To save and to protect

THIS refers to a certain group of users of s ocial media, mainly those who use Face

book.

Not all of them, but some of them. They complain about brutality and oppression, but they themselves are brutal and oppressive.

They say Tinkhundla system of government oppresses people yet they also do the same, oppressing and threatening to capture the media by force and cruelty. They talk about freedom of association and expression, which they also deny as they insult everyone who does not subscribe to their dogma.

Where is the democracy that they say they advocate for? This is not the democracy the world has been made to know.

The words oppression and oppressors are buzzwords nowadays.

What is boggling my mind is not, as a matter of fact, the definition of these words. This is because I have some knowledge about Adolf Hitler who orchestrated the killing of six million Jews, Benito Mussolini, an Italian political leader who became a fascist dictator of Italy from 1925 to 1945 and Joseph Stalin who ruled the Soviet Union for more than two decades, instituting a reign of death and terror while trying to modernise Russia.

REAL OPPRESSORS

Yours truly is only worried about the real oppressors in Eswatini. Who are they? I have identified them. I know who they are.

The q u e s t i o n I o f t e n t i mes a s k myself is what are they actually oppressing? Who are they oppressing?

T h e y a r e n o t o n l y o p p r e s s i n g physical body but go as far as stifling open thinking, independence, ethical standards, potentiality for stardom or any manner of human success.

I h a v e n o t e d wi t h c o n c e r n t h e tendency on social media, mainly Facebook, where people I regard as emaSwati complain about oppression inflicted on them by the Tinkhundla regime yet they seem to me to be the worse oppressors I

“Surely He will save you from the f l ower ’s snare and f rom t he deadly pestilence”

Psalm 91: 3

OME t i me a g o , I h a d b e e n walking on this dirt rural road just casually exercising.

When I noticed a vehicle coming right in front of me. The vehicle was driving a bit faster than usual considering the terrain.

A few metres after the vehicle had gone past, there in front of me was a thick about 2- metre poisonous snake crushed by the head.

Without that vehicle coming from t hat particular direction and at t hat specific t i me and t ravelling at t hat precise speed. I would have been like a bird trapped with not enough time to react. And nowhere to run in front of

Shave ever seen or observed in my life spanning five decades now.

Facebook is full of oppressors. Of course, it is full of undemocratic elements that are hell- bent on promoting diabolical principles of dictatorship and anarchy. They promote the spirit of holocaust and genocide. They are thirsty for blood as they always look set to kill children, kill men and women who do not dance to their music. Where is freedom of choice?

This country has a population of over one million people.

Do we a l l a g r e e t h a t we h a v e t o govern the country through Facebook? EmaSwati should come out to agree if it’s essential and a contemporary t hi ng, i f not f ashionable, t o al l ow Facebook users to set standards for governance, politics, journalism, law and order.

OPPRESSED IN THE COUNTRY

T h e y s a y t h e y a r e o p p r e s s e d i n the country, but they threaten to set ablaze individuals who held different opinions from theirs. Just yesterday, s o me o f t h e m t h r e a t e n e d t o h a r m journalists who write stories that do not pl ease t hem. They have never been to a journalism college, but they set standards for Eswatini journalists.

Most of the standards that they set lack intellect and literature reference. This I say with confidence because I that deadly snake. Though the vehicle killed the snake, God saved my life that day.

So many times in life, we find ourselves in some evil strategic trap like situations that can so easily be destructive in our lives. Conditions that seek to create the impression that there is no way out. Trap like predicaments of life that seeks always to catches you off- guard.

OVERWHELM YOU

The goal of Satan is to overwhelm you and bring you to a place of losing hope and been weak. Remember, if you f aint when you are i n t r ouble, i t means your s t r ength was s mall. However, if your strength is great then you will not faint. In this new month, receive the divine strength to move forward, to withstand the battles of the life, to pursue your destiny in the name of the Lord.

God is always there like that strange vehicle at the right place, right time and with right speed. God’s t i mely divine intervention releases unusual breakthroughs in your life. In your have been following them for over a year now. This kind journalism, which they want all of us to practise is notably ruthless, harsh, disrespectful and insultive to the core.

I want to cite a scenario. At some point, through art of photo- shopping and design, they falsified a screaming and i nsulting f r ont- page headline, pretending as though it was the journalistic work of the Times of Eswatini.

The r e a c t i o n t o t h e p h o t o - s h o p was unbelievable as 99 per cent of the facebookers hailed the front page insult. They praised the fake headline, saying: “this is what we want these journalists to write.”

GOOD GOVERNANCE

As they set standards for good governance, politics and j ournalism i n particular, further threatening us and our children with death, I have observed that there is a large community of emaSwati, larger than the community of facebookers, who still believe in decency, engagement, respect and dialogue.

Facebook users do not have evidence that they represent the interests of the masses. Five hundred comments can’t r epresent t he i nterests of over one million emaSwati.

One of my colleagues said he overheard one of the noticeable and traceable social media users bragging that

desperate life circumstances, remember God i s your pro- active Helper. Moreover, He will use all available means to secure your life and destiny. God can al s o di vi nely manipulate situations in your favor.

He dispatches angelic beings, summons human destiny deliberate assistants to aid you.

