Border post strikers threaten to take the fight into eSwatini
As unrest in eSwatini continues, all Mpumalanga border posts leading to this kingdom remain closed.
Leading the continued border posts blockade are the EFF, Nehawu and Cosatu.
In solidarity with the people of eSwatini, these three South African political organisations continue to stage protests at all these border posts, making sure that no one enters or exits the kingdom.
On Monday, following recent reports that suggested that about 50 civilians had allegedly been killed by the eSwatini government, police and military over the weekend, the EFF threatened to cross the borders and take the fight to King Mswati III’s doorstep. “We are not going to march here (at the border posts) forever.
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There will come a time when we will go inside the country and help liberate our brothers and sisters,” said the EFF’s Bandile Shongwe.
“We have seen the brutal tactics and we have witnessed the brutal regime of King Mswati, where our brothers and sisters are harassed and killed like dogs in the streets. We are not going to fold our arms while our brothers and sisters are being killed like flies in eSwatini. We will take the fight there,” threatened Shongwe.
Videos of the police and military assaulting and shooting at civilians went viral over the past weekend, which angered the EFF and Nehawu.
“We are aware that we are in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, but we cannot just sit back and relax as if everything is alright. We need to fight King Mswati’s regime until the people are free,” said Shongwe.
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The provincial chairperson of Nehawu, Fanie Ngwenyama, also called for King Mswati’s regime to end, but stressed that it is only the people who will free themselves from such a regime.
“This is a long and outstanding programme of Nehawu. We are here with Cosatu to pay solidarity to the people of eSwatini. We are calling for their own liberation. This call is in line with the resolutions taken at both our national and provincial conferences.
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“We have realised the brutality of King Mswati’s regime does not want to allow the people of eSwatini to honestly and independently present their demands through their government. They are not free and not allowed to present their petitions, and this is our way of showing support to them. We have just learned that people are now without food and not able to use networks, and all these things are meant to silence them,” Ngwenyama said.
