My perspective of politics

A Sa grown up Swati national, brought up at Lobamba in the immediate surroundings of the royal residence, I have a full understanding of Swati culture and tradition. It is important that certain facts about the Swati people are brought to the attention of all those who live in this country, so that they may understand a thing or two about the Swati people.

In understanding us, they may be in a better position to determine the assistance we may need both for economic development and political development too. In the Swati context there is nothing like politics, as that is a prerogative for the King and His associates.

In civilised countries, it is unheard of that people may surrender their God given intelligence and ultimately have no say whatsoever in the affairs of their country.

We are all aware that these older democracies went through a dark period of their history and with the help of education, transitioned from totalitarian States to modern democracies. It is a foregone conclusion that their cultural evolution coupled with educational development has led to rapid transformation of their societies. On the contrary, African States leaders were not keen to shift radically from their little kingdoms setups to open societies because of their culture and traditions.

Their failure to embrace education had a significant role in the wide spread of dictatorship in Africa.

This country is now going through a transitional phase characterised by

ESWATINI’S deepening financial crisis is taking a toll on service delivery, and the country is experiencing an unprecedented number of protests over issues such as minimum wages and the collapsing healthcare system. While Africa’s last absolute monarchy does not allow formal political opposition to operate, a new brand of activism may be taking hold as anger mounts over the current situation in the country. I have never been involved in politics, but we all live in fear that this will happen to us, the shortage of medication and basic supplies in hospitals are real. To share a personal recent experience, over the last few weeks, I have had some health issues and due to pure negligence on my side on the importance of medical aid I found myself without it.

I have always thought Raleigh Fitkin Memorial (RFM) Hospital is a good hospital, I mean I was born there, treated and admitted many times even my son was born there, but what I experienced this time round was painful let me just say you could die in those lines waiting to be attended anger, fear, intolerance, disorder, violence, selfishness, greed, systematic corruption, unemployment and many other social ills. This phase marks the end of the old order associated with the old way of Swazi administration based on culture and traditions.

KINGDOM

It started showing its signals some years ago but due to lack of institutional capacity of the kingdom, no efforts were put into adapting and equipping the leadership to cope with emerging challenges. The so called ‘wise’ veterans of the old administration have since passed on and a new generation has emerged.

It is a generation that is led by any one pushing one agenda of hatred against a visible individual by the name of His Majesty King Mswati III (HMK), who happens to be the only symbol of culture and tradition to. Imagine waiting over an hour in the emergency unit , kantsi what is an emergency? I got there at 8am to leave after 6pm, without half the prescribed medication and to my further dismay, most the pharmacies were out of the drugs on prescription. At RFM you get sick waiting in those unsanitary conditions next to sick and bleeding people. What happened? It used to be a good hospital, with doctors that cared and clean floors. I shudder to think where we are heading and how you will just really die because you can’t afford ‘private’ healthcare. The health in Eswatini is poor and four years into the United Nations sustainable development goals, Eswatini seems unlikely to achieve goal on health. As a result of 63 per cent poverty prevalence, 27 per cent HIV prevalence, and poor health systems, maternal mortality rate is a high 389/100,000 live births, and under 5 mortality rate is 70.4/1000 live births resulting in a life expectancy that remains among the lowest in the world.

SIGNIFICANT

Despite significant international aid, government fails to adequately fund the health sector. Nurses are now and again engaged in demonstrations over poor working conditions, drug stock outs, all of which impairs quality health delivery. Despite tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS being major causes of death, diabetes and other non-communicable diseases are on that has been around for years; this is not wisdom at all. The challenges are much bigger than HMK. If we were to wake up tomorrow and discover that HMK had disappeared, God forbid, the challenges and the social ills would still be there.

MANIPULATE

In other words, nothing would change because those who are making emaSwati believe they are addressing their concerns are not actually helping them, but out there to manipulate them for their own motives.

