Repeat protest unlikely, writes James Hall
MBABANE - The latest attempt by Swaziland's trade unions to block the country's border posts to press King Mswati on democratic reforms proved lacklustre. When the planned three-day action was cancelled half-way through, chances for a repeat protest of this type seemed remote.
A manager for a local trucking firm told FTW that the transport industry resented having to suffer the brunt of financial hardship in a protest that sought to halt commercial truck activity.
Border blockades as an attention-getting way to mount protests against the monarchial government had not worked before. The participation this time of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), in solidarity with the Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions that instigated the blockade, ensured a chance of some success last Wednesday when the protest began. But by noon Thursday SAP officers at Osheok border, which is heavily utilised by traffic from Gauteng, ordered the big-rig trucks of COSATU drivers to move across the border, citing an agreement with protest organisers that the action would only last one day.
In anticipation of a blockade, supermarkets, businesses and industry in Swaziland stocked up supplies early in the week. Disruptions proved minimal. There were no fuel, food or other shortages.
Swazi police declared the blockade illegal under the Public Order Act.
Roadblocks were placed within the country to prevent protesters from converging at border posts. There were some skirmishes between protesters and police at Mananga border gate, used by traffic from Nelspruit. The Lavumisa border gate to Durban and Lomahasha to Maputo were not affected.
Secretary general of the Swazi labour federation, Jan Sithole, put his best spin on the blockade, saying it was a success because some truck traffic was disrupted. The local press is calling the blockade a flop because its original intention was to completely isolate the kingdom by blocking all road arteries.
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