SWAZILAND: Unions demand political reforms

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SWAZILAND: Unions demand political reforms

MBABANE, 2 July (IRIN) - Swazi labour leaders this week aim to draw world attention to their demands for political reform in Africa's last absolute monarchy at the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions meeting in Durban, South Africa.

The Swaziland Federation of Trade unions has already asked the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to investigate alleged human rights abuses in the country.

It is the latest move by Swaziland's labour unions in a campaign to focus international attention on the kingdom.

"First at the convention of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Geneva last month, and this week at the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions in Durban, South Africa, the unionists have brought to the attention of the world community the need for political reform in Swaziland," the president of the Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions (SFTU), Africa Magongo, told IRIN.

Although political parties are banned in Swaziland, unions can still operate in the open and this has provided one of the last outlets for political expression.

Political parties or any organisations with a political agenda are banned by royal decree and public meetings or marches with a politcal objective are prohibited.

SFTU Secretary-General Jan Sithole and the federation have manipulated a loophole in the political meetings ban by raising political issues within union meetings called to discuss labour matters.

"At the International Labour Organisation convention in Geneva, I formally requested that the body send an investigative team to look into my charges of human rights and workers rights abuses by government," Sithole told IRIN.

Two years ago, Swaziland lost its trade privileges with the United States, on which the kingdom's export sector depends, when the ILO condemned a labour law making strikes almost impossible.

However, the international body took a proactive approach and sent three labour experts to the country to help draft amended legislation. This was signed by King Mswati III and the US restored trade privileges. As a result Swaziland then became eligible for the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA).

The original anti-union labour legislation was initially specifically meant to neutralise political dissent. From the mid to late 1990s, the labour federation led a series of nationwide workers stayaways, shutting down the country for a week at a time. Police broke up marches with tear gas and rubber bullets, but government was powerless to end the demonstrations. The public eventually wearied of the inconvenience and loss of services.

Two years ago, Sithole joined other labour leaders clustered within the Swaziland Democratic Alliance, along with banned political parties, at an anti-government rally in Nelspruit, South Africa. Prime Minister Sibusiso Dlamini had banned union meetings in Swaziland, objecting to their political content.

Sithole reported the union meeting ban to the ILO, along with his own arrest and subsequent trial for involvement in the South African meeting. It was the third time he was put on trial for anti-government activities but he has never been convicted.

At last year's convention, the ILO threatened to call for economic sanctions against the kingdom over a royal decree that again infringed on union rights, as well as freedom of speech and assembly. Mswati responded swiftly to the criticism of foreign envoys posted in Swaziland, who distribute the loans and grants the nation depends on, and the decree was anulled a month later.

In May this year Dlamini unveiled an Internal Security Act that was again widely criticised, further hurting Swaziland's international image.

In Durban this week Sithole will spotlight Swaziland's human rights record before the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, where he is a board member. The unionists' will meet alongside the African Union's (AU) inaugural heads of state summit. The principles of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), the AU's economic blueprint, calls for democratic progress among African states as a foundation for economic development.

Sithole will argue that economic progress is not possible in Swaziland until a democratic system of government is installed.

Enterprise and Employment Minister Lutfo Dlamini headed the government's delegation to the recent ILO conference in Geneva. He was not allowed to attend a session where Sithole met other unionists and on his return demanded to know the content of those discussions.

The federation released a transcript of Sithole's submissions to the ILO which condemned a proposed new constitution as a "farce" alleging that it was being manipulated to ignore democratic sentiment in the country, and enshrine royal power forever.

King Mswati's brother, Prince David Dlamini, will draft the final document. When completed, the new constitution is expected to permanently ban political opposition to royal rule.

Sithole says such a constitution will never be accepted by the Swaziland Democratic Alliance or the international community.

He defends his involvement in political issues, rather than restricting himself to labour matters. "The price of bread has just risen again because of government mismanagement in the agriculture sector, but the workers are powerless to affect government change because there is no democracy.

"Bus fares are rising, corruption in the ministries is now a scandal a week, and thousands of Swazis may lose their jobs because government's human rights abuses can again jeopardise our trade agreements with the developed world. All these matters affect the workers. We as labour unions have no choice but to get involved," he said.

[ENDS]

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