted by the police and later murdered
in cold blood in police cells. Police have also inserted themselves in legal
tussles between employers and workers, at times by illegally abducting worker
leaders to confuse workers and at other times by illegally dispersing workers
under the guise of protecting property. by doing this police have continuously
illegally inserted themselves as serious arbiter to whether workers win wage
demands from employers or not.
Humanity has historically demonstrated that
a society that fails to create rules to deter and punish those who wrong
society are likely to create monsters out of those who are given a carteblance
free range without any laws applying in times of transgressions. Police in
Eswatini have always been allowed to play a game of cover ups where the only
punishment metered on transgressing police officers is being transferred to
police stations located in outskirts such as Bulembu and Matimatima, until the
storm that is brewing at that time passes.
While we second the idea of the
establishment of an independent authority to probe wrongdoings within the
police, our experiences with institutions designed to safe guide human rights
in Eswatini points to very disappointing outcomes. The Human Rights Commission
and the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) just exist on paper and some of their
officers have even come out to declare that the environment is not conducive
for their operation.
The youth has shown that finally holistic
political change shall make us all safe from police brutality and guarantee
that if there is any transgression in the future punishment is metered to
offenders. Only a new country with a democratic political system can guarantee
that when workers are out fighting for better wages and better conditions at
the workplace there shall be no police officer who shall interfere in the
process making workers to lose on a much needed improvement of their wages and
conditions of work.
The future is bright if we all work
together.
Mduduzi Gina
TUCOSWA Acting Secretary General
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