Africa-Press – Eswatini. Nhlanhla Dlamini, the Secretary to the nation, hasn’t been releasing the reports for the People’s Parliament.
Sometime ago, I went to his office at Nkhanini to ask for the reports and he told me that he would not give me unless he was authorised to do so by the country’s elders. The reports were released to the public during the time of Prince Tfohlongwane as Chairperson of the Swazi National Council Standing Committee (Liqoqo).
His Majesty the King and Ingwenyama, in his capacity as Chairperson or speaker of the People’s Parliament, would often delegate the late Christopher Kado Makhanya to report back to the nation. Makhanya, the then Secretary to Liqoqo, would ‘doctor’ the report much to the chagrin of the sector calling for the repeal of the 1973 Decree, which banned the involvement of the political parties in the administration of government.
But, we basically appreciated that labadzala reported back to us.
EmaSwati deserve to know whether the recording secretary captured accurately what they submitted at the cattle byre. They also need an assurance that the report of the People’s Parliament will be implemented. As the nation prepares for Sibaya on October 23, 2023, we foresee a change of attitude in terms of the implementation of the submissions to be made there by emaSwati.
Damage
This Sibaya shall be different from the previous meetings held at Ludzidzini Royal Residence. It comes after the civil unrest that was notably unprecedented, but caused massive damage in the social order. Eswatini has never been the same since the emergence of the civil unrest, which claimed lives, divided the nation into factions, reversed economic gains and disturbed investor confidence – to a large extent. During the dissolution of the 11th Parliament, His Majesty the King told the nation that he would convene Sibaya in order to get the feeling of emaSwati about issues of national importance.
He said he would convene the meeting after the general elections to set up the 12th Parliament. His Majesty has kept his word and I believe that people will heed the royal command to attend the national meeting in large numbers. We can ask for the implementation of the Sibaya reports. At this moment, that’s all we can ask for. In his tenure of office as the chairman of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, Cyril Ramaphosa concluded a one-day working visit to the Kingdom of Eswatini.
He had an audience with His Majesty. His visit had that of a special envoy to the country to assess the political situation on the ground.
The special envoy was in the country on October 21-22, 2021. It is on record that President Ramaphosa and His Majesty King Mswati held discussions on a broad range of matters relating to the political and security situation in the kingdom. The deliberations resolved that the Kingdom of Eswatini would embark on a process that would work towards the establishment of a national dialogue forum. President Ramaphosa and the King agreed that the SADC Secretariat would work closely with the Government of Eswatini to draft terms of reference for the national dialogue forum. These terms of reference were to specify processes for the forum, as well as the composition of the forum.
Enshrined
It was also agreed that the process towards the national dialogue would take into account and incorporate structures and processes enshrined in the Constitution of the Kingdom of Eswatini, including the role of the Parliament of the kingdom, and the Sibaya convened by His Majesty. President Ramaphosa and His Majesty were at one in calling on all stakeholders among emaSwati to work together to end violence and conflict, and maintain peace and calm in the kingdom as work was commencing on the national dialogue process. I also appreciate the head of State’s ‘acknowledgement’ of the need for emaSwati to come together as a nation and share ideas on how we can contribute to programmes that seek to make Eswatini a better place for all of us to live in and prosper.
Since the role of Sibaya was adopted by SADC, I can only prevail upon my fellow emaSwati to make use of this structure. This is their opportunity to make submissions to the King on the governance of the country. When things are expressed with respect, they get done very quickly, and without any reservations. I hope and encourage our people to express their nation-building opinions with respect so that we can move forward together as a nation founded on identical cultural norms and values. Those who think that the political status quo is good for them should be given the platform to make submissions without the fear of ridicule and threats.
They must be respected. It is important that the freedom of choice and expression is upheld to show that we are a democratic society. Likewise, emaSwati who believe that the country should introduce multiparty democracy as a new method of governance deserve recognition and respect during the Sibaya deliberations.
Politicking
Sibaya is not a platform for the ‘boo boys’. Insults are not a characteristic of democracy but features for a mad society. There are people who think they are politicking when they are insulting others or ridiculing dissenting voices. We shouldn’t venture into deleterious politics. I pointed out in some analysis that Eswatini does not need an outdo match. We need a serious engagement on issues. I have seen outdo matches at Sibaya over the past years wherein a group of 50 people would organise themselves into a unit that rubbishes Tinkhundla System of Government and the other unit would then emerge to do the same to multiparty democracy.
Sibaya shouldn’t be a platform for emaSwati to outdo each other, but people should first be made to understand what democracy is, and what democracy entails. EmaSwati should differentiate between a lone issue that can easily be tackled and buried at once and multifaceted issues that need thorough engagements. Some political issues do not need a ‘yes or no answer’. After we have spoken, some matters may sometimes need a cultural and intellectual refinement.
I mentioned some time ago that Sibaya needs a two-day lecture on typologies of government. The presenters or lecturers should be able to teach emaSwati in SiSwati. That should be a place for empowerment. In our case, we need a brief and straightforward lecture on Tinkhundla System of Government and its benefits in modern-day Eswatini, and another one, a liberal person, should talk about multiparty democracy and its benefits.
This must happen inside the cattle byre. LiSwati teaching us about tinkhundla should be in a position to reveal the weaknesses of multiparty democracy and the partisan should do likewise, telling us where Tinkhundla System of Government has failed.
When the time for political discussion comes, we shall speak from an informed position. It is possible that people gathered at the cattle byre may realise that political solutions can be solicited from outside the cattle byre. Eswatini has an estimated population of 1.2 million. Sibaya can accommodate about 12 000 people who cannot all make submissions.
Contribute
Supposedly, the country has 900 000 people who are eligible to make submissions on nation-building, they all need a fair chance to exercise their right to contribute to the process. An inclusive strategy is needed to ensure that each and every liSwati is engaged in matters that border on the governance of their country.Section 232 (1) of the Constitution provides that “the people through Sibaya constitute the highest policy and advisory council (libandla) of the nation.”Indeed, the people gathered at the cattle byre constitutes the highest policy to also realise that a majority of emaSwati are unable to attend the People’s Parliament. The place is too small to accommodate all of them.
The same applies to those who think that Facebook comments and rally speeches reflect the opinions of the nation. We cannot allow a certain section of the society to manage the country through Facebook. We have to accept that SADC embraced Sibaya in November 2021, as I mentioned above. There is no way our people can bypass Sibaya if they believe in the authority of SADC.I have many a times pointed to the fact that a delegation from the political parties went to Namibia to lay a case before the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation. That approach was an indication of acceptance of SADC authority. Sibaya is then the first avenue to explore to get solutions to the country’s political challenges.
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