Mountain View International Hotel by BON Hotels, situated in Mbabane, has reassured tour groups and guests travelling to eSwatini, following media reports last week of unrest and violence.
Hotel management says a small, unauthorised but manageable strike has unfortunately been sensationalised by print and social media.
On 10 November, around 100 minibus taxi and bus drivers protested in the streets of Manzini over the arrest of their colleagues. According to the national news publication, the Eswatini Observer, the five were arrested for allegedly assaulting a driver, whom they accused of transporting passengers without a permit.
“The protest was confined to a small area in Manzini around the bus rank, but the rest of the city was peaceful and continued with its normal business activity,” explains Sam Nabaala, the general manager of Mountain View International by BON Hotels.
He says the safety of guests is top priority and confirms that as a precaution, hotel management has been liaising closely with the police to ensure the safety of tour groups and guests arriving or departing, and the upholding of safe routes.
“Our good relations with the security forces allow us to make such arrangements and avoid any problematic areas and times of day. Where we think we may not be able to avoid a situation, we will inform tour groups and guests in advance.”
CEO of BON Hotels, Guy Stehlik stresses that guests are in good hands. “Their safety and security are paramount and knowing our GMs as we do, we trust them to protect our guests and to flag any issues.”
eSwatini Government spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo has been quoted as saying: “Law enforcement agencies will continue to apply the law in order to uphold the rights of roads users and public transport users”. The incident is also currently being investigated.
Nabaala says it is business as usual in the city and at the hotel. “But we urge tour operators and guests to call us directly to discuss any concerns they may have, so that we can make sure they’re provided with the correct facts about the situation in eSwatini.”