Africa-Press – Eswatini. We have to agree that the speech delivered by His Majesty the King on Friday was his best ever.
I am not necessarily referring to his choice of prime minister because others more enlightened than I have already commented on that. Russell Mmemo Dlamini replaces the 70-year-old Cleopas Sipho Dlamini who served as PM for only two years, having been appointed on July 16, 2021. Russell may be a youthful leader who knows all the government structures, having worked closely with them as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Disaster Management agency (NDMA), but it was still a shocking choice by the King that no one saw coming. We shall wait and see what Dlamini has in store for us.
However, I am here to express my appreciation to His Majesty for the great speech he delivered at the Ludzidzini Royal Residence before he appointed the PM. Beaming with a smile throughout his address, the King spoke from the heart. From the top of his head, he outlined almost all the issues raised during the Sibaya discussions. It was evident that he had been listening as one speaker after another addressed him during the meetings. He said he was aware that every liSwati wanted to know if the issues raised would be addressed to their satisfaction. His Majesty promised that this would indeed be the case because the King was the last avenue where emaSwati reported their grievances. Among many other issues the King recalled from submissions was the need to ensure that emaSwati earned decent salaries wherever they were working. According to His Majesty, the question that remained now was, “How do we meet the needs of the nation after the grievances raised here?”
impressed
It was his command that government should work night and day to deliver on the expectations of emaSwati. I was quite impressed when the King declared that the report on Sibaya deliberations should henceforth work as the country’s policy guideline. Let us be fair…who would not be impressed when the Head of State emphasises that the will of the majority will be respected? His Majesty said monarchical democracy blended traditional structures and the will of the majority. “It is like playing the piano, where the player hits both white and black keys for good music to come out,” he said. As if alluding to the recent political unrest, the King said if the grievances raised by citizens were not adequately addressed, the people became vulnerable to being lured by emahhahhanyane (rabble-rousers) who wanted to cause anarchy. I was also impressed that His Majesty spoke at length about poverty, saying it had to be eradicated. “I have taken notes of everything you were saying and we will definitely address each of the issues raised,” said the King. All I can say is Bayethe, Wena Waphakathi. Shortly before he ended his speech, His Majesty advised the PM he was about to appoint to always be open to taking advice because that is what made a leader perform well. His Majesty was emphatic in saying even he himself was always advised in everything he did.
shocked
As expected, after his appointment Russell was visibly shocked. After all, a huge task had been bestowed on him. However, he should always remember the wise counsel from His Majesty when he told him: “Vula tindlebe, ulalele live” (Always listen and never ignore the nation’s wishes). Change is obviously coming in the way the government of Eswatini operates.
That said, the reader will recall that before His Majesty addressed the nation on Friday, those in attendance were given the last opportunity to state what they expected the new prime minister to address. I was touched by the submission made by one Thabiso Dlamini of Lavumisa who said most Sibaya speakers failed to talk about the country’s serious lack of safety and security.
He said in most parts of the country, the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) existed only in name. Officers are always available but do not have transport to reach areas where people need their assistance. “One can be attacked by a rapist today but the police will only arrive five days later,” he complained as he addressed His Majesty and the nation. As Thabiso was speaking at the Ludzidzini Royal Residence, an elderly couple of Gebeni was nursing serious injuries inflicted on them by thugs who broke into their house and attacked them on October 3, 2023. The attackers were clearly on a mission to kill the 66-year-old man and his 61-year-old wife. They hacked him 13 times with bush-knives and when his wife tried to raise the alarm, she was also hacked four times. After this traumatic experience, they called the police who only arrived 10 hours later. This is not an exaggeration, even though the nearest police station is in Malkerns, which is a 15-minute drive from Gebeni. The excuse of the police was that they did not have transport.
crime
This is a story many emaSwati, especially those who have been victims of crime, can identify with, yet no country in the world can grow economically when crime is out control. Investors will not want to come here when businesspeople who are already in the kingdom are attacked by armed thugs even in broad daylight, as we have seen in many areas, especially in and around Manzini in the past few months. Philani Dludlu of Mbekelweni’s submission also spoke about safety and security, saying community police were instrumental in bringing peace and a sense of safety to members of the community. He hoped that the new PM would work towards having members of the various community police forums remunerated.
That is my prayer as well because in many areas around the country, especially in rural and peri-urban areas, emaSwati rely on community police for at least a semblance of safety. These men and women work tirelessly, night and day, trying to keep their neighbours safe. If they would be paid a certain stipend, community police would work harder in assisting the REPS in the fight against crime. That said, all that is left now is for me to congratulate His Excellency, the Right Honourable Russell Mmemo Dlamini and wish him well as he carries out the challenging task ahead.
Source: times
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