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Saturday 29 March 2008

SWAZI P.M. HITS AT BRUTAL POLICE

Swaziland’s Prime Minister has come out to condemn police who brutally attacked legally striking textile workers.

Both daily newspapers in Swaziland reported the PM’s comments yesterday (Friday 28 March 2008), which were made at a press conference.

The independently-owned Times of Swaziland reported,

‘Prime Minister Themba Dlamini has condemned the police brutality on the striking workers belonging to the textile industry.’

‘The premier, in his address during a press conference yesterday, said government was totally against the brutality exhibited by the police on the defenceless strikers about a fortnight ago.

‘He described the bashing and shooting of the textile workers with rubber bullets by some members of the police as very unfortunate.'


The Swazi Observer, a newspaper effectively owned by the Swazi Royal Family, also reported the Prime Minister, but stressed that the PM ‘was convinced that no sane officer could have acted in that manner without provocation’.

Both the Times and the Observer also reported the PM accusing ‘outsiders’ who were not striking textile workers of taking further their own interest.

Police had brutally attacked workers and innocent by-standers as they tried to break up the legal strike. It was reported that one pregnant and a baby were killed in separate incidents during the attacks.

See also
SWAZI POLICE ‘KILL BABY WITH TEARGAS’

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