Sticks Nkambule, the Public Transport Union Secretary General,must understand that every struggle has pillars;there’s no way you can impose a national shutdown without consulting the Executive Command of the Underground Forces and other key ‘behind the scenes’ political leaders who are highly influential in the struggle.
Before calling a press conference, Deputy Prime Minister Themba Masuku and the entire Tinkhundla regime worked the ground; public transport owners were engaged, and those who tried to resist were intimidated by King Mswati’s government.
During the historic protest to the United States(US) Embassy, one businessman spent around two hundred thousand Rands (R200,000.00) paying ‘bus fares’ to public transport operators just to transport protestors to Ezulwini; hence, thousands attended that protest.
But what happened thereafter;one political leader ran to Facebook,consistently claiming that he is able to summon people to a protest; the question is,who transported those protestors?.
Even during Mswati’s events, there are those who transport regiments with government trucks, they work the ground first and it’s not a miracle to see thousands attending Buganu,uMhlanga or Incwala ceremony at the end, the glory goes to Mswati.
But in the struggle it’s different, we want one collective MultiStakeholder Forum organization that will drive the agenda for democracy, we don’t want to work and then one man emerges from nowhere and thank us on Facebook as if we are his “boys”.
That’s the danger of working as an individual and Sticks Nkambule must avoid working in isolation, he must subject himself to the collective of the Mass Democratic Movement(MDM) and listen when other leaders advise him that it’s not the right time for a national shutdown.
Indeed, we are more vigilant now, we don’t want repeat the same mistake and elevate an individual who then take the struggle back to Tinkhundla system because he doesn’t want to listen to MultiStakeholder Forum.
As mentioned,individuals end-up becoming power-drunk,bullying even journalists who are playing a key role in disseminating information for the world to know what is happening in the Kingdom eSwatini.
Sticks Nkambule should not consider himself a failure, he is and remain a vibrant political leader.
But, he announced the national shutdown at a wrong time when the struggle is silently cleaning itself of politically ambitious leaders who always ride on the shoulders and work of others for political fame and popularity.
But there are other developments that might have resulted to national shutdown becoming a failure.
Sticks Nkambule announced that he wants public transport workers to earn four-thousand Rands(R4000.00) salary per-month without conducting any research and or consultation with public transport owners.
The truth is; public transport owners are facing various challenges in this country and this, include damaged roads, they are spending more money on maintenance not to mention the theft of their monies(umdlazi) by their employees.
You cannot therefore,demand R4000 as a minimum wage for public transport workers some who are allegedly stealing from their employers and then expect owners to park their vehicles and support your shutdown.
King Mswati’s regime gained more political points on Wednesday when the national shutdown announced by Sticks Nkambule became a mockery of the eSwatini struggle for democracy.
But the struggle will again be a laughing stock after the results of the Tinkhundla elections, political activists who will lose those undemocratic elections will be mocked by the regime, perhaps for the next five (5) years.
It’s true that public transportation is one of the key stakeholders that can liberate and usher this country into a new democratic dispensation but,that doesn’t mean Secretary General Sticks Nkambule can wake up in the morning and impose a national shutdown without proper consultation.
This regime has strengthened its political machinery and security, and now it’s time to re-strategize and gather more intelligence about the strengths and weaknesses of the Tinkhundla system before taking any action.
Sticks Nkambule must consult the Executive Command of the Underground Forces; they will tell him when it’s time to announce a national shutdown.
This regime worked the ground to regain its power, people were killed, others arrested, and tortured.
Therefore, certain developments must manifest within the Underground Movement to demand justice for those who were killed before you can announce or impose a national shutdown.
Political and trade union leaders must learn to accept that there are pillars of this struggle; the struggle for democracy needs resources and intelligence.
In light of the aforementioned, it is therefore important for SWATCAWU Secretary General Sticks Nkambule to relax for now and refrain from attempting to remain relevant.
Keeping quiet and allowing things to be normal in the country is also a fight because the regime will not know what you are planning.
SWATCAWU Secretary General Sticks Nkambule.