Generally since the establishment of tinkhundla administration we have been manipulated by the powers that be for many years because we had no political education. I finished high school education without having been taught about anything. I was expected to do as a voting citizen of the rise. Primary healthcare is relatively free in Eswatini, save for its poor quality to meet the needs of the people. Road traffic accidents have increased over the years and they form a significant share of deaths in the country. This is what Wikipedia has to say.

COVID-19

Interesting to note that the information has updated since COVID-19 things seem to have become significantly worse since then imagine being told we need to admit you but there is no bed. Go home and take the medication the same medication that you can’t get. I’m worried, very actually, because even medical aid is expensive, but not as expensive as your life I suppose, but where are we this country.

I was not the only one then. Maybe we were not expected to be citizens of this country. Maybe we were not expected to have any role to play in this country.

IGNORANCE

I later heard about the 60 days detention order, also heard about the 1973 Decree etc. They took advantage of our ignorance then and I can see the same signals from those purporting to be doing something in the interests of the politically ignorant emaSwati.

I finished my first degree without any crash course in politics. I was not the only one then. Systematically, the interest in politics was swept from the minds of many emaSwati. Why are emaSwati in the diaspora in support of the call for political education? going as a country are we saying only the rich deserve to live?

Just to share a few stats that might interest you;

The are total number of six Government Hospitals and two Mission Hospitals in Eswatini, three of which are Referral Hospitals; Referral Hospitals; Mbabane Government Hospital, Psychiatric Government Hospital and TB Hospital Others are; Hlatikhulu Government Hospita( Shiselweni Region), Mankayane Government Hospital (Manzini Region), Pigg’s Peak Government Hospital (Hhohho region) Mission Hospitals; Good Shepherd Mission Hospital (Lubombo Region), Raleigh Fitkin Memorial Hospital (Manzini Region)

It’s so sad to see what once world

Let us look at the 2005 Swaziland Constitution. How relevant is it to somebody born in 1980? This is somebody who is in his 40s now. This person had no political education and has no understanding of basic politics. It is surprising that he is expected to have an understanding of the country’s Constitution.

When it was drafted and adopted, I had very little understanding of civilised world politics. When I was a Member of Parliament (MP), I could not be of any use to many emaSwati because politics is about numbers of those that are politically informed to make quality decisions for the common good. All the guys and girls born in 1980, and later are in the majority now and cannot be tied to a Constitution that was designed to systematically sideline them and make it difficult for them to amend it.

The politics that this generation is willing to embrace is one that is foreign to the old generation which remains entrenched in its culture and traditions.

The politics we envy should embrace the following principles; 1. The respect of a person and protection of his dignity.

The recognition and upholding of the United Nations (UN) Charter on fundamental Human Rights. The right to form a government of our own choice at a time we deem appropriate through approved structures.

Uphold a parliamentary democracy where no single individual can hold executive, legislative and judicial power.

Not to have a central government imposing itself upon communities where the communities are better placed to take charge of their affairs than central government.

Anything beside the above principles does not have a seat in our democracy. The nation must not be deprived of the knowledge and understanding of politics, and I do not care who or what form of government is doing that, it is not good for the people. 2. 3. 4. 5.

class hospitals have become. People would come from all over the world to be treated at Raleigh Fitkin Memorial Hospital known as Nazarene. I have always asked myself, does cheap healthcare mean we must tolerate the terrible treatment received by the staff and nurses at the Nazarene. Why is the government not investing in improving these establishments?

Like I said, I was really broken by the fact that I waited for over an hour in the emergency, what if I had come with my child and something was really wrong, it would have taken me that long to receive treatment and when the worst happens what is their responsibility nothing because they don’t care.

The oath doctors and nurses once took was more than a job, it meant something to their character to who they were as people.

PRIDE

It was their pride and joy, but now you can see by their posture when you walk in that room this person isn’t ready to receive someone they wish to help they just wish for it to be over. I have also noticed how the checkups are no longer thorough, I remember doctors walking around with stethoscopes, come to think of it when last did I even see one of those. It’s not ok.

We will die and that will be the end of our lives not because it was our time but because we can’t get the help we need. Being sick is the worst thing ever now imagine not being able to get better?