Africa-Press – Eswatini. By its very nature, accountability is painful. That is why it is usually easy for us to demand it from someone else while we fail to account where required.
As emaSwati, we are quick to apportion blame onto government and demand accountability for various decisions and blunders. This was the case at the recent People’s Parliament (Sibaya) where we pulled no punches as we informed His Majesty the King about government’s shortcomings. We demanded better service delivery in terms of healthcare, education, poor roads and job creation, among a host of other socio-economic issues. All well and good. After all, it is the duty of every government to provide economic guidance and push policies that will improve the lives of a country’s citizens. After Sibaya, a lot is expected from the new Cabinet led by Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini.
Before I get carried away, let me get straight to my point. It is a pity that as we demand accountability from government and other leadership structures in parastatals, non-governmental organisations and even political activists, we do not want to do the same. This being December and a busy period when people who made contributions to savings societies known as ‘stokvels’, start getting dividends, all hell has broken loose. Honesty and accountability have flown out of the window. The word stokvel comes from the ‘stock fairs’ that were common among white settlers in South Africa’s Eastern Cape, who held rotational cattle auctions in the 1800s. Stokvels have evolved to being self-help initiatives designed to mitigate poverty and financial insecurity, especially among the black community.
participating
They were first popular in South Africa but have now become part of daily life in Eswatini, with both men and women participating in saving their money. Now that December is here, stokvel members are having a terrible time as they wonder if they will eventually lay their hands on their savings. This is awful, considering the fact that they join these credit unions to relieve themselves from the stress that comes with the festive season rush and the January dry period when nobody seems to have money. It is disappointing because stokvel members not only have to contend with armed robbers and burglars who want to lay their dirty hands on their savings but also live in fear of being short-changed by their own members. The culprits are usually the treasurers tasked with keeping the cash on behalf of all the other members. While some of these trusted neighbours or colleagues are honest and accountable, others are a bit shady.
On Friday, the nation woke up to screaming newspaper headlines detailing the drama that unfolded after one treasurer of a Mbabane stokvel allegedly misused the money that was entrusted to his care. The 42-year-old resident of Vusweni is treasurer of a stokvel that comprises 26 members from Mncitsini to Msunduza. He claimed to have been attacked by criminals who tied him up, stuffed socks in his mouth and made away with E48 000. He has since been arrested after allegedly confessing and the matter returns to court on January 15, 2024, for trial. We are all aware that this is not an isolated case. God forbid, this might not even be the last stokvel scandal we hear about this year.
dishonest
Staged robberies have become the main modus operandi for dishonest stokvel committee members who decide to use the money for their selfish ends, to the detriment of the other members. The painful thing is that in many cases, the men and women who contribute to these credit societies are unemployed. They save the little money they get, either from their partners or from doing odd jobs here and there. Robbing someone who can only afford to save just E150 per month should actually be a very serious crime. Not only does it cripple the other members financially but it also traumatises them for years. Some of those who have encountered the misfortune of being robbed, either by real criminals or deceitful committee members, do not want to ever get involved in such schemes again.
For their part, the police assist in investigating such crimes and warning members about the dangers of keeping cash in their houses. They advise that money should be kept with banks.
However, stokvel members worry about bank charges, which result in one getting back less than what one had deposited. This is what has become of our society. Instead of being honest and readying ourselves to account when the time comes, we decide to play tricks for personal gain. Isn’t this exactly what we are complaining about with government – that some politicians and civil servants line their pockets with public funds while the intended recipients suffer? This is what we are complaining about in the health sector, where even some junior staffers at the Central Medical Stores (CMS) are said to have devised devious ways to divert medication destined for various hospitals and clinics.
tracking
The Cabinet subcommittee for health has been informed that in the absence of a fleet management system, which incorporates CCTV cameras and tracking devices, it is difficult to prevent the theft of medication and other supplies from the CMS structures. Some fathers avoid accountability by refusing or neglecting to maintain their children, leaving many women to fend for themselves as single mothers. The very same men never miss an opportunity to demand accountability from government and others in leadership. While stressing over stokvels and related festive season pressures, emaSwati have been told to prepare for a rough ride as far as healthcare services are concerned. Doctors in public health facilities have threatened a work-to-rule strike because government has delayed payment of their on-call allowances. This means that they would not be available to assist patients after normal workday hours. While doctors always take an oath to ‘first do no harm’ and ‘maintain utmost respect for human life even under threat’, they are also human and need to get paid for their services – on time. So, if lives are lost, who between government and the defiant doctors, should be held liable? Who should account?
Source: times
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