Does PM Cleopas’ administration have a plan?
MBABANE – Did Prime Minister Cleopas Sipho Dlamini ever make a policy statement on assumption of duties as the prime minister? In the past, any prime minister who did not release a policy statement within two weeks on assumption of duty invited the wrath of the late ex-premier, Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini.
In 2003, Barnabas clashed with former Prime Minister Absalom Themba (A.T) Dlamini over the same issue. AT quickly unveiled his policy statement which derived its strength from his programme he named ‘SPEED’ (Smart Programme on Economic Empowerment Development).
Through the SPEED, AT’s administration intended to achieve the, mission of the government, within ‘the next three to five years’ by implementing components that would facilitate such achievement and create opportunities for the fulfilment of the State’s vision.
The programme, which served as his policy statement, detailed clearly the challenge areas and suggested policies and programmes to mitigate them and further spearhead a sustainable economy, expand the private sector, improve global partnerships for national and regional development.
These policies and programmes were put in place to address issues such as HIV/AIDS, poverty, unemployment and job creation, small and medium enterprises growth, good governance and corruption as well as fiscal discipline and accountability. On the other hand, before he launched SPEED, Barnabas had launched ESRA I and ESRA II. ESRA means Economic and Social Review Agenda.
WHAT’S A POLICY STATEMENT?
Experts define a policy statement as an organisation-level document that prescribes acceptable methods or behaviours. Essentially, a policy is simply the way things are done within an organisation or Cabinet in a political set-up.
They say policies are different from procedures and standard operating procedures because they are applicable to an entire organisation and are primarily intended to set direction.
Procedures and standard operating procedures, on the other hand, typically include very specific instructions used to accomplish defined tasks.
For instance, instead of referring to a specific individual in a policy statement, position titles could be used. The experts go on to explain that good policies are written in active voice and are easily understood.
Short sentences avoid the use of jargon or acronyms, and using clear terms like ‘must,’ ‘required,’ ‘recommended,’ and ‘should’ make policy readable and easier to use.
They are written in a very clear and formal style such as ‘all journalists are required to write five stories per day to avoid shortage of news material’.
The late Prime Minister, Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini, unveiled his programme styled Post-COVID-19 Economic Recovery Plan –carving the path to a private sector-led economy.
Kellogg Tolaram Eswatini and Jonsson
Manufacturing (Pty) Ltd are some of his administration’s achievements.
However, it has to be said that before the emergence of COVID-19 in Eswatini in March 2020, Ambrose was issuing statements just like his successor, Cleopas. However, a source in the echelons of political power said Ambrose could be counted among former premiers whose performance could be measured against the plan he introduced in 2020.
He died in December 2020.
It is not clear if Cleopas will build on the foundation laid by his predecessor by implementing the Post-COVID-19 Economic Recovery Plan.
According to the plan, it is based on three critical components of the Eswatini Strategic Road map 2019 -2022, which are;
To grow the country’s GDP in order to improve the overall macro-economic conditions;
To create jobs so that every liSwati finds opportunity to be productive in the economy. This could fast-track poverty reduction and creation of sustainable livelihoods; To fast-track government revenue mobilisation; to improve the fiscal space, which in turn, will provide the resources to implement the National Development Plan 2019-2022.
It is stated in this plan that the Government of Eswatini will invest E7 055 billion comprising of 13 projects that will enable private sector investment and expansion.
These projects include earth dams to
allow the production of food in various rural communities in Eswatini, construction of factory shells in key strategic areas to establish FDIs, an upgrade of Bulandzeni-Pigg’s Peak-Bulembu Road to facilitate growth of the tourism industry and completion of the Nhlangano-Gege-Sicunusa Road. This project has started and the work was given to Inyatsi Construction.
In total, it is anticipated that these government projects will facilitate for the employment of 12 420 people.
In a space of three years, His Majesty the King announced that his government created 18 000 jobs.
The Mandvulo administration also pledged to improve the standard of living in the country and constructing a national referral hospital to provide tertiary care under different health specialisations. There was a pledge by the government to ensure the settlement of arrears to restore healthy cash flow into the economy, especially for the micro-small medium enterprises (MSMEs).
On July 16, 2021, His Majesty the King appointed Cleopas as the prime minister succeeding Mandvulo.
On July 28, 2021, he issued a statement to the House of Assembly.
PM’S PARLY STATEMENT
Alpheus Nxumalo, the Government Spokesperson, said he was to liaise with the prime minister over the issue but remembered him making a statement in Parliament. “If my memory serves me well, the PM incumbent, made a statement in Senate when he even alluded to the fact that economic
development shall be his priority as opposed to other things that do not arrest hunger and starvation among the nation,” said Nxumalo.
A politician who preferred to address the issue on condition of anonymity, as he did not want to be seen to be attacking the prime minister, said the statement he made in Parliament was a ‘general one’.
The politician said it was a statement everyone could make. He said a policy statement had timelines and it stated how goals would be achieved.
For instance, in a policy statement, the prime minister could say he would fight terrorism and make sure that, at least, 95 per cent of suspects are arrested and prosecuted. He would then explain why he felt it was important to concentrate on arson suspects. He said it might also state that he would build on Ambrose’s foundation by implementing the Post-COVID-19 Economic Recovery Plan. “He needs to state which part of the plan he is going to implement, how and when,” he said.
In his statement to Parliament, Cleopas said: “Mr. Speaker, I can assure the House and the nation that government is alive to the concerns of emaSwati, especially in relation to inefficiencies in service delivery.” He said government was equally concerned with the unacceptable rate of unemployment mainly affecting the youth.
The prime minister mentioned that government has put in place several interventions to address this nagging challenge with haste, and they were committed to doubling their efforts
to ensure that all emaSwati had ample opportunities to grow and succeed. “I will soon be addressing this matter specifically in a separate communiqué,” he said.
This is the communiqué which political analysts could serve as a policy statement informed by a detailed programme of action. PM Cleopas said government was committed to facilitating the creation of more employment opportunities for the youth, while guiding them to fully utilise the funds availed to assist emaSwati entrepreneurs who wanted to venture into business.
These include the Youth Enterprise Revolving Fund, the Regional Development Fund, Small Scale Loan Guarantee Scheme, Export Credit Guarantee Scheme, the MSME Revolving Fund, the Informal Traders Fund, among others. He then said they shall put more focus on infrastructure rehabilitation, education, access to health services, agriculture and ICT as these are some of the key components of the Strategic Road map 2019-2022. This is over and above investment facilitation and job creation. He said Cabinet had assured him of their commitment to run this race with speed and precision in order to change the quality of life for emaSwati.
The politician was back to analyse the statement the prime minister made in Parliament to say if it were a policy statement, the infrastructure rehabilitation, education, access to health services, agriculture and information, communication and technology would have been unpacked.