Political parties in eSwatini have revealed plans for a ‘total national shutdown’ aimed at bringing pressure to bear on the kingdom’s ‘monarchical dictatorship’ to restore power to the people.
The parties including the Ngwane National Liberation Congress (NNLC), the Communist Party of Swaziland (CPS), the Swazi Democratic Party (SDP) and People’s United Democratic Party (PUDEMO) on Monday released a statement to that effect.
“We unanimously observed that the royal project Tinkhundla has reached a point of no return in dragging down our dignity and stretching beyond limits our patience as a people,” reads the statement.
The parties said the role of the current system of government (Tinkhundla) of appeasing royalty had been accelerated to levels unforseen before.
“Blazen looting and plunder of national resources by the monarchy have reached levels unmatched in history, plunging our people into unbearable conditions as witnessed through escalating cost of living, crisis in education and health, high unemployment as well as poor general service delivery” the statement says.
On Wednesday there will be a leadership march to petition the South African High Commission against South Africa being an accomplice and a beneficiary of ‘monarchical dictatorship’.
On Saturday a public meeting will be held in Manzini where workers, political parties, unions, civil servants and the public will launch a road map towards the total shutdown.
NSM/as/APA