SWAZI MAJORITY MUST RULE

Swazi News

20 September 2008

Comment

Majority must rule

By Thulani Thwala (Editor)

Keep It Short and Simple (KISS), that’s the book I am currently reading. I like it. It revolves around keeping things short and simple. According to the book, humans in general or by nature like it short and very simple. Here, I am strictly talking about reading and writing, nothing less, nothing more.

Despite that I am halfway to the end of the book I thought I should put its theory part to the test. Practically speaking! The author of the book attaches emphasis on the glaring fact that you can stand up by sitting down.

Today, I am doing just that.

My brief agenda today relates to making a sincere plea to all those responsible of advising His Majesty King Mswati III when it comes to people he should appoint into both Houses of Parliament.

Complete

The king is expected to appoint 10 men and women into the House of Assembly to join the 55 individuals to be elected from the same number of Tinkhundla Centres. By tomorrow we should be aware of the elected individuals.

The king will further appoint 20 men and women into Senate to join 10 others who shall be elected by the complete House of Assembly. This effectively means the king will avail jobs to 30 Swazis.

In recent times the king’s appointments sharply contradicted the will of the people by the people for the people. And I know the king is aware that he is king by the people for the people.

The king has been made to appoint into Parliament dismal losers who had been rejected by the masses from their respective Tinkhundla Centres. I appeal that such should not be repeated. It may be correct, but I strongly feel it’s not right.

To me it is only logical that when hundreds or thousands of people elect to withhold their votes against someone, it’s a vote of no confidence, period.

The appointment of elections losers comes as an insult to the voters. A huge one!

The begging question becomes; why do we go to polls if the people we vote out of office are taken back through the back door? I am hoping that members of the sleeping Liqoqo who are responsible for such are not going to let us down.

For starters, all the MPs and ministers who are already out of the Parliament race should not be considered for any possible Parliament related appointments.

This (ignoring them) would give credence to the elections process.

Respecting

As it stands, our elections are a sham. Here I am talking about the whole process. For elections to be considered free and fair it’s not about hosting observers (some from countries who have had sham elections) and it’s not about providing voters with transport to the polling stations, but respecting their votes.

Their votes are powerful.

Take for instance the case of S’gayoyo Magongo, our former Public Service and Information Minister who lost at the primary stages of the elections. He rightly pointed out after his expected loss that; "the people have spoken".

Indeed, the people spoke through their votes.

The people of his chiefdom made it clear through their votes that S’gayoyo does not deserve to be in Parliament and I seriously do not believe that later on someone should go against the views of the thousands of people.

Another interesting case is that of former Finance Minister Majozi Sithole who despite relentless efforts by his people to take him back to Parliament refused. In his own words, Majozi said he wanted to give fresh minds a chance.

A fair statement to come from a man who was part of a politically sick Cabinet. Now, since Majozi has taken a leaf from what Nelson Mandela did in South Africa (by retiring from politics) it would be absurd to see him in Parliament and subsequently in Cabinet again.

I hope Majozi would resist any shock appointment that could come like he did when his people wanted to elect him. Again, I expect the same from the 65 MPs when electing the 10 individuals to while away time in Senate.

They should not elect losers because that would amount to an insult to the people of the Inkhundla. I read somewhere that already losers are now lobbying House of Assembly hopefuls to nominate them for the 10 vacant Senate seats.

It would be bad if losers would emerge victors later on. This would endorse that we are going nowhere as a country.

Still on the appointments, I also hope the king will be advised accordingly when it comes to princes and princesses’ appointment. Lamazinyane aBhuza must qualify for these positions than the make-them-feel-good approach to things.

We have princes and princesses who went to school (excluding those who stayed overseas for years learning how to swim) and they are the ones to be considered for important positions.

Automatically

For instance, Prince Gabheni was a mess. He too knows that. It should not be a problem getting the right princes and princesses if the list I once saw bearing their names is anything to go by.

Princess Dlalisile prepared it.

Again, I do not see the importance of having princes in high positions because we pay them. When I say we here, I am referring to taxpayers.

These people get huge chunks of money from us and giving them easy jobs automatically makes them double earners in a very poor country.

I know some will conveniently argue that culturally there has to be a prince or princess in Cabinet and Parliament.

For progress’ sake let me agree, but then again it must be somebody sound. Being a prince alone should not be a ticket to Parliament, it must come with medulla related issues.

My KISS book dictates that I end today’s topic. See you next week.

Link http://www.times.co.sz/MY-Turn/1521.html

OPEN LETTER TO SWAZI KING

Swazi News


2 August 2008

Comment

By Thulani Thwala (Editor, Swazi News )

My letter to the king

All protocol observed! Today I am writing an open letter to His Majesty King Mswati III. I feel strongly (wrongly or rightly) that his own people he trusted and believed in are taking him for a funny ride and it’s not funny anymore. Why are people doing this to the king? What has the king done to deserve such?