Spiritually, the grace of the Almighty God protects you and I from the traps set either by man’s evil intentions or by satanic plots from the kingdom of darkness.

What makes people among other reasons lose hope, self- destruct and generally give up and retreat in life? It is because they do not see the way out of a situation they find themselves in. How was Joseph taken out of the pit, prison and the trap like troubles in his life?

WAY OF ESCAPE

God provided t he way of escape. What took Daniel out of the den of lions, God made a way of divine escape. Who implemented the deliverance of the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt? God made a provision of i ntentional dramatic and prophetic escape. When we needed salvation for our souls. he becomes a different person when he communicates on social media. This young man said he behaved and engaged constructively outside social media.

I cannot underestimate the influence social media has, but we have to be careful t hat our i ntell ect, i dentity, c ul t ur e , e t hi c a l s t a ndards, norms, values, independent thinking, freedom of speech, freedom of expression and association are not compromised or t a ken a way f r om us by peopl e on Facebook.

We have to recognise them, but take what they say to a litmus test. We have t o t ake what t hey say t o t he l i t mus test because there is no coordination of opinions and data that facebookers have presented to inform a way forward.

CHAIR THE PROCEEDINGS

The person who posts a comment and suggestion on Facebook does not chair the proceedings, and there is no one taking the minutes. There is no record for the opinions, which can be considered for implementation.

As a s oci et y, we have t o be s ur e that every move we take comes from emaSwati. At t he high rate of fake accounts, we cannot vouch for social media as our credible source on which we can base our decisions.

There is no proof that Facebookers

The same God dearly sent His beloved Son as a way of redemption. Gladly in this new month, may God provide a way of supernatural escape for your life and all that concerns you.

God watches over His children and ensures their safety at all times. We have an amazing assurance that God saves His own. God is always ready to save and to protect.

Live your life knowing the invisible God sees both the noticeable and none in the journey of your life. You are never alone despite when it seems so at times.

PHYSICAL EYES

What you do not see i s greater i n terms of divinity than what you see with your physical eyes. The spiritual realm is real and spiritual possibilities are inevitable. There is a God in heaven who watches over your coming and going now and forever.

Our h u man minds a n d p l a n s a r e limited in awareness of pending danger. But God is unconstrained and He proactively preserves our destinies. Therefore, do not despair f or your God sees what is ahead of you both g o o d a n d b a d . Your l i f e n e g a t i v e circumstances do not catch God unexpectedly. tell us what all emaSwati want. We can only test what they say on social media through open engagement and dialogue. This we can do outside Facebook.

We can only allow them to set us in motion for research. We can allow them to set an agenda that we can consider for interaction.

VIEW DIGEST

I can blame the country’s education system for not creating philosophers a n d s h r e wd p o l i t i c i a n s who c a n digest i ssues and bring solutions to the important table. Eswatini’s education system produces formul a - or i e nt e d gr a duat e s who c a n’t argue that 4+ 4 = 9. The formula is clear t hat 4+ 4 = 8. Anybody who says the answer is 9 is not lent an ear.

I want to know why you say the answer is 8; instead of 9. Don’t say my concern is irrelevant as it contravenes the laws of nature. I want to know, educate me.

We need thinkers in this country who will efficiently use Facebook and Twitter for sound engagement.

We need people who r e s e a r c h, t h i n k , c o mmunicate i d e o l o g i e s , refer to political literature that we can utilise as a benchmark for our predictions and assumptions t hat whatever we resolve to implement can eit her t urn out t o be good or bad.

We have to understand that emaSwati are not moved by insults. They are just like God who is not moved by tears, but by faith in the tears.

You can i nsult t he King, Queen Mother, journalists and praise your own s cr i bes who write t o pl ease a g u l l i b l e c o mmunit y, b u t s u c h insults won’t usher emaSwati to a better life.

Look at what is happening right now in Libya.

The rioters organised themselves through Facebook and Twitter, but failed t o coordinate i deas so t hat they know what to do after they had overthrown Muammar Gaddafi. The only thing they did was to assembly a gathering on social media. However, t hey f ai l ed t o organise and coordinate ideas to take Libya.

Libya is in a shambles. There is no direction. There is no leadership.

We have to come out of Facebook to reason together as one so that we can dialogue over essential issues that can guide our transformation as a people.

Don’t oppress, if you do not want t o b e o p p r e s s e d . Don’t s a y y o u are not a dictator yet your conduct smacks of dictatorial tendencies.

He has a watchful divine eye and does not rest for your sake. His supernatural Hand is mighty to save and to deliver.

You are His priced personal possession. Regardless of t he enemy evil desires concerning your life.

Your confidence must be in God’s divine assurance for victory over all forms of wicked agendas seeking to influence and destroy your destiny.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE

Lift your head high and walk with confidence knowing you are not alone. God Himself orders your path in life and your steps. May God give you a t est i mony i n t his s eason of your personal life.

A t e s t i mony t hat honors God by declaring what God has miraculously done in your life.

An intentional spiritual platform to r elease praises t o God t hrough t he works of His hands and dealings with man. Moreover, the power of a testimony is that it simply overcomes your enemy. Be alert this week! God is on patrol to save and to protect. Blessed new month.

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