BY PHUMELELE MKHONTA
MBABANE – “We believe sanity will prevail and no liSwati will be inconvenienced in the next two days.”
This was said by the Acting Prime Minister Themba Nhlanganiso Masuku today while addressing the threats on transport stand-offs tomorrow and Wednesday.
Masuku said this morning, the High Court granted a final order interdicting public transport employees from proceeding with the intended unlawful strike action tomorrow, Tuesday December 13, 2022 and Wednesday December 14, 2022.
“Government took the decision to take this matter to Court using Section 89 of the Industrial Relations Act, 2000, which states that the Minister may apply for an order in the national interest, if, according to sub-section (1), “Any lockout or strike is threatened or taken, whether in conformity with this Act or otherwise, and the Minister considers that the national interest is threatened or affected thereby, he may make an application to the Court, for an injunction restraining the parties from commencing or from continuing such action, and the Court may make such order thereon, as it considers fit, having regard to the national interest.”
“Subsection 2 of the Act reads: “Where the Court, upon hearing such an application under subsection (1) makes an order, the parties bound by that order shall immediately refrain from or discontinue such action, and the matter which gave rise to the action shall be deemed to have been referred to the parties concerned for determination.”
“In light of this order, government expects public transport employees to be at work and transport operators to be on the road tomorrow, servicing people. Any action that is contrary to this order therefore amounts to Contempt of Court and Government is obliged to take the necessary action,” said Masuku.
He went on to say as government, they still maintained that the disruption of public transport was not in the interest of emaSwati.
“There is no way denying people their right of movement can be justified. As we speak, children are writing their examinations and we should allow them to do so in preparation for their future and future of this country without any disturbance. We have people who need to access health services and some need to collect medication, interrupting transport does not benefit such people.
We have people who get paid per hour and per day. These people will miss out two days’ worth of wages which will affect their livelihoods for a long time.
Let me inform the Nation that Government met with transport operators and agreed that public transport will be available as usual. “Government encourages all emaSwati to make use of the toll free emergency line 112 to report any disturbances related to the illegal strike.”
