Swazi workers to strike
2005-01-24 10:03
Mbabane - Swaziland's main labour federation and the banned opposition will stage a two-day protest this week to press for democratic reforms in southern Africa's last absolute monarchy.
The Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions (SFTU), which claims a membership of around 80 000 out of some 200 000 workers, will take to the streets on Tuesday and Wednesday to demand political reforms in this small country wedged between South Africa and Mozambique.
"We are expecting not less than 20 000 on Tuesday and the figures are expected to grow on Wednesday," SFTU secretary general Jan Sithole said.
Grappling with back-breaking poverty and the world's highest Aids rate, Swaziland's King Mswati III is coming under increasing pressure from international donors and opposition politicians to bring about change.
Rules by decree
The 36-year-old king has ruled the country by decree since his coronation in 1986 at the age of 18.
In 1996 he ordered that a new constitution be drafted to address calls for political reform, but nine years later no new fundamental law has been adopted.
A draft constitution was released in 2003 but it still gives the king power to dissolve parliament and maintains a ban on the political opposition.
Sithole said Swazi workers will protest because the government failed to include them in the constitution-making process.
The trade union was also unhappy with plans to privatise state assets, Sithole added.
"If the state continues with privatisation, it would lead to an increase in poverty when the country is supposed to be reducing poverty," said Sithole.
The banned opposition People's United Democratic Movement (Pudemo) will also take part in the protest action.
" Pudemo fully supports the protest action because the demands put forward by unions are genuine and for a long time now the people of Swaziland have been ignored," Pudemo leader Mario Masuku said.
"Enough is enough... It is time for everyone to go the battlefield in the quest for freedom from the royal family hegemony," Masuku said.
Police and teachers union members have said they will participate in the action.
Several similar pro-democracy protests have been staged in the country in recent years, the largest being in 1996 when many businesses and shops closed down, some for up to three weeks.
According to UNAids, Swaziland has the world's highest Aids rate at 38.8%, unemployment stands at 40%, almost 70% of the nation live on an average income of $11 per month and about a third rely on food aid for survival.
King Mswati frequently hits the headlines with stories of his and his 11 official wives' lavish lifestyles.
On his birthday last April he bought 10 BMW vehicles for himself and some of his wives, and he is building 10 new palaces for his wives at a cost of 100 million lilangeni, (about R100m).
Swaziland's government owes its suppliers more than 150 million lilangeni, and the country's budget deficit stands at 800 million lilangeni.