The curse of being poor in Swaziland.

I am told that back then (in the reign of King Sobhuza ll), it was easy to carry out certain customary practices because money was not that much important to the lives of the Swazi people. It was not a sought after commodity. Those that were in authority then had other things that were of value to them such as respect for their own folks and the Lord God Almighty looked at them with great admiration (may be they feared the Lord more than we do now) and that is why they got the rains in due time.

Well, there were those who were believing in their own gods whom I would like to believe were responsible for the introduction of ideas, that eroded the principles that brought Swazis together without consideration of material possession. Many family heads had herd of cattle from which they could earn a living. As this natural wealth disappeared, it was replaced by something else like money, poverty, diseases, hunger, selfishness, greed and lack of respect for humanity.

The most unfortunate development in the history of any nation is the emergence of a leader who likes money more than reasoning. I remember when I became an MP for the very first time (1998- 2003), King Mswati lll used to enjoy parliamentary debates for reasons best known to him. I am aware there were instances when parliament was working on the King’s nerves. Any natural person will appreciate a debate as long as his interests are not being compromised. I can safely say that the reason the King enjoyed some of the parliamentary debates was because we were not debating issues that were close to his interests/heart.

The point I have been trying to bring to your attention is that money has the tendency to erode justice, righteousness, objectivity and wisdom from people who are in authority.

I met a handful of the men who advise the King on matters that he refers to them, when consulting on weekly/monthly issues. They all asked me why I am not paying the King a courtesy visit and my response has been it is difficult to see the King especially when I have made my opinion public on the governance and political system in place in the country. They then told me to get a beast to open the doors for me. Now this is too much. How does a poor Swazi raise money for a beast?

Why should a beast be the link between the king and His Subjects?

Does the King really need my beast? Can I disregard the protocol that these men have put in place when they have a lot of influence on who gets to see the King?

Would it make a difference to talk to the King about my vision for Swaziland and hope he will listen to one voice?

Who is the king of the poor Swazis who have the brains?

There is no evidence that Swaziland is taking giant steps forward.

I have had the chance to talk to some people in the corridors of power with a view to find out how they view things in general. I asked them a simple question on the strides that had been made by the Kingdom in the last ten years and they were very happy to tell me that the country had made significant progress in terms of development. They told me that the country had put up a good road network and the elderly were now receiving some hardship allowance and the orphans and vulnerable children were given a chance to attend schools. They did not leave out the construction of a new international airport and a trade exhibition centre. This is what they use to measure their contribution to the development of this country.

Looking from their list, it is quite clear to me that the majority of the people of Swaziland do not matter to these gentlemen who are very close to the centre of power. They are not measuring development in terms of human development, health delivery, the number of Swazis in gainful employment, the number of Swazi students who are able to get study loans and pursue their dreams, the number of Swazis who are able to have a meal per day, the number of HIV/AIDS cases. In a nut shell they are not in touch with reality. The things that matter to the majority of the people of Swaziland do not matter to those that are in power.

About two weeks ago it was reported in the daily newspaper that a Swazi woman had given birth to a baby with two heads and the husband/boyfriend was deeply traumatised when the news was delivered to him about this rare baby. The Health minister was quoted in the daily giving details of this incident. Now to me the minister’s behavior was very disturbing because instead of treating this matter with the confidentiality it deserved, he turned it into a publicity stunt. It is quite normal in this part of the world for a woman to discover the condition of her baby just after giving birth. This is the level of importance given to the ante-natal clinic. The good health delivery service is given to those who can afford it because they are the ones who matter in this country. This is not correct by any measure.

Mfomfo 15 July 09

Mfomfo on Monday 29 June 09

I have been, for sometime, following events in Africa as they unfolded across the continent with a view to understand why we have a tendency to behave differently from the Europeans. I am also trying to work out why we tend to have a resemblance to the behavior of the Americas. With the establishment of Aljazeera News Network one is in a position to study the behavior of the Muslim states. The most important objective for me is to study the behavior of leaders and also the behavior of those that are led most of the time. These studies are meant to bring certain developments to the attention of Swazis with a view to influence their thinking and analysis so that when they get into multi-party democracy, they do not become a liability to themselves.

One set-back which people must try to avoid at all cost is to be manipulated by those in authority or those with wealth. I have since come to the conclusion that education or lack of it, plays a big role in determining whether those that are being led have a role to play in shaping their own destiny or not. Generally people who are in a leadership position, especially in Africa do not want to have a tough time in their leadership position. They tend to focus on any opposition that comes from some of those that are being led without wanting to find out the source of opposition.

