Times of Eswatini

Legacy of the Tinkhundla System

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Madam,

It becomes apparent by the day that the leadership of this country is just oblivious to the current state of affairs. The socio-political landscape has gone to the dogs and the economy is in shambles.

The economy has been stagnating at below three per cent year-on-year growth for the past two decades, and in recent years we have been below even two per cent. Also, we are seeing the constant rape of lady justice and lack of accountabi­lity in the country. It is a documented fact that corruption contribute­s to the continuing crisis of democracy the world over and Eswatini is not an exception to the rule.

The Tinkhundla System of Government has presided over all the factual outcomes of government failure. It is the tinkhundla project that has given the nation a House of Assembly that is virtually powerless and ultimately useless, its only purpose is to rubber stamp.

We have over the course of the reign of the tinkhundla project witnessed a deteriorat­ing economy and dwindling standards of living for the population, while the affluent and those closer to the echelons of power witnessed a robust increase in their standards of living. This is evident in the skewed Gini coefficien­t of 51.5, making Eswatini the 10th most uneTual country in the world. In essence the tinkhundla project has culminated in a failed state and a failed government.

This is the legacy of the tinkhundla system. We have been waiting to this day for the authoritie­s under the current system to give us solutions and policy prescripti­ons to deal with the problems that the country faces and to this day none has been put forward.

Surely it is clear to all that something has got to change.

It is my honest opinion that the tinkhundla project is one of the binding growth constraint­s that we need to deal with as a country. Surely we need a better way to govern the country, a way that will ensure that everyone benefits from the prosperity of the kingdom.

We need swift action because as a country we have passed a point of no return, we need someone to act before we find ourselves in a full blown civil war. Change is the essence of life and true failure is the inability to adapt to changes facilitate­d by the wingered chariots of time

SS

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 ?? ?? Eswatini’s House of Assembly.
Eswatini’s House of Assembly.

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