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UNDER PRESSURE ESWATINI GOVERNMENT VIOLENTLY DISPERSES PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS' PETITION.

eSwatini state violently disrupts civil servants march
Picture: Public sector workers running for cover as the armed forces rain stun grenades and teargas on them in order to disperse them in the capital city, Mbabane on Wednesday 20th October 2021 (Courtesy Picture) . 

by Fundizwi Sikhondze 
      SLI Coordinator


Wednesday ,20th October 2021 turned out to be a day filled with teargas smoke, blood and agony as the eSwatini state violently dispersed public service workers who had intended to  march and deliver a petition to the government in its capacity as their employer in the capital city ,Mbabane. The public service trade unions  are organised under a grouping called Public Sector Associations (PSA's) and comprises of  the National Public Service and Allied Workers Union (NAPSAWU), Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT), Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU),the Swaziland National Government Accounts Personnel (SNAGAP).

The grievances they wanted to present to the government  as their employer include the governments failure to implement the periodic salary review that was due in 2020 as per the agreement in 2016/17,the systematic implementation of what the trade unions are calling a mass retrenchment programme that has been in the rolled out with workers in the tractor services and workers at the computer services who are being shifted to the National Maize Corporation (NMC) and the Royal eSwatini Technology Park (RSTP) respectively. In both cases the workers involved are being given very limited choice but to be being shipped to other  entities and once there facing the prospective of uncertainty. Nurses and Teachers have also pointed out that the uptake of teachers and nurses have ground to a halt even with grinding shortages of personnel.

The PSAs met all regulatory issues around their action and as a result were granted permission to march by the Mbabane City Council on Tuesday the 18th October 2021. The meeting held between the city council, the police gives rise to the permission being granted by the city.

This time, however it seems that the government decided to change its mind a few hours later then resorted to using the powers imposed upon the commissioner of police to clamp down on the protest action using section 9(2),(3) and (6) of the Public Order Act ,12 of 2017. In a correspondence addressed to the leaders of the PSAs the Commissioner of police said he was acting in the interests national security given the public sector transport strike action.

At the time of compiling this report there are reports of gruesome injury and treatment of over fifty (50) workers in the Mbabane Government Hospital. 

This is a developing story that will be updated as the day progresses. 
Picture: An injured PSA member showing the gun wound on his back after police dispersed workers in Mbabane (Courtesy Picture).


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