Unions left to fight authoritarian monarch

King Mswati III, of eSwatini, has been criticised for clamping down on critical voices who challenge his authoritarian rule. Many of the activists demanding reform of the anti-democratic parts of the Constitution are either in jail or in exile. A Mail & Guardian Online report notes that the muzzling of dissidents became more pronounced when the king introduced the Suppression of Terrorism Act in 2008, which meant certain political parties critical of the regime were categorised as terrorist organisations. In the absence of critical parties and organisations, the eSwatini regime is faced with the rise of the unionised working class. 'As unions, we are protected to some extent, unlike political parties,' said Mduduzi Gina, the secretary general of Trade Union Congress of Swaziland, a federation with 19 affiliates. The report notes that the use of various of forms of intimidation, torture and murder to silence dissidents is a long-standing tradition in eSwatini.