Is the king being punished for paying them so well? I don’t know. My task today is to politely address myself to His Majesty King Mswati III and I hope my letter will go a long way in helping the king find a solution to the problems that have a potential to rip the country apart.

The broader picture here is that at the end of it all, the king will have to shoulder the blame as father and leader of this country. From where I am sitting I felt an open letter to Ingwenyama would help. After all I am a citizen of this country and it is within my constitutional rights to give advice to the king verbally or otherwise. I opted for the latter. My letter seeks nothing but to highlight the dangers ahead of this somewhat illegal journey we have embarked on as a country. Our elections are ending right from the beginning. It hurts. My letter to Ingwenyama will also touch on the 40/40 party slated for September 6.

I am hopeful that loyalists who only sit around the king to tell him what he would like to hear will not misinterpret my open letter to my king. My letter will tell things, as they are bitter or sweet.

Your Majesty

Your Majesty, I feel bad when I see people you appointed into high positions letting you down like this. What compounds matters, is when your own blood is involved. Some of your brothers are in this. The national elections have ended right at the beginning. Things are not right. The hullabaloo that has launched the elections is a clear sign Your Majesty that something is wrong.

The elections have become a mockery before they begin. I wonder if the king would be excited and happy with himself to open a Parliament whose elections were marked by numerous hurdles some of which border on illegal grounds.

As you read this letter Your Majesty no one is certain on whether these elections are legal or illegal. My immediate thinking is that they are illegal. We go to nominations today without the voter’s roll. We begin the nomination with a certain section of people still firmly occupying public office and they might be nominated. Some law-abiding citizens have already taken leave of absence from their respective work places to contest the elections but we still have a group of men and women who still call themselves Cabinet ministers. Why are they still in office? Should they be in office really? All they know is to fly expensively out of the country.

The Constitution and the King’s Order in Council of 1992 spells it out clearly that a person shall not qualify to be elected into the House of Assembly if “…is a member of the armed forces of Swaziland or is holding or acting in any public office or is holding or acting in any other office established by or under any law that may be prescribed”. This clause is very loud and clear Your Majesty.

Gija Dlamini, the man you appointed to lead the EBC is doing nothing about some of these glaring anomalies. However, I understand why Your Majesty, Gija is also guilty of holding a public office despite serving in the EBC. The constitutions frowns at what Gija is doing or has been doing.

We go to the nominations today Your Majesty a confused lot. As you read this letter we are not sure whether we are going or coming or both. We do not know whether what we are doing is right or wrong. Your country needs direction now and it can only be you to lead us. The people you entrusted with such a task have failed.

Negative

The people you appointed have let you down. I am sad that among the people who are letting you down is your brother, Prince David, the man you fetched from overseas to serve as Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister. He was also responsible for the drafting of the constitution he so much fails to interpret to us today. I seem to get a very negative vibe from David and I wonder why he is doing this to you and by extension to us as a country.

His silence is too loud.

There is also Majahenkhaba Dlamini, son of Prince Bhekimpi, who is the country’s Attorney General (AG), he too was David’s right hand man during the constitution drafting stage and today he is also loud in his silence.

As voters we needed direction on what we do with people like Cabinet ministers who still hold public office despite elections beginning tomorrow. Should we nominate them or what? I don’t know, Your Majesty.

I was hoping that Majahenkhaba would assist us as your people in interpreting the constitution as regards the elections. As you read this Your Majesty I am not sure whether we should have held the elections within the 60 days after the dissolution of Parliament or what? He is quiet and very quiet. If we had to have a government within 60 days then the elections are totally illegal. If proper people were working for you, this confusion would not be there.

I am not sure again if Gija and his team have come up with a gazette formalising the elections, something that is also a prerequisite. I will not be surprised to discover that this has not been done since they are also struggling to come up with the voters’ roll. Are the elections legal Your Majesty?

Again, Your Majesty, I did not understand the rush from Gija’s camp in announcing the nomination dates. To me that was too short a notice for something we knew was coming when we finished electing in 2003.

Assuming Gija and team live in Swaziland, why did they slot the nominations on dates that are heavily booked. It turns our entertainment promoters are well organised than Gija and team because they announced their events three months ago. The nominations’ weekend is loaded with festivals, soccer matches and our usual weekend events in Swaziland-funerals. Gija felt it would be right for such an important exercise like nominations to scramble for people with festivities. We all know where people will be.

Seclusion

This is where Your Majesty I draw the conclusion that Gija and team noted something terribly wrong in their operations and now we are made to run. Gija told us on Tuesday for Wednesday that nominations are on today and I wonder if that will work, but from the look of things it will not.

