Swazi workers vow to boycott summons

The Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions on Sunday urged thousands of Swazi workers to boycott King Mswati III’s summons to attend a meeting later this week on the future of the constitution, news reports said.

Mswati has called upon the Swazi nation to converge on Friday at the Ludzidzini Royal Cattle Byre outside the capital Mbabane, where he would present the findings of a Constitutional Review Commission (CRC). The union said that the commission’s findings would only represent the views of the “royalists” and not the views of all Swazis.

The commission took four years to gather the views of Swazis, with its terms of reference stating that no organisations only individuals would be allowed to make submissions. Two weeks ago, the federation had to call off a mass meeting, intended to discuss a draconian new decree strengthening Mswati’s powers over his one million citizens.