Police to blame for unrest – Walter Bennett
MBABANE – Former Senator and Mbabane Businessman Walter Bennett blames the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) for the unrest that was witnessed in Manzini this week.
Bennett disclosed his concerns at an event where he was a guest speaker for retiring veterinarian Stephen Khumalo yesterday at Eveni, Mbabane. The businessman said he was concerned that police have placed costs on the taxpayers for failing in the job they were paid to do. He said the latest destruction of structures in Manzini including the police post was a result of them failing in their duties. He said the country was known for achieving great strides through consultations on issues. “Why did the police fail to consult on the issue before going for an arrest after the conductors broke the law,” said Bennett.
Bennett further said there were issues that police were able to negotiate to stop a volatile situation in Manzini before making an example of a lawyer who was whisked to the police station. He alleged that the lawyer was wanted for a string of crimes where he was fraudulently stealing money from people for plots that were not there. Bennett questioned the logic to arrest one party that was aggrieved leaving the perpetrator.
He said, the conductors reacted badly because they were seeing someone who was stealing their bread and butter. Bennett questioned the police on why they did not also arrest the alleged woman who was driving the seven-seater.
He said both the seven-seater driver and the conductors were on the wrong side of the law. He said from his understanding the reaction was bad but it was a result of several warnings.
Bennett said police failed the nation on the issue of the latest violence in Manzini, which if it was handled differently the taxpayer would have been spared the costs of the destruction of the police station and the shops that were affected. Bennett further disclosed that the nation was now living under fear because of failure to consult on issues and now heading towards lawlessness. He said that the latest violence in Manzini would have been avoided had the police employed logic on the issue. He said he was not condoning what the conductors had done but at the same time said the woman was wrong to take clients from their route on licensed businesses that pay tax. He said police must also tell the nation what happened to the woman who was stealing the clients of the conductors. “The law must be applied fairly where there was a wrongdoing as money tastes the same for a thief and a pastor,” said Bennett.
However, Deputy Police Information and Communications Officer Inspector Nosipho Mnguni pleaded with the Eswatini News not to comment on the utterances by Bennett. “Please may I not comment on the issue,” said Mnnguni. The former senator further warned parliamentarians to stop their hypocrisy on the issue of dialogue. He said he was worried about the parliamentarians after what he read from the press. He said parliamentarians cannot assume powers they do not possess.
Warned
Bennett warned the parliamentarians to know their lane on issues they can deal with and those above them. He said he was worried because he had never seen a mini dialogue as there was no mini Jesus in this world. He said if parliamentarians were seriously considering the issue of the dialogue they should be telling the nation what they have done in consulting on what was stopping the nation from the dialogue. He said parliamentarians cannot, therefore, claim responsibilities that are not in their domain.
Bennett said while what the legislature was doing might be a noble deed but it was not their responsibility to then assume those powers. He further said it was surprising for the speaker and the Senate president to even consider allowing such a debate.
Bennett further reminded them that emaSwati are not dumb they may have given them a mandate as representatives but they deserve to be consulted. He said that for the politicians to go for a caucus on an issue that touches on the lives of emaSwati was hypocrisy. He said emaSwati deserve better than a caucus but engagement just like they did when they received the petitions at the tinkhundla centres.
He said why would they opt for mini dialogue instead of debating about the E22 million and how would be utilised. He further
warned them that emaSwati must not conclude that MPs want to loot the E22 million meant for the dialogue on sitting allowance.
Bennett insisted that what the MPs were doing was hypocrisy for them to use the caucus to deal with an issue of national interest. He further called on MPs to consult extensively on the dialogue. He added that teachers and other unions had in the past consulted for solutions on issues of national interest. He said there was nothing sinister in consulting the King as no one had stopped them from getting answers on issues not in their control. “We have been socialised that way despite our differences, there is no one who should be barred from consulting the King on issues,” said
Meanwhile, Bennett further decried that some of those MPs were conflicted on the issue. He alleged that the conflict of interest comes especially when some are known to be party to the current challenges of the nation with their red barrets counterparts from the neighboring country. He further called for parliamentarians to be truthful when dealing with the issue as the nation has been consulting whenever there were differences. He warned them not to hide under the disguise of house caucus but go to their constituencies and imiphakatsi especially now that it’s almost 100 per cent with chiefs.
Bennett said even the drafting of the current Constitution was a product of consultative meetings, not a caucus or mini dialogue. He asks the MPs why they had to jump to dialogue instead of talking about the unrest currently being faced by the country. He further shared that the issue of unrest was left unattended as even the pastors have joined the bandwagon of dialogue. He said it was surprising that they never prayed for the unrest before but now they are petitioning Parliament and demanding dialogue.