Communist Party of Swaziland
Saturday 31 December 2022: – “We must conduct an appropriate response to the harassment and killing of our comrades by the Mswati regime. Let us collectively find a way to harmonise our fighting forces for the final onslaught against the oppressor, towards our liberation.”
These were the emphatic words of Sticks Nkambule, the General Secretary of the Swaziland Transport, Communication and Workers Union (SWATCAWU), during the CPS Summer School held 20-30 December 2022 in Mpumalanga, South Africa.
He addressed the School on Thursday 29 December 2022.
The SWATCAWU General Secretary noted the reality that there is a need to increase the heat against the Mswati autocracy in light of increased persecution of the people by the Mswati regime.
In 2021, the transport workers’ union embarked on a two-week industrial action. They went on to raise demands with the government, including the demand to release all political prisoners and transformation of the transport industry as a whole. Their demands fell on deaf ears, however.
“Following the non-action of the government to resolve our issues, the conclusion we made as transport workers is that we are going to stagger our activities, and they will take place monthly,” elaborated SWATCAWU General Secretary.
He went on to call for unity within the mass democratic movement.
“We hope that we will find a way to harmonise our progressive forces,” he said.
He went on to encourage the Communist Party of Swaziland (CPS) to continue to play its vanguard role in this regard and unite the progressive movement in defence of transport workers and the trade union movement as whole.
He elaborated, “We find that the communists have an outstanding feature among the forces of the left in terms of ideas. We rely on the Communist Party to ensure that revolutionary ideas spread across the country.
CPS General Secretary, Thokozane Kenneth Kunene, echoed the transport workers’ leader on the need for the final onslaught to completely end the tinkhundla regime.
“As the CPS, we have declared, and this has been buttressed by our Summer School: that Mswati and his regime must not celebrate the 50th year of the state of emergency,” said CPS General Secretary.
Political parties remain banned in Swaziland since 12 April 1973 when the monarch bestowed all executive, legislative and judicial powers upon the institution of the monarchy.
SWATCAWU General Secretary, Sticks Nkambule, went on to congratulate the CPS for consistently holding its political schools, both the Winter and Summer Schools.
“Now we see the fruits of your work over the years, comrades,” he said.
“We appreciate that you are always available whenever we need you. We must ensure that the collaboration between our two organisations is always carried out regardless of who is in leadership at each given time.”
He assured the Communist Party of continued support from the transport workers’ union, and further appreciated the CPS’s defiance in light of the attacks the Party endured since its birth on 9 April 2011.
He continued, “No matter the names you were labelled with, you persevered, comrades. The fact of the matter is that there was always some vacuum in the struggle and that vacuum was filled by the Communist Party. As transport workers, we are not ashamed of associating ourselves with the CPS. We know very well that our work and liberation struggle are not complete without the communists’ involvement. We will make it a habit to deploy our members to fully participate in all CPS activities, including the Party’s political schools. We would like to see in all our branches a sharp increase in class consciousness.”
CPS General Secretary, Thokozane Kenneth Kunene, echoed the transport workers’ leader in calling for improved collaborative efforts between the CPS and SWATCAWU.
He further expressed humble appreciation for the militancy of transport workers whenever they are needed in the battlefield.
“Transport workers are always on standby whenever material conditions demand of them, and we highly appreciate that,” said the CPS General Secretary.
Turning to SWATCAWU leader, the CPS General Secretary said, “You have correctly said that the future is socialism. When the workers say it, it means the future is indeed possible. We wish this to be inculcated within all the ranks of the working-class movement.”
CPS PRESS SERVICES
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Contacts:
Thokozane Kenneth Kunene
General Secretary
(+27)72 594 3971
Pius Vilakati
International Secretary
(+27)81 353 3383
Email: cpswa.org@gmail.com
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Twitter: @CPSwaziland
Website: https://cp-swa.org/