22 August 2008
The last remaining absolute monarchy in Africa has again showed its contempt for democratic opposition and dissent by instructing Swazi police to arrest Jan Sithole, the general secretary of the Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions (SFTU).
The Brussels-based International Federation of Trade Union (IFTU) has condemned the arrest and has called for his immediate release.
"The ITUC strongly protests against the arrest of Jan Sithole, secretary general of the Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions (SFTU), by the Swazi authorities," it said on its online news.
According to the information received by the ITUC, Sithole has been subjected to intense harassment following a recent march organized by trade unions and other civil society groups against the participation of Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and King Mswati III of Swaziland in a meeting of Southern African Development Community (SADC).
In a letter sent to the authorities, the ITUC urged Prime Minister Dlamini to ensure the immediate release of Jan Sithole and guarantee that no charges are made against him.
The ITUC called on the government of Swaziland to respect ILO Convention 87 on freedom of association and the right to organise, which Swaziland has ratified and is therefore obliged to respect.
"Once again, Swaziland's rulers have demonstrated their authoritarian nature by this illegitimate and unacceptable harassment and arrest of a trade union leader in violation of fundamental rights enshrined in international law," said ITUC General Secretary Guy Ryder.
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