/ 6 September 2012

Cosatu: Swaziland will be a democracy

Cosatu has told Swaziland's people it will not be long before it is a democratic country.
Cosatu has told Swaziland's people it will not be long before it is a democratic country.

"This is not a promise but a fact, and none can deny it in the face of evidence as the regime daily demonstrates signs of collapse," Cosatu deputy president Zingiswa Losi told reporters in Johannesburg.

"The global working class has made it clear and loud, we shall be with you [Swaziland] however long it takes, wherever you are and however painful it feels."

Losi said Cosatu would not be silent about the situation in Swaziland as it was told to do, because South Africa had its own problems.

"When we were in struggle, many of our friends all over the world didn't ignore us on the basis of that flimsy excuse."

She said other countries had sacrificed for South Africa and that is what Cosatu was doing for Swaziland.

Cosatu did not want to dictate to the Swazi people how they should drive their struggle, but it was offering support, she added.

The trade union federation's members had been going into Swaziland every month to support the people there.

Cosatu held a meeting in Johannesburg this week with trade union leaders from around Africa as part of a global week of action for Swaziland.

Representatives from Nigeria, Angola, Ghana, Kenya, Luanda, Zimbabwe and Senegal were present. – Sapa