TUCOSWA WORKERS DAY 2023 REPORT: President Bheki Mamba calls upon workers and allies to unite in order to free the country

Pictured above: TUCOSWA President Bheki Mamba addressing TUCOSWA members during the annual  TUCOSWA Workers Day rally in Bigbend in Eastern Eswatini.

The President of the  Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA) Bheki Mamba called for workers to free Eswatini from the negligence they are facing under the current regime. "We must free this country and we have got a duty, all of us, to liberate this country" declared President Mamba.

The president further attended to a cynical question being frequently posed upon the Mass Democratic Movement (MDM) whether those seeking democracy can manage the country properly if the opportunity to govern could be availed to them ?  The President responded to the question by pointing  out that he doesn't believe that the current regime can be proud to be governing Eswatini because they have neglected to provide key services to citizens particularly in education and health. "As workers we believe that there is no one who can be proud (sic)  to be leading the country if the education is allowed to deteriorate, the health is in shambles, students going to universities are without scholarships and where there is a high number of citizens who cannot find employment in the country" said the President.

The President further emphatically declared that from where he is sitting the drums of freedom are  ringing louder by each passing day and therefore there is need for unity amongst workers together with the other  MDM allies to wage the struggle for freedom together. 

Pictured above: Throngs of workers who attended the TUCOSWA workers day rally in Bigbend. 

President Mamba made these remarks at the workers day rally that took place at Mayaluka Stadium within the Illovo Sugar estate in the eastern town of Bigbend. The rally was attended by more than 30 000 workers from all over the country through TUCOSWA's 16 affiliated trade unions. The rally was also attended by a full complement of the Mass Democratic Movement that comprises of different political parties , civil society organisations, women groups ,minority (LGBTI+) groups representatives.

President Mamba also used his address to thank the management of Illovo Sugar as well as the Swaziland Agricultural and Plantations Workers Union (SAPAWU) leadership for working together to ensure that the TUCOSWA workers day gets hosted successfully within their estate despite pressures (by the state) that were exerted on venue owners to refuse TUCOSWA the permission to host the workers day.