By Zweli Martin Dlamini
Africa-Press – Eswatini. It seems there’s an agenda in this country to destroy companies owned by emaSwati and, Commerce, Industry and Trade Minister Mancoba Khumalo is doing literally nothing to address the situation except to utter endless political statements expressing support for businesses within the Small and Medium Enterprise(SME) sector.
In politics sometimes the term “political statement” becomes a very diplomatic description of lies, politicians would utter outright lies and when asked or challenged to account based on their own political statements, they will tell you that “I was speaking politics” as the last line of defense.
It’s an outright lie that Government is committed to supporting businesses owned by emaSwati in this country, companies owned by citizens of this country are struggling amid Government delay or failure to pay suppliers and, the business environment is fast becoming hostile for ordinary emaSwati to strive in business.
Perhaps, it’s the Minister of Finance Neal Rijikernberg who must shoulder the blame but, Commerce Minister Mancoba as the political head of businesses in the country must be vocal inside Cabinet demanding the establishment of a policy directing the Treasury Department to speed-up payments.
It seems we have a Commerce Minister who is only good in managing his public image, of course, he is working and we have seen some significant improvements but, we need practical solutions to the challenges affecting businesses in the country particularly the delay in the payment of suppliers.
Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini also uttered outright lies this week when speaking through his representative Economic Planning Minister Dr Thambo Gina, he called for more support for companies within the SME sector.
But we expect results from a Head of Government not mere political statements.
Who is the PM calling for support from because as the Prime Minister, he must provide political support to the line Minister to develop enabling legislations and policies that seek to create a conducive business environment?.
The purpose of venturing into business is to generate money or profit, contribute to economic growth and development and therefore, the delay in the payment of Government suppliers defeats the fundamental purpose of establishing a business.
But apart from that, a business must be able to feed the owner and his/her family, in this country we have Government suppliers who sometimes struggle to buy food, they are owing banks, the Eswatini Revenue Service(ERS), rent, school fees and struggling to pay other bills.
Indeed, what is happening in this country is very painful, some businesspeople whose companies were striving some years ago have been turned into pedestrians by a Government that claims to be prioritizing companies owned by emaSwati.
This country has an independent online publication today owned by Liswati and it’s been a struggle for the past ten(10) years to defend and protect it, others even crossed the border, used taxpayers money just to try and destroy it using the South African courts, one wonders why we as emaSwati hate each other so much?.
Clearly, we are failing to understand that the more we have companies owned by us as emaSwati, even if we can disagree politically, we will collectively protect State interests and work towards developing our country because our common interest is the country, we don’t have another country.
Now we are quiet, others are laughing while businesses owned by emaSwati collapse, clearly we need spiritual deliverance, this is not normal.
I cannot entirely blame Minister Mancoba Khumalo, Neal Rijikernberg or Russell Dlamini in all this, the entire country is suffering from “self-hate” and we normally celebrate the collapse of businesses owned by other emaSwati.
But in conclusion, let me urge Cabinet to develop a policy to ensure that the Ministry of Finance Treasury Department pays SMEs timely, we will destroy this country if we allow the economy to be captured by foreigners.
The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade under Minister Mancoba Khumalo’s leadership made significant progress in improving the ease of doing business particularly, the introduction of a more convenient registration of companies system but, Government must do more to support SMEs.
Let us love, support each other and stop celebrating the collapse of businesses owned by other emaSwati, a sane person cannot enjoy wealth if the next person is poor and suffering.
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