A peaceful protest initiated on Tuesday 18th September by members of the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA) to draw attention to a number of pressing work place and livelihood issues, notably relating to salary increases and cost of living allowances was viciously repressed and protesters brutally attacked by the eSwatini Royal Police Force.
According to informations reaching us, several workers were wounded in the clashes, as police used batons, stun grenades to disperse the crowd.
The organisers of the demonstrations, however, had continued with the protest until Thursday as the demonstrations were also taking place in other parts of the country, including Mbabane, Siteki and Nhlangano and the capital.
In a letter addressed to the prime minister of Eswatini, ITUC-Africa has condemned the attack of the demonstrators by the police. “ITUC-Africa strongly condemns the unprovoked and deliberate attack by the police against peaceful protesters and submits that it amounted to a flagrant violation of the human and labour rights of these workers.” wrote the General Secretary of ITUC-Africa the comrade Kwasi Adu-Amankwah.
ITUC-Africa also called for the cessation of all repressive actions against “”We call on you, Mr. Prime Minister, to use your good offices to cause a cessation of all repressive actions against the trade unions in their quest to attain better living and working conditions for workers…We equally ask that government investigates these attacks and prosecute those found to have attacked these protesters so as to rein in impunity”, he added.
