Swaziland unions seek international collaboration for democracy

Accra, May 15, GNA – The Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions (SFTU) is seeking support from international labour organizations and civil society groups to bring pressure to bear on the King to embrace a democratic change in the country.

Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Friday, Mr Jan Sithole, Secretary General of SFTU, said Unions and the people wanted a multi party system of government in accordance with the mandate of the people.

“We want the monarchy to be constitutional that will reign and not rule. Indeed culture and tradition must not be used as tools of abuse, manipulation and self aggrandisement,” he said.

At independence in 1968, the constitution allowed the King, culture and tradition to co-exist with political parties. The king then was a constitutional monarch while the ruling party runs the government.

Five years later, the King declared a State of Emergency and banned political parties and workers' right to assemble without prior permission. He also vested all powers of governance in the king.

Mr Sithole said in the 35 years since the King's proclamation, the king had being appointing the Prime Minister, the cabinet and envoys and now controlled about 66 per cent of appointments in the Senate and 20 per cent in the Assembly.

He said while the Swazi government had signed every international human rights friendly treaty, she had not implemented any of them. Instead, the government had passed laws that would allow it to circumvent the treaties.

Mr Sithole said given the right of choice, the labour organizations were committed to negotiated process for change through social dialogue and called on the international community to apply targeted sanctions against government officials and the leadership of the country's families, relatives and associates.

The sanctions should include a freeze of accounts, denial of flying into many capitals of the world and use of peer pressure among others.

Mr Sithole said workers would proceed with protests and continuous mass mobilisation to pressure government for democratic change and to adhere to all ratified conventions.

Swaziland with a population of 1.1 million has an agro based and export oriented economy.

It exports such products such as sugar, timber, citrus, pulp and meat, among other products.

It has a sharp poverty level with 70 per cent of working people earning below two dollars a day.

There is a high HIV infection rate of three per cent and the projection is that 120,000 will be orphaned by the disease by 2010.

GNA