Š‘ ƒ”‡ –Š‡ ’‡‘’Ž‡ …ƒ’ƒ‹‰‹‰ ƒ‰ƒ‹•– ƒ–‹‘ƒŽ †‹ƒŽ‘‰—‡ǫ
A Sthe world was commemorating the death and resurrection of Christ, the nation was shocked when, on social media, some males were parading with T-shirts written ‘we don’t want dialogue, we know the killers’. It was also concerning that the T-shirts were reportedly distributed at the ‘national’ Good Friday services.
What is worrying is that the organisers of this sacred and revered Christian event have never come out to disassociate themselves from this incident. To further demonstrate that this was an organised action, Mangololo Chairperson Reverend Phetsa Dlamini was quoted as having said; “Anyone who will call for a political dialogue unknown to us will be taken to court.”
Who is Mangololo in this country? Who do they represent? If the reverend says a political dialogue ‘unknown to them’, why do they feel entitled to endorse the political dialogue? Are they a constitutional body with a mandate to endorse the dialogue? While they enjoy a right to associate and free speech, it is, however, unacceptable to claim a right to endorse an event of such national importance. Let them be reminded that the national political dialogue was announced by the King and the then Troika Chairperson, President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Let the organisers of the Good Friday services be reminded that this global event, to save humanity, cannot be used for political purposes. This is a very sad event where an innocent soul was crucified even though Pontius Pilate had declared ‘I find no fault in this man’. Christ died a painful death and was even ‘deserted’ by his Father because He was full of sin. It is, therefore, totally unacceptable that the organisers, and those who are requested to preach, used the services to address political issues.
Accused
Bishop Samson Hlatjwayo was quoted as having accused some clergymen who work closely with the King to be also working with the King’s enemies. It is, therefore, not surprising that the T-shirts were alleged to have been distributed in this solemn event. The Bible says, in Exodus 20: 7; “Thou shall not take the name of the Lord in vain.” If I may also ask; why are the other church bodies – Conference of Swaziland Churches, Council of Swaziland Churches and Concerned Church Leaders, to mention a few, silent? Emperor Haile Selassie once said something profound; “Throughout history it has been inaction of those who could have acted, the indifference of those who should have known better, the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered the most that has made it possible for evil to triumph.” I would like to acknowledge that government has not wavered on the need for a national dialogue. The police also made an attempt to question the T-shirts gentlemen.
The question that I asked afterwards is; do these individuals understand what dialogue is? Eswatini is a country that is going through the worst crisis since its founding. The June/July 2021 crisis, which was characterised by loss of property and lives, continues to haunt our country. It is worsened by poor service delivery, including public healthcare services where drug shortages are common, the tertiary institutions funding crisis as, currently, the University of Eswatini workers are on strike for better salaries and schools are failing to provide meals for pupils, among others. While some believe that the current calm signals the end of the crisis, as the minister of Home Affairs was quoted requesting chiefs to present cattle to His Majesty to appreciate that he has ended the crisis, this is far from the truth. The calm offers an opportunity for the country to facilitate the much anticipated national dialogue.
What is the dialogue the nation expects? The United Nations Dialogue manual defines dialogue as nationally owned political processes aimed at generating consensus among a broad range of national stakeholders in times of deep political crises. National dialogue takes place to address crises of national importance that have repercussions for the whole of society. These can be severe political deadlocks or blocked political institutions. In these situations, they seek to ease tensions, to reach political agreement or even to (re)establish a (new) institutional framework, fulfilling a crisis management function.
The International Institute for Sustained Dialogue and the Kettering Foundation offer this definition: “Dialogue is a process of genuine interaction through which human beings listen to each other deeply enough to be changed by what they learn. Each makes a serious effort to take others’ concerns into her or his own picture even when disagreements persist. No participant gives up her or his identity, but each recognises enough of the other’s valid human claims that he or she will act differently toward the other.” The national dialogue remains the only hope for the future of our country and we dare not be derailed!