25 January 1997

The Secretary to Cabinet
Government House
Box 395
Mbabane

Dear Sir

Response to your letter dated 24 January 1997

We acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 24 January 1997 which was hand delivered by the Royal Swaziland Police officers alongside the letter which comes from the Minister for Enterprise and Employment. The two letters are meant we believe, to compliment each other since they are addressing the same issue, but they sort of confuse us a little bit on the following.

Your letter says the Prime Minister has referred the matter to the Minister for Enterprise and Employment for actioning, whilst the letter from the Minister says you are the contact person.

We hope you have received our concerns and preconditions from the Federation of Swaziland Employers, which, unless they are met, we will not be able to attend the negotiation table. We shall attach a copy of the FSE letter for your benefit.

Additional to pre-conditions, is unless Government stops the threats and the and the planned meeting of the government backed "Sive Siyinqaba Sibahle Sinje" meeting suggested for 1 February 1997.

Where is fairness in negotiating whilst we are threatened by pro-government organisations who are free handedly accessed to the State facilities (e.g. radio, T.V., Tinkhudla centres and the National stadium) for the purpose of declaring war against the workers resolution when they are supposedly a cultural group. It is public that some senior politicians with in government circles are involved in this group. We definitely want to negotiate but not under the present conditions.

We shall check with you on Wednesday 29 January 1997 at 09:00 telephonically to see how far government has gone in addressing the pre-conditions as stated. If the conditions shall have been met we will be prepared to resume negotiations immediately thereafter.

We hope and believe that in the interest of peaceful resolution government will do everything to make the ground fertile for negotiations.

Sincerely

Jan J. Sithole

SECRETARY GENERAL

CC: Prime Minister FSE Minister for Employment and Enterprise Minister for Education