POLICE VOW TO STOP TUCOSWA MEETING

MBABANE – The Royal Swaziland Police (RSP) service has vowed that TUCOSWA’s mass meeting will not be convened at the Salesian Sports Ground on Saturday.

The Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA) is set to host a mass meeting to discuss issues of concern to workers, which include the topical issue of AGOA and also the global week of action.
The organisation intends to explore issues that reflect an alleged lack of independence in the judiciary, among others. AGOA is a United States of America preferential trade programme that provides duty-free access to the US market for products from eligible sub-Saharan African countries.

Assistant Superintendent Khulani Mamba, Assistant Police Information and Communications Officer said the police would not allow the organisation to host the mass meeting. He said no organisation should host a large number of people and sideline the police.
“The police have an obligation to safeguard peace, safety and security. If they don’t want us present, what is the intention of the meeting?” Mamba asked.

Members

The mass meeting is expected to coincide with the official opening of the Swaziland International Trade Fair (SITF). Vincent Ncongwane, Secretary General of TUCOSWA had, in a previous interview, said his organisation expected at least 2 500 members to attend out of the about 35 000 members from 27 affiliated member-unions. 

Barnes Dlamini, President of  TUCOSWA, said his organisation had no business informing the police. He said there was no law instructing them to do so but whenever they did that they were doing it out of courtesy. He further insisted that the organisation would host the mass meeting.
“We’ll have the mass meeting to brief our members on issues of AGOA. If they want to strangle us, let it be so,” Dlamini said.

He further stated that the issue of the country’s AGOA eligibility did not just affect the textile workers but it spiralled and affected the country as a whole.
He also noted that the issue was not just about the mass meeting but the state police were against TUCOSWA hosting any event. Dlamini wondered why the police never stop Christians who hold prayer sessions anytime it suited them.

“Yini bangake bavimbe emakholwa (Why can’t they stop Christians)?” Dlamini wondered.

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