By Sifiso Sibandze
Public Transport operators will never cease to astound the country’s authorities as they have seemingly defied the Industrial Court Order, interdicting them from proceeding with the transport shutdown.
By 6:15 am, the Mbabane Bus Rank was quiet, with no signs of taxis, Kombies, mini-buses and buses. Only three traffic cops were seen at the bus rank. Roadside vendors were a no-show as well. Some Kombies were spotted parked at Galp and Engen Service Stations.
The act of the public transport operators is contrary to the acting Prime Minister Themba Masuku’s assertion that they will operate over the next two days despite threats of a shutdown.
Masuku on Monday announced that the High Court granted a final order interdicting public transport employees from proceeding with the intended ‘unlawful strike action planned for Tuesday and Wednesday.
Masuku said the government decided to take the matter to Court using Section 89 of the Industrial Relations Act, 2000, which states that the Minister may apply for an order in the national interest, if according to sub-section (1), “Any lockout or strike is threatened or taken, whether in conformity with this Act or otherwise, and the Minister considers that the national interest is threatened or affected thereby, he may make an application to the Court, for an injunction restraining the parties from commencing or from continuing such action, and the Court may make such order thereon, as it considers fit, having regard to the national interest.â€
“In light of this order, Government expects public transport employees to be at work and transport operators to be on the road tomorrow, servicing people. Any action that is contrary to this order, therefore, amounts to Contempt of Court and the Government is obliged to take the necessary action. As Government, we still maintain that the disruption of public transport is not in 5 the interest of emaSwati,†he said.
The Eswatini Daily News has reliably established that there was also no public transport in other towns that include Nhlangano, Hlatsi, Siteki, and Manzini.
While there is no public transport, the government has announced it is providing buses to ferry commuters to their different destinations.Â
[PUBLIC NOTICE]: Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo announces that Government has released buses to operate along the Mbabane-Manzini corridor, at no cost to commuters. The buses are currently at Mbabane Bus Rank ready to service emaSwati.
— Eswatini Government (@EswatiniGovern1) December 13, 2022
