Cosatu and the Swaziland Solidarity Network say the South African government has agreed to lend the Swazi government R1,2 billion
COSATU has condemned a reported bail-out by South Africa of Swazi King Mswati III's cash- strapped government.
Cosatu and the Swaziland Solidarity Network said yesterday that the South African government had agreed to lend the Swazi government R1,2 billion.
Officials in South Africa declined to confirm the report.
Solidarity Network's Lucky Lukhele said he could not reveal his sources, but said he received the information from several people in "the highest echelons of the ANC and government".
Cosatu's international secretary Bongani Masuku also said the loan had been granted.
But Clayson Monyela of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation denied the claims, saying "we haven't made that announcement".
"There has been a request and it is still being considered," Monyela said.
Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said last week that there were talks in the context of the Southern African Customs Union about bolstering the economies of Swaziland and Lesotho following the global recession.
Treasury spokesperson Lindani Mbunyuza referred this newspaper back to Monyela yesterday.
President Jacob Zuma's spokesperson Zizi Kodwa did not respond to messages.
Masuku slammed the alleged loan, saying "Cosatu is opposed to the bailing out of despots who loot the resources of people, plunder our economies and literally run down their countries then run for bail-outs".
He said Swaziland, the last absolute monarchy in Africa, where trade unions are banned, was a "corrupt and failed system".
"How many more bail-outs will South Africa have to incur whilst not confronting the real problem?" Masuku asked.
Two weeks ago, the Swaziland Solidarity Network - which opposes the loan - revealed that Mswati III had asked President Zuma for a loan of R10billion.
Government denied this until last Thursday when the Department of International Relations and Cooperation confirmed that there had been a request from the Swazi government to borrow money.
Lukhele said his organisation would lobby Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe and ANC deputy secretary-general Thandi Modise to have the decision retracted.
Cosatu slams SA 'loan' to Mswati
Cosatu and the Swaziland Solidarity Network say the South African government has agreed to lend the Swazi government R1,2 billion
COSATU has condemned a reported bail-out by South Africa of Swazi King Mswati III's cash- strapped government.
Cosatu and the Swaziland Solidarity Network said yesterday that the South African government had agreed to lend the Swazi government R1,2 billion.
Officials in South Africa declined to confirm the report.
Solidarity Network's Lucky Lukhele said he could not reveal his sources, but said he received the information from several people in "the highest echelons of the ANC and government".
Cosatu's international secretary Bongani Masuku also said the loan had been granted.
But Clayson Monyela of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation denied the claims, saying "we haven't made that announcement".
"There has been a request and it is still being considered," Monyela said.
Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said last week that there were talks in the context of the Southern African Customs Union about bolstering the economies of Swaziland and Lesotho following the global recession.
Treasury spokesperson Lindani Mbunyuza referred this newspaper back to Monyela yesterday.
President Jacob Zuma's spokesperson Zizi Kodwa did not respond to messages.
Masuku slammed the alleged loan, saying "Cosatu is opposed to the bailing out of despots who loot the resources of people, plunder our economies and literally run down their countries then run for bail-outs".
He said Swaziland, the last absolute monarchy in Africa, where trade unions are banned, was a "corrupt and failed system".
"How many more bail-outs will South Africa have to incur whilst not confronting the real problem?" Masuku asked.
Two weeks ago, the Swaziland Solidarity Network - which opposes the loan - revealed that Mswati III had asked President Zuma for a loan of R10billion.
Government denied this until last Thursday when the Department of International Relations and Cooperation confirmed that there had been a request from the Swazi government to borrow money.
Lukhele said his organisation would lobby Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe and ANC deputy secretary-general Thandi Modise to have the decision retracted.
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