Testing boundaries

TAFTER THOUGHTS GUESTWRITER

HE s t a t e ment d e l i v e r e d b y P r i me Minister ( PM) Cleopas Dlamini i n Parliament on Wednesday gives one a sense of how government has lined its priorities moving forward, while we wait for whatever unfolds in these unpredictable times. In condemning t hreats and violence against t hose with opposing views, the PM has expressed government’s position on t he arrest of t wo legislators who are calling for political change, saying they were not politically motivated. The general perception is that they were. This has thrust our Constitution into the limelight with our constitutional provision of freedom of expression being put to the test.

Charged

Hosea MP Bacede Mabuza and Ngwempisi MP Mthandeni Dube have been charged under the Suppression of Terrorism Act of 2005 for allegedly inciting the public to revolt against a constitutionally established government. They are calling for an elected prime minister.

Mindful of the fact that this matter is already in court, this case ( if justice is served) is expected to make a clear distinction between freedom of expression and inciting violence that threatens lives, according to the PM.

“The rule of law should be upheld at all times and government will not hesitate to bring to book anyone who instigates violence under the guise of freedom of expression,” he emphasised.

Government wants t he court t o decide on a matter brought before i t using a piece of l egislation t hat has failed a t est at t he High Court and awaits a Supreme Court ruling on its constitutionality after government appealed it.

The clarity that government seeks ought to be as clear as day, otherwise this may serve as further pruning of an already fragile constitutional provision. We trust that the reason MPs paid little attention to the arrest of their colleagues on Wednesday was out of choice, not fear to express themselves.

Commitment

The PM also made a big commitment to investigate the allegations of police brutality. This one needs to be quoted here for future reference; “As minister responsible for police, I want to assure the nation that these will be investigated and dealt with appropriately.” Appropriately, of course, means ‘ in a manner that is suitable or proper in the circumstances’, according to the Oxford Dictionary. Suitable and proper to who has always become the question. No timeframes were given but we anxiously await the public call to all who may have suffered in the hands of the security forces to prepare themselves to come forward.

The PM further committed himself to addressing the inefficiencies in service delivery which he acknowledged as an underlying cause for the discontent with the current status quo. He needs the workers if he is to succeed here. Can her achieve this without making himself unpopular with the unions who are standing on opposite sides of the fence?

Dlamini also rightly noted that he needs to give himself time to prepare a proper plan of action for addressing the challenges facing our youth. This is the biggest threat to our stability as a country and t he response has got t o be foolproof. The youth of today has put on full display their destructive potential. One corporate guru warned against thinking that it was just the youth. He said this extends to the silent majority parents who are equally frustrated and have allowed their children to do the talking.

The PM talked about doubling government’s efforts to ensure that all emaSwati have ample opportunities to grow and succeed. He needs to do a tender price escalation special on this one and triple, if not quadruple the effort.

Economy

Then there is the economy. In his address to Parliament t he PM reiterated government’s commitment to executing the Strategic Road map 2019 – 2023. In doing so he has no option but to meet the objective of providing a stable environment with peace and stability forming the core tenets. Numerous scholars have opined that he can’t achieve this without a stable political environment that gives predictability.

We do recall t hat Eswatini seeks t o climb up the ease of doing business rankings by a minimum of 67 placements and contract enforcement by 24 placements come 2023. We’ve hardly moved an inch and a recent profiling by globaleconomy. com has listed us as the second most expensive country to start a business in the Southern African Customs Union ( SACU).

No mention of corruption; another service delivery impediment that has conveniently been shelved to the sidelines, but most spoken about. Not that people are expecting anything different, but this is an area he can most certainly make himself unpopular by getting his minister of Justice to give teeth to the Anti- Corruption Commission so it can bite across the Board; even in Cabinet!