Swazi striker shot

Trade unionists in Swaziland said police attacked workers in the capital, Mbabane, and in the eastern industrial city of Manzini, on the second day of their strike to press for democratic reform in the kingdom. The secretary-general of the Swaziland National Association of Teachers, Musa Dlamini, said striking workers had been beaten up and a school teacher shot in the eye. He also said a trade unionist arrested and then freed on Tuesday, had been re-arrested. It was not clear whether the teacher, Bonginhlahla Gama, had been shot with a rubber bullet or a live round. The head of the Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions (SFTU), Jan Sithole, was placed under house arrest on Tuesday. A police spokesman told the BBC that Sithole was a “threat to security” and was banned from speaking to the media. The strike, called for Monday and Tuesday, was banned by a court order obtained by the government late on Sunday. Most schools on Tuesday remained closed, as did many industries in the central sugar belt. But most commercial outlets and offices stayed open. However, with the arrest of Sithole there have been calls for further protest action, news reports said. The industrial action was called to demand democratic reform in the country, where King Mswati has absolute power, and rules by decree. The government recently re-introduced provisions enabling police to hold suspects for 60 days. The strike follows a meeting of the Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions (SFTU) in neighbouring South Africa a week ago which endorsed calls to end Swaziland’s ban on political activities.