Swazis blockade borders to push for political reform

Mbabane – Border blockades to prevent the importation of SA goods into Swaziland will continue as a tactic to pressure government on political reform, SA and Swazi trade federations have announced. This is despite the six-hour detention of demonstration leaders by Swazi police that thwarted last week’s attempted border protest. “We will draw attention to the issue of governance in Swaziland with our international partners in the labour movement,” said Jan Sithole, secretary general of the Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions (SFTU), announcing a co-ordinated plan with the organisation’s SA counterpart, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu). The federations said unionists would carry out a blockade of four Swazi/SA border posts from October 20 to November 1. Little came of last week’s attempted blockade after Swazi police prevented protesters and the media from getting anywhere near border posts. Sithole and other unionists were locked inside a police van in the morning, driven around the country, and let out in the afternoon. Road freight firms are taking note of next month’s scheduled three-day protest. “It’s the start of the busy season for us, and a disruption would be costly. With these things you never know what can happen,” said the operations manager of a Matsapha-based road haulage firm. Swaziland imports up to 90% of its goods from SA, including all its petroleum products.