LABOUR MINISTER WON’T ATTEND ANY MAY DAY CELEBRATION

MBABANE – None of the May Day Celebrations will be graced by the presence of Labour and Social Security Minister Phila Buthelezi on Monday.

The minister said he was not invited, at least on time, by the workers as had been the case in previous celebrations. Minister Buthelezi confirmed yesterday that he will not be attending any of the events where workers will be celebrating their day. He was responding to questions on allegations by some affiliates of trade unions to the effect that government preferred one federation over the other. This then created wide anticipation on which Workers’ Day commemoration the minister would attend. May Day is commemorated on May 1 yearly and is also known as International Workers’ Day or Labour Day. In many countries, the day is commemorated through political demonstrations and celebrations organised by unions.

Organised

In Eswatini, the day is organised by the two federations of workers’ unions, which are the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA) and the Federation of Swaziland Trade Unions (FESWATU), and is held in separate venues. TUCOSWA will be hosting the event at Mayaluka Stadium in Big Bend, while FESWATU will be hosting it at Riders Ranch in Sidvokodvo. Both federations stated that they would be expecting the minister or his representative to grace their events as invitations had been sent to him. However, despite this, Buthelezi stated that he would not attend any of the events.

On whether he would change his mind should the invitations reach him on the days closer to the event, the minister insisted that if the federations were keen on having him there, the invitations would have been sent earlier. “Any invitation that could be sent from now on would be late because I have already committed myself to some other duties,” he said. When the federations’ secretary generals (SG) were asked about the minister’s invitations yesterday, they stated that the invites had been dispatched to the minister.

FESWATU SG Phendulile Zikalala stated that her office sent a formal invitation as well as an email to the minister yesterday morning.
Meanwhile, TUCOSWA SG Mduduzi Gina said Buthelezi’s invitation was sent through the Principal Secretary’s Office on April 21, 2023.
He stated, however, that even if the minister did not attend the event, such would not be a train smash. He said they would understand that he had other commitments. Outside their affiliates, Gina said they were expecting representatives from the neighbouring countries’ counterparts.

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