Africa-Press – Eswatini. Local church bodies have joined the call for a meaningful national dialogue while pleading for calm amid the ongoing attacks.
These sentiments were recently shared by government through Government Spokesperson, Alpheous Nxumalo, who said a dialogue was the answer to the country’s political turmoil and that it could not be found in the barrel of a gun.
The church leaders have urged for calm and for all Emaswati to give the dialogue a chance.
The church leaders also condemned all that constitute a violation of human integrity and everything that offends human dignity.
They further denounced all crimes committed in the name of State security.
Swaziland Concerned Church leaders yesterday took their call a step further by marching to Parliament to deliver a petition.
The leaders have sought for Parliament’s intervention and pleaded for the facilitation of an all-inclusive and meaningful dialogue to provide solutions in light of the ongoing political unrest.
Meanwhile, the Council of Swaziland Churches through a statement issued yesterday pleaded for calm and urged the nation to give dialogue a chance.
They are of the view that the current political situation was extremely worrying as it challenged and affected the safety and security of every person.
They said what was most disturbing was that this was happening at a time when the nation and the world were still trying to recover from the devastating COVID-19 pandemic and other national challenges the country dealt with before the pandemic.
The church leaders have further called for a commission of inquiry into all politically-related killings and arson attacks.
This was detailed in a petition by the Swaziland Concerned Church Leaders and the Diocese of Manzini Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace delivered in Parliament.
The petition was officially delivered by Chaplain Father Jechonia Thayela Mahazule of the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace, who was accompanied by other leaders and congregants.
It was received by Principal Committee Clerk, Mpendulo Ngcamphalala, who assured the church leaders that the petition would be forwarded to the responsible office, being the office of the Speaker.
apparent
Mahazule expressed concern that over the past year, killings had become part of life in the country and it had become more apparent that Eswatini had chosen the path of death than that of life.
“It is clear that we no longer see in each other the God in whose image we have been created and with Cain in Genesis 4:9 we sarcastically asked am I my brother’s keeper,” he said.
He added that Emaswati have taken God’s place as creator deciding on lives of others and have rejected God as the father as they no longer saw each other as brothers and sisters but have chosen the blame game labelling others as adversaries, terrorists and enemies.
Mahazule recalled that the nation was elated at the announcement of a dialogue following the unprecedented killings and burning of structures witnessed in June 2021.
noble
“The church in Eswatini also wishes to see this noble process being meaningfully and honestly speedily implemented in order for all Emaswati to develop their potential and contributes towards the building of a just, peaceful and progressive Eswatini,” said the chaplain.
He said as church representatives, they condemned all that constituted a violation of human integrity and everything that offended human dignity.
They further denounced all crimes committed in the name of the security of the State as if the State was absolute and not in the service of the people.
“Hopefully an all-inclusive and meaningful dialogue will provide solutions in the ongoing political turmoil,” he said.
The church leaders submitted their petition in two aspects, the first being the call for accountability on the national dialogue.
They also sought Parliament’s intervention to facilitate for the establishment of an independent commission of inquiry into all politically related or motivated killings or deaths and the accompanying arson attacks on citizens.
Mahazule said they believed that after the dialogue, the country would have a system that would promote the common good, protect individual rights, accountability and it would allow the majority of the citizens to participate in the issues that touched all the spheres of their lives.
The chaplain said the petition was respectfully presented to Parliament and there were indispensable conditions for the normalisation of the social, economic and political situation and for the church to serve the country and the people of Eswatini more effectively, especially during the current political unrest.
He said they hoped that the petition would be given due consideration and Parliament would help make their wishes a reality. They further prayed that God brings healing amongst all the bereaved families and all victims of the political violence.
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