POLICE, TUCOSWA CLASH AS PROTEST MARCH QUASHED

MBABANE – Workers and the police clashed yesterday as the latter quashed the proposed march organised by the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA).

TUCOSWA had planned to deliver petitions to various government ministries with several demands.
Not only was the protest thwarted, but it was also characterised by serious manhandling and exchange of heated words between the workers and the police.
The workers had intended to march from the Coronation Park in Mbabane as soon as 9am.

However, by this time, the whole park, including the roadside of the Gwamile Street, had already been littered with armed police officers, both uniformed and plain-clothed.
The workers started arriving at the venue an hour later.

They sang struggle songs while waiting for other members before they attempted commencing their march at the intersection next toSBIS.
Their attempt was, however, met with heavy resistance from the about 60 police officers, who simply formed a human barrier and blocked the workers from continuing with their march.
About 150 workers attended the proposed march.

The police said TUCOSWA had not received permission to march along the streets of Mbabane yesterday as per procedure.
They also told the workers that they would not allow them to use Gwamile Street but were free to use the bypass street that passes next to the Central Transport Organisation (CTO).
However, the TUCOSWA members would hear none of it and demanded to use Gwamile Street.
The argument by the police was that there was construction work in progress along this street and it would not be conducive for the workers to use it in the interest of public safety.

Songs

The workers continued toyi toying and singing songs, while adamantly refusing to use the street shown to them by the police.
Trouble started when the workers blocked a construction truck from Roots Construction from passing through. The truck was carrying heavy plant machinery intended for the construction site.
The workers told the driver to turn back while the police were waving at him to pass through the protesting workers.

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