Africa-Press – Eswatini. The task assigned to the nation at the national cattle byre, Sibaya, on Monday by His Majesty the King, to help him find the right calibre of politicians, who are deserving of the position of prime minister and the Cabinet ministerial positions, is a colossal one, to say the least.
This move should demonstrate an important recognition of the necessity of public trust in the integrity of our leaders, who should be committed to transparency and accountability. Compounding the complexity of this mission is the fact that it coincides with a scandal involving bribes-for-Senate-seats, which has become closely associated with Parliament during this particular phase of our election cycle. It comes as no surprise that numerous speakers at the ongoing Sibaya have lamented the devastating impact that corruption has had in almost every sector of society, not least the health sector, which reflects an infuriated citizenry that is demanding immediate action, due to the lack of a political will to curb this scourge. They are sick and tired of it – literally!
Adding salt to injury is the bluff that the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is working on the Senate-seat-bribery-allegations. This has fallen flat on its face, as it turns out that the ACC currently has no commissioner or deputy, who has the authority to even commission a full investigation. When will authorities ever get tired of playing us the fool? As it stands, the nation is currently at a crossroads. On the one hand, there are valuable contributions being made regarding the qualities and characteristics that an individual should possess in order to hold a position of power. On the other hand, the King must choose from a group of candidates who are associated with a parliament that is currently seen as one of the most corrupt institution in the country. One of the Senate hopefuls, who lost the race, did not help matters for this lot during her presentation at Sibaya on Tuesday when she confirmed the alleged corruption and mentioned how some of them lost to the highest bidders.
The threat to our nation’s future becomes evident when we contemplate the possible appointment of politicians who have unscrupulously purchased their way into parliament, solely for their own benefit. There is a danger that we may continue a cycle, of prioritising self-interest and ignoring the needs of the citizens, resulting in neglect of our nation’s welfare and the well-being of its people. This neglect is comparable to the long-standing complaints that are being presented to the king at the cattle byre. As responsible citizens, we must seize this opportunity to insist on leaders who are unblemished by allegations of impropriety. We owe it to ourselves and future generations to be vocal agents of a corrupt-free society, that is grounded on a strong foundation of integrity and ethical governance. We deserve a government that truly represents the will and trust of the public, where corruption finds no harbour, and where those who stride along the corridors of power are men and women worthy of the honour. We know that the fight against corruption is a long-term battle that requires continuous vigilance and deterrent action, but we must start now to hold all those suspected of corruption accountable; otherwise all these well-intended dialogue initiatives will turn out to be something of a damp squib.
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