We don’t need the confusion

AAFTER THOUGHTS GUESTWRITER

MID fear has come confusion. This best summarises the current political situation following the Parliament caucus resolution to initiate action towards a dialogue before a dialogue. A task team comprised of members of the House of Assembly, Cabinet ministers and senators is to be set up and has been tasked with engaging all aggrieved parties in a dialogue before dialogue.

The caucus was convened following a motion by Manzini North MP Macford Sibandze, who requested the Speaker, Petros Mavimbela, to put a pause on the business of the day on Wednesday and prioritise the issue of political killings and arson attacks. Sibandze said legislators and the entire populace no longer felt safe in their own country. The resolution from Parliament comes just days after the Acting Prime Minister, Themba Masuku, announced that the dialogue would not take place anytime soon until the ongoing violence had been curbed and the environment was conducive to dialogue. This brings into question the inclusion of Cabinet ministers in the envisaged dialogue task team, However, their participation could be a non-starter if an early morning reaction by Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo is anything to go by.

He has called upon parliamentarians to rethink their strategy, describing the move as a political coup because they were ‘usurping powers of the authority to kick-start an unsanctioned dialogue process’.

He argues that the path charted by members of the House of Assembly may be illegal, unconventional and unconstitutional, especially their proposal to consult with political parties, which they refer to as ‘stakeholders’ yet political parties in the Kingdom of Eswatini are not legislated to operate formally, let alone to be endorsed by emaSwati as a vehicle through which they can participate in national politics.

Resolution

One might also ask; what becomes of the SADC Organ Troika that is said to be seized with this matter? The resolution at the 42nd Ordinary Summit of the SADC Heads of State and Government, which called upon the Chairperson of SADC, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, to convene an Extraordinary Summit of the Organ Troika plus Eswatini, at a date to be determined, aimed at finding a peaceful and lasting solution to the security challenges facing the country. Nothing is forthcoming on this front, leaving a vacuum that has been occupied by a spate of arson attacks, coupled with kidnappings and gunfire.

People are desperately eager for some form of direction with regard to resolving this impasse. The business community is among the worst hit in the latest wave of arson attacks that seem to be directed at crippling the economy. Several trucks with cargo had been set ablaze.

Early this week, Business Eswatini Chief Executive Officer Nathi Dlamini expressed the industry’s concern over the country’s socio-political situation. The cause of this, he said, was that no one seemed to know if there were any credible attempts being made to diffuse the rising temperature out there.

He said sources close to the situation have opined that in the absence of any credible measures being taken to de-escalate hostilities through some form of constructive engagement, the situation could well spiral out of control. He said the situation was calling for visible leadership that was grounded in humility of heart and public service, as the custom of constructive engagement to resolve their differences, as emaSwati, was a practice that was deeply embedded in their cultural DNA.

The Prime Minister’s Office has also called upon every social partner and every liSwati to play their patriotic roles to help the country create a conducive environment for dialogue. Is this what Members of Parliament are trying to do? Are they going about it the right way, are they acting out of desperation to be seen to be doing something, or is this process driven by ulterior motives? Those calling for change are not buying it, though and have dismissed the process as a waste of time because Parliament is powerless.

Clarity

So whither Eswatini? In my view, the only clarity that seems to have emerged from this confusion is that there will be no form of dialogue outside the realms of Sibaya – the ultimate decision-making body in the land according to the Constitution. I would have loved to see things clearer than having to conclude that we could brace ourselves for the possibility of more conflict now that it has been put succinctly by Nxumalo that the proponents for change, who are not recognised by law, may not be engaged as stakeholders; and even if they were to be, they would not set foot at Sibaya because they refuse to recognise this forum as a conducive platform. Meanwhile, the country burns.

As confused as one may be about what the next nightfall holds, I will not stop urging all parties concerned to put aside their polarised positions, stop the violence and give dialogue a chance. We all have a lot to lose at the rate things are going.