Building army to quell protests

W Elive in a world that is changing rapidly. We may decide to change with the changing world or not change with it. Sometimes we may be unconsciously changed. In the midst of all this we find these things about us, human beings, the necessity for a changeless core within, the need for positive change and occurrence of involuntary change that takes place within us.

If there ever was a time that the words of former United States President John F Kennedy, spoken at his inaugural address back in 1961, urging American citizens to; “Ask not what the country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country,” were more relevant in the history of our country, it is now.

They speak to the call for national sacrifice for the better good of all. Just as the American1s had great expectations back in 1961, the Kingdom of Eswatini looks forward to better days. The lack of fiscal discipline has been purposely allowed to manifest itself as a culture, with great reward for those who fit the profile of an unfaithful servant. Endless calls by the auditor general for adherence to financial management regulations have fallen on deaf ears while politicians enjoyed a splurge on national resources.

They rode on the culture of ‘what can the country do for me’, seeking every opportunity for personal gain. This must stop. Against this backdrop, the provision of services by government officials to the people is not a matter of choice, but, instead, it is a mandatory exercise. Whenever people are deprived of these services, their human rights are violated. Importantly, failure to deliver services to the people does not only amount to dereliction of duty, but it is also in contravention of the Constitution of the country.

One of the major sources of instability in the country is the persistent student protests. There is no longer any guarantee of uninterrupted learning in local tertiary institutions. Often, the apple of discord has been the scholarship grants, ranging from delays to the amounts and the selection criteria. Carrying out reforms in this area of discontent could go a long way in reducing the elements being used to perpetrate strife in our institutions which are seriously compromising the quality of our education.

Understood

The subject of human rights cannot be fully understood in Eswatini outside of history. As the saying goes, ‘a nation that does not know its history will regress’. George Santayana, a world-renowned philosopher, once said; “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Many years after the dawn of our constitutional democracy, it is important to reflect on how far the country has gone in terms of either protecting or consolidating human rights. In the event that this goal has not yet been fully achieved for one reason or another, what should be done to achieve it going forward? This is a very pertinent question which needs urgent attention.

In 2022, the Human Rights Day theme was: ‘Dignity, freedom, and justice for all’. This year’s theme is: ‘Consolidating and supporting human rights culture into the future’. Both themes embrace the need to improve the lives of the people through service delivery. If that does not happen, people’s human rights are trampled on, and the Constitution is violated.

What has become crystal is that the political status quo is working in favour of the political elites and the privileged, who are extending their limbs to every sector of the economy while emaSwati are watching helplessly on the sidelines. That is why things are as they are because the elites are in comfort zones.

Inexperienced

It is really shocking that in this day and age we have high ranking government officials who are working without job descriptions. This is shocking because it basically means that the people who have been entrusted with implementing crucial public policies for service delivery are inexperienced. Through job descriptions, employees understand what is expected of them, allowing them to work more effectively.

Additionally, it provides a structure to ensure that the duties are being handled by the employee, which establishes objective criteria by which the employer can measure the employee’s performance. It is basic knowledge that once a person is hired, they should sign a copy of their job description, formally acknowledging and accepting the job’s requirements and expectations. With job descriptions in place, government can better hold its employees accountable to the position’s needs, expectations, performance and decisions, while having a solid understanding of the requirements. It is no wonder that over E2 million worth of medical drugs are allegedly unaccounted for at the Pigg’s Peak Government Hospital.

What Cabinet seems to overlook is the dangerous perception being created in the minds of the populace that government is less concerned about the people’s well-being and is building up an armed force to counter any protest that may arise as a result of this position.