Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions
The Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions was a national trade union center in Swaziland. It was founded in 1983 and dissolved into the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland in 2012.
The SFTU was involved in the campaign to win democratic and pluralist reforms in Swaziland, as well as the removal of restrictive labour legislation.
Members of the SFTU faced considerable opposition. In 1995 general secretary at the time, Jan Sithole was threatened with deportation, and later kidnapped and abandoned in the boot of a car. In 2002 he was publicly threatened by a Swazi senator and government delegate to the International Labour Organization.
The death of Mxolisi Mbata, treasurer of the SFTU, was attributed to injuries he incurred as a result of a beating received from police after they broke up an SFTU general council meeting.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions was an outspoken and active supporter of the SFTU.
The SFTU was affiliated with the International Trade Union Confederation.Affiliates
There were 21 trade unions affiliated to the SFTU.
