(By Pius Vilakati, writing as Mr Pius Rinto)
It is unfortunate, very unfortunate, that whenever we talk about Swaziland’s royal regime and its brutality on the people, particularly on the economic sphere, we must necessarily be forced to include the African National Congress (ANC) in that same hot pot. Sadly, some of our comrades, for whatever reason we are not aware of, always try to shut us down when it comes to this matter, when the fact of the matter is clear to us all that the ANC, wittingly or unwittingly, supports the regime, just like other imperialist forces. We can try to refute anyhow we want, but the ANC’s position in Swaziland is seriously conflicted!
It is unfortunate, very unfortunate, that whenever we talk about Swaziland’s royal regime and its brutality on the people, particularly on the economic sphere, we must necessarily be forced to include the African National Congress (ANC) in that same hot pot. Sadly, some of our comrades, for whatever reason we are not aware of, always try to shut us down when it comes to this matter, when the fact of the matter is clear to us all that the ANC, wittingly or unwittingly, supports the regime, just like other imperialist forces. We can try to refute anyhow we want, but the ANC’s position in Swaziland is seriously conflicted!
We love the ANC, we support it, but this does not mean that we must agree with everything it does. When it comes to the Swaziland struggle, we will not hesitate to speak! This is a struggle which directly affects us every second! Some of us would rather remain poor forever than to bend principles and condone the ANC-Tinkhundla business venture at the expense of the oppressed!
It is encouraging, however, that the voices against such positioning of the ANC are growing. An example is the statement of the Communist Party of Swaziland (CPS), dated 5 December 2014. It is reproduced in full hereunder with great approval:
It is encouraging, however, that the voices against such positioning of the ANC are growing. An example is the statement of the Communist Party of Swaziland (CPS), dated 5 December 2014. It is reproduced in full hereunder with great approval:
CPS
urges strong solidarity with Maloma colliery workers
The
Communist Party of Swaziland expresses its full solidarity with the striking
miners and colliery workers at the Maloma coal mine, in the Lubombo region of
our country and denounce any pressures for brusque call off of the strike
without meeting of demands.
We
call on all workers and trade unions in Swaziland, South Africa and beyond to
support the miners’ claim for better pay and conditions.
The
posturing by the Mswati regime’s police force is typical of the dictatorship’s
treatment of workers and unions: intimidation and the threat of violence, if
not actual violence.
The
miners are organized under the Mining, Quarrying and Allied Workers Union
(MQAWU), an affiliate to TUCOSWA, the union federation proscribed by the
regime.
The
Maloma mine is 75% owned by Chancellor House, the in-house investment firm of
South Africa’s African National Congress.
The
other 25% is owned by Tibiyo Taka Ngwane, a billion-rand consortium. It is
supposedly held in trust by Mswati III for the Swazi nation but in reality is
one of the absolute monarch’s private income channels. In Maloma mine, such
channels are watched over by Mswati’s brothers, Phinda and Themba Dlamini as
directors.
The
CPS calls on Chancellor House, as the principal owner of the mine, to come out
strongly against police intimidation of and heavy-handed tactics against the
miners. The Maloma management must oppose Mswati’s unwise ratcheting up of
tensions by deploying heavily armed officers.
Pressure
must also be put on the Maloma to behave in a civilized manner toward the
strikers and stop refusing strikers water, sanitation and medical treatment.
Management must get back to the negotiating table and accept that the strikers
have a strong case for better pay and conditions.
The
miners are striking in defence of their claim for E425 pay increment and E800
housing allowance, plus better workplace conditions.
Claims
that the miners are paid well above the minimum wage (they are paid less than
their South African counterparts), of E600 a month for skilled workers are, in
the view of the CPS, meaningless as the minimum wage is itself a poverty wage
and in insult to any employee.
The
strikers are challenging an interdict imposed by management to prohibit
picketing outside the workplace – a basic trade union right during industrial
action. Instead pickets have been made to congregate some distance from the
entrance to the mine.
Chancellor
House and Tibiyo Taka Ngwane have a previous bad record of behaviour towards
the miners and the local community, having earlier this year resisted
beneficiation claims to improve conditions in the surrounding community.
The
CPS is appalled that a company that abides by basic trade union and community
rights in its home country is happy to disregard them in another for profit and simply because it can get away with it.
The
CPS urges the WFTU and trade unionists and left parties to closely monitor the
Maloma strike and to highlight the plight of workers at the colliery.
Amandla!
Contact
Kenneth
Kunene
General
Secretary
072
594 3971
Felix
Mabaso
International
Organiser
074
922 8277
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