MBABANE:Mduduzi Gina,the Secretary General of the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland(TUCOSWA) has warned about escalating restrictions by the Government in preventing citizens from exercising their right to protest.
This comes after King Mswati, through his sister Regional Administrator Princess Tsandzile stopped a protest intended to deliver a petition to Parliament amid moves by the eSwatini Government to increase electricity and water tariffs.
Speaking to this Swaziland News on Thursday evening, the TUCOSWA Secretary General said, they did everything according to the Public Order Act and notified the authorities about the protest that was supposed to take place on Thursday.
“But it seems in this country all legitimate efforts for the citizens to protest and even petition Parliament are sabotaged by the authorities”, said the TUCOSWA Secretary General.
Reached for comments on Thursday evening, Regional Administrator Princess Tsandzile avoided to respond to questions when asked why the protest march was stopped but instead, he invited this journalist to attend the Incwala ritual ceremony.
“Kuncono ungitfumele ema-questions nangabe ungakhoni lokuta laNcwaleni”,said the Regional Administrator who later failed to respond to questions.
Eswatini is an absolute Monarchy,citizens are not allowed to protest or deliver petition to the authorities and in June 2021, King Mswati allegedly unleashed soldiers, the police, Correctional Services officers and alleged mercenaries to shoot and kill dozens of civilians merely for, demanding democratic reforms.
With the proposed electricity and water tariffs increase, emaSwati are highly expected to sink deeper into poverty and the increase will further influence the escalation of costs of basic commodities.
Trade Union Congress says right to protest violated in eSwatini as Government intensifies move to increase electricity and water, emaSwati to sink deeper into poverty.