What amazes me Your Majesty is that you have been preaching about elections from the day you came out of seclusion but the people on the ground are leaving things until late and now we have to make quick decisions on whom to elect. This is not right Your Majesty.

The short notice has thoroughly compromised the electorate that will now have to nominate hastily to cover up for people who did not do their job. Some chiefs have not been able to convene meetings and I wonder if nominations will be held in some chiefdoms. These are the things that set you against your people Your Majesty.

This then brings me to the 40/40 national celebrations. The speed at which your government is running in preparing for this expensive event leaves a lot to be desired Your Majesty.

What should come first? Is 40/40 more important than what should form a base of the country’s development? It appears to me Your Majesty that the 40/40 is more important than the elections and I feel that is totally wrong. The 40/40 will only last for two days while the national elections should help produce people we (as a country) will be stuck with for five years. To me it follows that 40/40 should wait while we put our house in order as regards the elections.

After all Your Majesty, the country had 40 years to prepare for the celebrations and I doubt if we should be running around on issues related to the celebrations 40 years later, I don’t think so.

Like I said Your Majesty, the people you appointed into positions are letting you down big time. The conclusion we come to, as the public is that the king wants 40/40 to be a success over elections. I know that such a view is wrong but that is what your people are concluding because of what your government is doing. Like I have always said Your Majesty the buck stops with you, if something goes terribly wrong, it’s the king’s fault and when things are right you hear them say ‘it’s His Majesty’s Government’. Something needs to be done Your Majesty.

I strongly feel that of late, you have been getting wrong advice from the people you employed and pay handsomely monthly to do that. I further suspect they are up to something. Involved here are some of your brothers. It is sad.

Crack

The mockery that our elections have become worse than what happened in Zimbabwe and that is where I feel certain elements are out to tarnish your good image you have worked so hard to build.

What would Robert Mugabe say when he learns of the piles of court cases that have marred the elections before they could even take off and we go ahead with them nonetheless? I thought the Troika had suggested that Zimbabwe elections be suspended while pending issues were thrashed out.

Now, why is Gija rushing when he knows very well things are not right? This then portrays the king as playing double standards because he chairs the Troika that suggested Zim elections wait. I feel you need to crack the whip Your Majesty.

Sack the Liqoqo, sack anything that calls itself a Cabinet minister, sack Gija and team and get fresh minds that are willing to serve you and the country diligently. I feel these people have stabbed you in the back.

To help you Your Majesty a bit, in Malawi there are serious problems that have everything to do with Parliament and elections. The last time I checked, the president is running scared to officially open Parliament because MPs might impeach him. I would hate a situation where locally Parliament will be dissolved on its first day because of the anomalies that are characterising our elections. There is a high chance our elections are illegal.

I would hate a situation where you Your Majesty will come across as the bad man when you dissolve Parliament. Culturally, the king does not associate with stinking events and the elections are just that in my books. This then would make it extremely difficult for you to associate yourself with a stinking Parliament.

Your Majesty, like I said earlier on, this is just an honest letter from an honest citizen of this country aimed at highlighting some of the things that are likely to backfire in the long run.

Bayethe.

Link http://www.times.co.sz/My-Turn/309.html

END OF THE BEGINNING

Swazi News

24 May 2008

COMMENT

My Turn: The Beginning Has Just Ended

by Thulani Thwala

Let us pray; "I, together with the rest of us, humble ourselves before you, our creator, for an ear. I am fully aware that generally speaking ignorance is the night of the mind but what scares me is that the night in the minds of many a Swazi has no clear possibility of dawn.

I request you as I hereby do now to assure me dawn is on the way. I also request you to shower me with real knowledge because it would help gauge both the ignorance and stinking arrogance of our leaders in government, Amen".

Now, it's back to work. The outgoing week marked the end of beginning. In short, the beginning has ended. I know some are already confused, let me break it down.

The Elections and Boundaries Com­mission (EBC), a body that will forever remain illegal to me launched what un­der normal circumstances should have been the beginning of the 2008 National Elections. As fate would have it, the beginning ended immediately.

Gija Dlamini and Mzwandile Fakudze are drivers of this illegal and thor­oughly confused gravy train. Here, I am assuming you know how much they want as payment- above what most ministers get. Most of them are taking close to E50 000 a month save for a couple of sacred ones who are raking in close to E70 000.

Talk of sacred cows on two legs.

To me the EBC's salary demand re­mains ridiculous. It makes me even doubt the elections would be free and fair. The problem stems from the vast knowledge both Gija and Mzwandile have on the country's system of gov­ernance.

They are pretty much aware that in the positions they find themselves oc­cupying today it is easy to bleed and suffocate the economy-'legitimately'.

They forget that too much knowledge is the source of all problems and it's not through arrogance and greed that we can solve them. Now, the broader picture is that the products of the elec­tions are closely following the events and that would be their first stop when they take their seats in Parliament. They would demand huge pay citing this and that and further spend reck­lessly like the EBC.

