Africa-Press – Eswatini. Last week, Members of Parliament (MPs) were given a true picture of the state of the Eswatini economy by the Principal Planning Officer (PPO) in the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development, Siphiwe Dlamini.
In a bold and principled display of leadership, she fearlessly confronted the poor management of the country’s economy, telling the MPs what they needed to hear rather than what they wanted to hear. She decried the lack of monitoring of government resources, uncontrolled spending and high corruption in ministries. She also questioned the need for 19 ministries and numerous parastatals and highlighted four areas where the government has been found to be losing a lot of money, namely; salaries and transfers in parastatals; car rentals by the Central Transport Administration (CTA) and fuel; as well as external travel. This submission stands in stark contrast to the all-too-common approach of officials who sacrifice the truth for political convenience. Her courageous stance serves as a beacon of hope for the genuine progress that the people deserve. Her principals should encourage this approach instead of creating echo chambers in which the truth is shut out.
embracing
They should not emulate our MPs, who, instead of embracing the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Perception Survey findings that they are perceived as the most corrupt politicians, became highly defensive. This knee-jerk reaction only serves to underscore the urgent need for a change in the mindset of those who are meant to receive and act on genuine advice. The media is all too familiar with the ‘shoot the messenger’ reactions that come with telling people what they need to hear instead of what they want to hear. This must stop. It is time our society embraces reality if we are to move forward as a country. We are fresh from Sibaya, where the people spoke truth to power in raising the critical challenges they face, such as poverty, unemployment, corruption, a lack of quality education, the health crisis, and many more.
The overview cannot get any clearer. Rather than becoming defensive or dismissive, leaders at all levels must take this as a call to action. It is time to adopt a genuine commitment to do right for a change. This is the monumental task that lies ahead of Prime Minister (PM) Russell Dlamini and his Cabinet team. The PM has promised to present the country’s grand plan soon. We do believe it will spell out workable strategies to address the numerous socio-economic challenges we face, which are regarded as disasters.
hope
Our hope lies in the fact that he has been brought in for his ability to manage disasters. He must seize this opportunity to demonstrate a commitment to inclusive governance that is without fear or favour, so that more government officers can emulate the Economic Planning officer in giving good advice. Without this culture, any grand plan is destined to fail, because true leadership demands a willingness to listen, to learn, and to incorporate diverse voices into the framework of national progress. Let us embrace this moment as an opportunity to foster a culture of open dialogue, accountability and transparency. It is only this brand of leadership that can propel Eswatini towards a brighter and more prosperous future.
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