Times of Swaziland
*Bitter workers plot mass stay-away* *Zwelihle Sukati, Times of Swaziland, 17 May 2010*MBABANE -- Workers and political parties will unite to lobby a mass strike action following the abrupt cancelling of the funeral.
This was said by Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) Secretary General Muzi Mhlanga commenting on the police invasion of the late PUDEMO member's funeral, Sipho Jele.
"We were frightened by the police intrusion yesterday morning which resembled a first of its kind in such a scale," said Mhlanga who at the time could not even finish his speech.
"Such conduct takes the country back ages and shows that this country has become a police state. However, we are not shaken by their conduct which shows that government has run out of ideas.
*Unite*As workers and political parties we have to unite as we are lobbying for a big strike action never seen before since 1996," said the Secretary General on the next move.
He said what the police did was as good enough to reflect the true current state of affairs in the kingdom.
"It was already morning when they came to disrupt proceedings and we were caught off guard as they did not show up the whole night until morning," he said. Mhlanga was the second last speaker during the night vigil after which the deceased was then to be buried.
Meanwhile a court order restraining the police from disrupting the funeral in future will be sought.
The family's lawyer Leo Gama said he was shocked to learn of the police interference during Jele's funeral.
"Even the government representative at our case was shocked to hear that police had interfered with the funeral as he was also not aware of the police presence," said Gama.
He said the agreement reached between the community authorities and the deceased's family was that the funeral continues.
"What this means is that tomorrow (today) we have to consult with the family and seek the court's intervention to restrain the police from interfering with what is supposed to be a peaceful funeral of the deceased," said the lawyer.
The family members said they too would wait for the lawyers on a way forward.
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