Elders must clean SWALIMO image - ‘Mdabula’
MBABANE – One of the founding members of the Swaziland Liberation Movement (SWALIMO) Mbekezeli µMdabula¶ =ulu has called upon fellow elders in the organisation to clean its image.
=ulu said all political parties had elders, even though current leaders might not like the sound of that. +e said organisations that were founded always had a non-officio Council of Elders that usually comes together in times like these to bring order and sanity.
=ulu said the organisation was going through a tough time and needed guidance from those that were part of its foundation and those that played a maMor role in advising during its formation period. +e stated the importance of such an intervention and said it was important for the organisation to be saved from self-extinction. =ulu was making reference to the current turmoil where leaders of the organisation were throwing accusations towards one another through audios, while others were suspended and fired.
LEADERSHIP
“The integrity of the organisation¶s leadership is at stake. They are being insulted and accused from all directions and one begins to doubt their sanity in dealing with issues within the organisation. This is one of the reasons I am calling on the elders of the organisation to meet and find an intervention strategy that will not sell the organisation to the enemy or compromise the leadership and their integrity. We cannot give away the purity of the organisation even though we are aware that the leaders themselves were not perfect and had a hand in all the mess that our reputable movement is currently in right now. It¶s time we come together and prove how solid our base and foundation is as an organisation,´ he said.
=ulu stated that it was not time to point fingers against one another as the organisation was being tested and can only be saved through a united front.
+e said he was concerned at the many instances in which the movement was being assassinated in public and blamed it on structural immaturity. +e said it was normal for organisations to suffer teething problems within the first year of their formation.
ISSUES
“There is a lot of issues that need to be addressed and people must understand that I am personally not against the leadership, but I want the leadership to be eTuipped and cushioned, hence I am calling upon the founding partners of the organisation to come together and assist the National Executive Council (NEC) to rebuild the dignity of the movement. I still believe in the leadership of 3resident Mduduzi µ*awuzela¶ Simelane, but I would be first to allow him to take a recess if that¶s what it means to get the movement back on its feet. I want people to understand me clearly, I am saying this because I once mentioned that we had Simelane in mind when we formed the organisation and he has done a tremendous Mob in pushing it forward, but I won¶t hesitate to support change if that¶s what is needed,´ said =ulu.
=ulu, a popular entertainment and events businessman, is on record saying he was the one who founded SWALIMO and drafted the organisation¶s preliminary documents. +e said the movement was formed behind Simelane¶s back and the documents were later shared to him and he was surprised. +e stated that after Simelane introduced him to the current Communications Officer )uthi Msibi, more members were introduced, including the Secretary *eneral Dr Siphetfo Dlamini and National Chairperson %usi Mayisela.
SWALIMO recently suspended two senior leaders, Lubombo District Executive Committee (DEC) Chairperson Mzwakhe Myeni and Manzini DEC Chairperson %rian Sihlongonyane. Myeni immediately resigned after the suspension, while Sihlongonyane resigned and later reinstated himself.
ORGANISATION
The organisation faced resistance and divergence in the past three weeks and the two influential leaders cited lack of constitution and policies to disregard their suspension.
The allegations against the organisation included assertions that there was no collective leadership in the movement and the current leaders were unwilling to organise a National Conference. Myeni and Sihlongonyane both decried that there was no draft constitution and policies, hence the challenges. The suppression of dissenting views was further highlighted including allegations of deployment on favouritism and friendship.
SWALIMO was formed in November 202 and its formation caused a greater stir in the pro-democracy movement as other political movements opposed the organisation¶s political ideologies, especially regarding the elections under the Tinkhundla System of *overnment.
Its national leadership consist of a National Command Council that comprises of the Top 9 NEC members, and nine +ead of Departments that consist of the 20 National Coordinating Office (NCO) Committees.
The MPs wanted the following to be taken out of this law – Cancellation of the levy, but impose it on imports only (not local manufacturers);
Remove Section 14 of the Regulations, which gives the Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs powers to ban at anytime when he deems it fit;
Remove the environmental licence which the manufacturers must get from the Eswatini Environmental Authority as the current licence they hold was issued in terms of the Companies Act; hence the Regulations (subordinate) cannot override the dictates of a principal law (Act). The licence is a prerogative of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade.
It must be said that the country does not have a specific Control of Plastic Bags Act. The Plastic Bag Regulations sought to regulate a general environmental law, the Environmental Management Act of 2002. Section 4 of the Control of Plastic Bag Regulations state that a person who intends to manufacture or import plastic bags with a wall thickness of 24 micrometres shall apply to the Eswatini Environmental Authority.
Section 4 (3) provides that a person who imports or manufactures plastic bags without a licence commits an offence and shall on conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding E50 000 or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year or both.
The authority may suspend licences issued to a company if it imports plastic bags that are likely to cause danger to the environment.
The objects of the regulations are – ◗ Regulate the production, importation and use of plastic bags;
Promote the reuse, recycling and safe handling of plastic bags; Ultimately ban the production, importation and use of plastic bags with a wall thickness of less than 24 micrometres in Eswatini (these are single use plastics);
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