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PUBLIC TRANSPORT WORKERS REJECT GOVT’S PLEA

19/10/2021 08:59:00 BY SIBUSISO ZWANE

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MANZINI – Stand-off!

Commuters are set to continue suffering as public transport workers rejected government’s plea that they should return to work. Government had a meeting with the transport sector stakeholders yesterday and forwarded a plea to workers that they should return to work today while it would take their grievances to the relevant structures. The main grievance is the demand that the arrested Members of Parliament (MPs), Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza of Hosea and Mthandeni Dube of Ngwempisi, be released.

During the meeting, government was represented by the Minister of Tinkhundla Administration and Development, David ‘Cruiser’ Ngcamphalala (chairman of the meeting), Minister of Public Works and Transport Chief Ndlaluhlaza Ndwandwe and the Principal Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security Thulani Mkhaliphi. The meeting was held at the Municipal Council of Manzini’s boardroom and was in two phases. In the first phase, the government team met with the public transport workers, who listed their grievances.

Allowed

Thereafter, the public transport operators (owners) were allowed to join the meeting and the workers’ grievances were read to them. They were then asked to react to the concerns of their workers. Former Lobamba MP Michael Masilela, who was among those who represented the public transport operators, said most of the workers’ concerns could be addressed in bilateral meetings between them and the employees. The public transport workers’ grievances had to do with conditions of service, rank fees, permits, road conditions and spot fines and summons.

Others were poor salaries of commuters and the release of the arrested legislators. The former legislator emphasised that most of the work-related issues could be addressed in bilateral meetings between them (employers) and the workers. Thereafter, he said the impasse they were in as a country was not because of the work-related concerns, which were raised by the workers, but the people’s prayer that the two incarcerated MPs should be released and that there should be dialogue.

Demand

“If this chief demand (release of MPs and convening of a dialogue) can be done, then we can have bilateral meetings to address the work-related concerns,” Masilela said. He emphasised that the impasse that was seen in the country was because public transport workers and the employers had since joined the call that the incarcerated MPs should be released. He said as a former legislator, he knew that it was difficult for government to address the matter, but he asked it to find a way.

He said they were not saying the charges should be withdrawn, but they should be granted bail and be given certain conditions at least. “They should be treated like all other suspects-be given bail and their trial will continue while they are out on bail. Then convene a dialogue,” Masilela submitted. He added that under the prevailing situation, akusebenteki (unworkable) as their public transport vehicles were being stoned even by pupils, which was a first-of-its-kind in the country.

Furthermore, another public transport operator, Mbuso Dube, said some of them met the work-related demands of their workers. He added that they had noted that the main issue that led to the ongoing political unrest was the arrested MPs. He said the unrest affected them because they had targets to meet since they had to service their loans. He said during the unrest, roads were being blocked anytime and that affected their business. He added that on the ground, the problem was clear and he said they humbly requested government to address it before financial institutions repossessed their vehicles.
“We are pleading with government, maybe the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, to at least intervene so that the two MPs are granted bail,” Dube said.

Thereafter, he said they believed if the bail was to be granted, things might go back to normal, like schools could open and the property could not be under threat.
On the same note, Wesley Dlamini, another public transport operator, who is also a councillor at the Municipal Council of Manzini, concurred with his colleagues that the work-related issues which were raised by the workers, could be addressed in bilateral meetings. “What brought us here is the political unrest and as businesses we are suffering. As we speak, we are held to ransom. Some of our public transport vehicles have been damaged, thus the safety of our properties is not guaranteed,” the public transport operator said.

Release

He said it was in that regard that they joined the call for the release of the two MPs. He also clarified that they were not saying they should not be charged, but meant that they should be granted bail and their trial would continue while out on bail. Once more, another public transport operator, Linda Nxumalo, asked government to release the two parliamentarians.

He said this was because everyone could see that people were not happy about the matter and it was no longer safe for them to continue ferrying members of the public from one place to another since the situation was volatile. “Release the MPs and see if things will not change in the transport sector and country at large,” the public transport operator said.

Thereafter, Minister Chief Ndlaluhlaza said a lot of damage had been done since the public transport workers’ strike started last Wednesday. He said as government, they pleaded with the workers to go back to work in order to avoid further damage. “The message has been sent. The message that kunendzaba lengamisi kahle live, aseyibukwe (there is an issue that affects the country and government should address it). So, please return to work while the matter is being addressed,” the minister pleaded. He added that one day while he was driving home, some people took their chairs and sat on the road.

Therefore, he said he concurred with those who said security was not guaranteed. After that, the chairman of the meeting, Minister Ngcamphalala, said the matter needed time to be discussed. He said it could not be discussed and resolved overnight. Therefore, he said it would be dangerous for them to set a timeframe on when a response would be ready or when actions would be taken. “This is because if we fail to deliver, people will stop and attack us along the roads,” the minister said.

In response to that, the representatives of the workers said they understood what the ministers were saying, but mentioned that the workers, whom they had to report back to, would say they had sold them out. They said it could be better if government gave them a day when it would give them a proper response or if they could meet once a week over the matter. The public transport operators seconded the workers’ proposal and said they also needed to meet with the rest of their colleagues and they needed something to use to motivate them during the discussions. They suggested that their colleagues might understand if government would say it would meet them again after two weeks.

In response, the chairman of the meeting made the promise to meet the representatives after two weeks and asked them to return to work in the meantime.
Thereafter, the meeting was closed, but when the participants got out of the venue, they discovered that the public transport workers, who were waiting for feedback from their representatives at the Manzini Bus Rank, had marched to the gate of the Municipal Council of Manzini.

Demand

They had gone there to demand the feedback from their representatives as they felt like they had taken long in the meeting. Afterwards, they held a meeting where the representatives reported back about their meeting with government. However, the workers rejected the plea from government. They said they would start negotiating once the two MPs had been released. This time around, they threatened to close filling stations across the country. On the same note, the Swaziland Transport Communication and Allied Workers Union (SWATCAWU) Acting Secretary General, Sticks Nkambule, said the workers would wait for the two weeks on the streets. He said they made it clear that they would go back to work once the arrested MPs had been released.