EmaSwati still have hope

"A nation is defined by how its people meet the gravest of difficulties - whether they work together and confront their challenges as one, united by a common purpose or surrender to the problems before them.”

These words were said by President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa when he delivered his 2023 State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday evening.

Ramaphosa’s speech focused mainly on the electricity crisis that has plagued that country for years.

He also spoke about unemployment, safety and security, service delivery and many more. His words, as captured in my opening paragraph, ring true for South Africa just as they aptly apply to our country Eswatini.

As a nation, we have faced grave difficulties in the last three years or so.

These included the COVID-19 pandemic and the socio-political unrest.

While the Coronavirus somehow brought us together in our grief and determination to conquer it, the social instability occasioned by demands for political change ripped the nation right down the middle, resulting in very intense divisions that made violence a common occurrence in a country that had been known to be among the most peaceful countries in the world.

BLAME

The blame game between government and those calling for constitutional changes has made it almost impossible to reach common ground.

The June 29, 2021 riots that resulted in a massacre that left dozens dead have been the thorny point.

While government blames protesters for using violence and arson to put their point across, the mass democratic movement believes the response by State security agents was too heavy-handed.

So far, a permanent solution seems elusive. However, what gives one peace of mind is that whatever diverse means we believe should be employed to achieve peace, we all share the common belief that violence should end. I know that emaSwati still have hope.

They hope that our leaders are willing and capable of bringing an end to the instability.

They hope the economy will improve and that government has realised that failure to deliver basic services results in anger that eventually fuels social unrest.

It is in the midst of such hope that His Majesty the King will deliver his 2023 Speech from the Throne a few days from now.

All emaSwati will be listening or watching on various platforms when the King delivers this policy-making speech.

It is from this speech that the entire nation hopes to get direction on how the country will emerge from the various crises it faces. It is hoped that His Majesty will give a clear direction on how and when the national dialogue process will proceed. Prime Minister Cleopas Sipho Dlamini and Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo have addressed this topic but we all know that the nation believes the final word will come from His Majesty. The long and short of Dlamini’s and Nxumalo’s statements is that the national dialogue will not be convened until government is sure that the violence sweeping across the country has ended.

SECURITY

However, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has urged Eswatini to start the dialogue process as a matter of urgency.

Hage Geingob, Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security, was more direct, saying generally, one does not dialogue with friends but enemies. That said, the nation will also be hopeful that solutions to unemployment, the health crisis and food security will also be unpacked.

So will be pointers on how the education sector will improve.

Incidentally, the speech also comes amid a growing debate around the unaffordability of fees for basic education. Many pupils who passed Grade VII exceptionally well are still sitting at home because their parents do not have enough money to come up with the deposits demanded by high schools for enrolment into Form I.

It would be interesting as well, to hear how government has fared in terms of honouring the promises or carrying out the directives given by His Majesty in his 2022 Speech from the Throne.

For example, heavy rains were also experienced at the beginning of last year, though not at such a devastating scale as the current ones.

“The rains also bring to light the need for construction of more dams to preserve this water for use in subsequent years when we could be faced with drought,” said the King.

How far has the Ministry of Agriculture gone with this assignment?

At the time, damage to infrastructure like roads and bridges was estimated at around E150 million.

His Majesty assured the nation that government and its agencies had developed a comprehensive maintenance and rehabilitation programme ‘to restore normality as soon as possible’.

With roads caving in and bridges collapsing again, emaSwati hope this programme is still in existence to address the current destruction.

The King spoke about maximising solar energy and hydro-power generation, which the country had to speed up to ensure we have electricity when the Eskom contract to supply the kingdom expires.

REVENUE

At what percentage can progress on this one be placed? When His Majesty spoke in February 2022, the country had experienced a significant shortfall in the collection of revenue. This time around, it has been reported that Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU) receipts due to Eswatini increased by 102 per cent for the year 2023/24, resulting in the kingdom getting E11.75 billion.

This is the highest share the country has ever received from the regional economic bloc and emaSwati would love to know how it will benefit ordinary citizens.

The King also spoke about a universal burial cover for the elderly, which was to be introduced during the course of this financial year.

The Deputy Prime Minister’s Office later issued a tender for a service provider, but we have not heard much about this cover since then.

The King had declared 2022 the year of transformation, but has the country’s health system which has chronically suffered medical drug stock-outs, shortage of ambulances and understaffed public health facilities, been transformed?

A year later, has our education system, with an acute shortage of teachers and ever-dwindling chances for tertiary level enrolment, been trans