I trusted young boys like Mzwandile who also took time from whatever schedule to visit school and beyond but he is changing colour rapidly and I wonder why. I had hoped Mzwandile's presence would ensure sanity and di­rection but I was very wrong.

Since Mzwandile is a man who adores famous quotes from famous people judging from his litany of press re­leases he has made to the media, I would like to share this one with him:
"Half of the world's misery comes from ignorance, the other half comes from in­telligence.

However, a great deal of intel­ligence can be invested in ignorance when need for illusion is deep".
I get worried when young boys like Mzwandile begin to speak like loose can­nons when defending A-Grade idiocy. What is going on here? Why is the EBC parading ignorance at our expense?
Don't get me wrong, I am aware that stu­pidity belongs to everyone but I was of the view that the more we know the closer we get to feeling it. I was wrong.

In the EBC we also have a lecturer who should be calling for ceasefire where the money issues are concerned considering our ailing economy, she is quiet if not busy at UNISWA.

I personally regard education as a thor­oughly good progression tool towards the discovery of our ignorance. It ap­pears I am wrong. The more we get edu­cated, the more we play silly.

I close this point by advising Finance PS Dumsani Masilela who is to look into the EBC pay demand to ignore any form of intimidation and do the right thing for the country. I have confidence in him as a young man but I will let him know when I feel he is missing the plot like Mzwandile.

I will not address the childish blunder by the EBC of ordering wrong picture pa­pers, I expected that from a clueless bunch of loyalists heavily pre-occupied by the thought of how much they want per month and could make before going home. You cloud your mind with mon­etary thoughts you lose more money!

The big one for me is the close to E200 allowance to be paid to each of the police officers on a daily basis for literally sit­ting with the registration officers for which some (registration officers) are working from the comfort of their homes.

What type of elections that are run from people's houses? My answer is; Mickey Mouse game. Gija and Mzwandile insist they will be free and fair. Dream on, it is legal! Cops are now paid double for doing a single job. First of all I don't understand why they have to seat with the officers at registration time? Patrols would have been enough than to have cops turned to baby-sitters at an exorbitant fee. The money is too much for a country like us.

It would be wrong for the Prime Minis­ter A. T Dlamini and Commissioner of Police Edgar Hillary to allow this lunacy to go on. We cannot allow them to appease a disgruntled force at our expense, expen­sively.

The PM and Edgar must address the cops' concerns and avoid involving our money in their cleansing ceremony. At times I wonder why we opt for the wrong methods of solving an equation.

If there had to be money paid out it should have been given as an incentive to the cops who would be remaining in the proper workstations than the sitting ducks at the registration centres. I also doubt the revelation that they would be rotated. We all know that within the police force there are blue-eyed boys.

One of these sitting ducks tried so hard this week to convince us why they are paid close to E200 a day by prevent­ing journalists from doing their job. Listen to that gobbledegook. A cop get­ting carried away!

The cops back in the stations are faced with a heavy workload and I am sure their working shifts have been re­arranged to accommodate the chosen few who are on board the EBC gravy train. I hope, and I hope, they will be rotated.

This is not fair Mr Hillary Sir. We have soldiers who are literally doing noth­ing that would have come in handy in such silly state duties. This is waste.

Coming to the elections' alleged civic education, why is the EBC confusing the people? Gija must know his team's duty is to educate us on elections, spe­cifically, how to register, vote, what you vote for, how important for us to vote and other legal issues not to lecture people on how best Tinkhundla is.

To me the EBC's mere presence tells the whole story about Tinkhundla therefore it should not waste time and confuse the vulnerable electorate on the system, they know.

In some of the areas that have been graced by both the presence and rheto­ric idiocy gospel by the EBC, people have been left confused. From what I hear people thought the EBC had come to educate them on logistics of elec­tions but were taken aback when it turned out they are agents of the Tinkhundla System of Governance.

This then makes me understand bet­ter why Gija had to be appointed into this position and it explains why he needs more money. Agents come at a high fee and at times they charge an arm and a leg.

This then brings me to my final point of what we need to expect in the next Parliament. It is not different from what we today refer to as outgoing gov­ernment. The difference would gener­ally be the same.

In Swaziland to be a politician takes nothing-literally. If you don't know, this is what it takes, the ability to lunatically foretell what is likely to happen tomorrow, next week, next month and next year but you must be in a position to explain to your gulli­ble audience afterwards (say after five years) why it didn't happen without blinking. You are done.

TO ALL VOTERS
I say, from what I have observed start­ing with the childish blunders of the EBC and the early deployment of cops ata high fee I am seriously con­vinced that the votes you will cast will decide nothing but it would be those who will count them who will decide everything. Butthat said, tryyour luck, vote or be voted for. I thank you.