MBABANE: Sticks Nkambule,the Secretary General of the Swaziland Transport, Communication and Allied Workers Union(SWATCAWU) alleged that public transport employees were threatened by National Commissioner of Police William Tsintsibala Dlamini not to dare participate in the proposed national shutdown.
The national shutdown supported by public transport workers seeks to demand democracy and the release of incarcerated pro-democracy Members of Parliament(MPs) Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza, Mthandeni Dube and other political prisoners.
Addressing the media on Wednesday afternoon shortly, after meeting the National Commissioner, the SWATCAWU Secretary General said the police boss first demanded to know if the shutdown was linked to the demand for the release of the MPs.
“The National Commissioner then threatened us saying we must not dare participate in a shutdown.We told him that these issues including those that are labour related were raised as early as October 2021 but up to now, nothing has been formalized with the Government,” said the SWATCAWU Secretary General.
A questionnaire was sent to Superintendent Phindile Vilakati, the Police Spokesperson, however,she had not responded at the time of compiling this report.
Eswatini is in the midst of a political crisis after King Mswati unleashed his soldiers and the police to shoot and kill dozens of civilians, merely for demanding democratic reforms.
SWATCAWU Secretary General Sticks Nkambule.