Generally, people will become discontent when they observe that their basic needs are not being addressed by those that are in leadership. Basic needs are education and training, food, health, shelter, poverty. But again in Africa history has it that we have grown up in an environment where these needs were not concerns of the chiefs and the Kings. These concerns were brought about by civilization (which had education as its foundation). In my country the provision of shelter is not a government responsibility because those in leadership still believe that this is a family responsibility. I am of the view that the leadership has still not come to terms with the fundamental reasons of why governments are a basic need for every country. I strongly believe that as far as they are concerned governments are formed to make the masses listen to those that are in authority, do whatever the authorities order them to do without saying a word that questions their decisions. Our leadership is probably cursing those that were responsible for the introduction of education and training. We are being led by those who are cursing education and training because they have not sat down to look seriously at the importance and significance of education and training, in transforming nations from third world countries to first world countries.

I am of the view, making a critical analysis, that we are being taken advantage of by the leadership in a way that is hidden to the majority of the Swazi people. The leadership is fully aware that we are a people deeply rooted in tradition and customs much to the detriment of our children and ourselves. Traditions and customary practices are very effective tools of leadership especially in circumstances where appropriate education and training are found wanting. The Swazi people are so much endowed into tradition, therefore, the authorities will never be called to account for their decisions because that would be considered to be challenging those who, by tradition, ought not to be questioned under any circumstances.

The Swazi people need a new mind-set to be able to do things differently. Without a new mind-set, this nation will find it difficult to overcome hunger, poverty, etc. The leadership of this country, being the minority, is not coping with the challenges that are threatening our survival, but has since realized that instead of embracing change, it would rather see this nation engaging a fast gear down to the bottom less pit where no survivor will be retrieved from the wreckage of the present political set-up.

Swaziland is different from South Africa but the RSA is now miles ahead in most fronts yet she attained her independence in 1994. As a Swazi have you ever wondered what is it that we have not done correctly since 1994? Who is to blame for the mess we find ourselves in today? I think we are to blame, to a certain extent, because we folded our arms as those who found themselves in leadership positions did as they please with the country’s resources. But we can’t mourn about the past all the time. Let us get up and put on our loin skins and roll up our sleeves to work harder for the present, our children and our families. Let us instill confidence in every Swazi, making him believe in himself. Let us make our brothers and sisters know that what they have been told they cannot do, they can do under a new political set-up because they will be treated with the respect that they have not been given since time immemorial.

Next week we look at how we can fight hunger and unemployment in a new political set-up.

Hospitals to die for – Literally!!!!

Last Thursday, a woman (Makhosazana) in her early twentys, was carrying her baby to Manzini Raleigh Fitkin Memorial Hospital who was very close to death. When she got there the baby was put under some respiratory apparatus because the baby’s breathing rate had dropped significantly. Some tests were done for the little one whose mother was very shaken by the possibility of losing her baby. The doctor told her that the baby would spend a night or two in the hospital so that he could be assessed and if he showed signs of improvement then they would be discharged.

On the following day the GP prepared a prescription for Makhosazana that she could take to the pharmacy in town to get medication for her baby. The young woman had no money because the boyfriend is some where in Johannesburg living on odd jobs. The amount needed for the medication across the counter amounted to $25.00 (US). On seeing this prescription and enquiring on the estimates she broke down into tears because all she could see was a great likelihood of losing the baby. The GP asked if she had the money to which she said no. The GP then broke the sad news that there was nothing he could do because there are no drugs that could be given to her baby for the treatment. She was further told that the baby would be given something for the pain and nothing more than that.

The GPs in this hospital have become used to making prescriptions for patients and have their relatives run to pharmacists in town to get medications because there are no medications in our country’s hospital and clinics.

Makhosazana is a fine young lady. The sad thing is she only had four years of primary school. She cannot read and write (communicate with others). She does not have basic education. This implies she is one of those Swazis who find it easy to look up to those that are in authority for guidance. She is one of those Swazis who have never been taught about the need of forming a government in the first place.

But now she knows that our hospital has no medication. May be to her this has become normal because everybody has been telling her that this has been a practice for sometime now.

This is totally unacceptable. I wonder how many other Swazis have perished in our hospitals as a result of the shortage/lack of drugs. When power is not transferred to the informed majority of the people of Swaziland, those that are in government will do as they please because the majority has no role to play in the balance of power.

Makhosazana is a woman, she can fall in love and make love to her boyfriend without thinking seriously about the consequences because she does not have basic education. She is not aware how basic education could have helped her to make good decisions for herself (avoid HIV/AIDS).

Whether she votes or does not vote is not a matter of priority to her. The best she can do for herself, is to cry when the GP tells her there are no drugs in the hospital for her baby’s medication. She cries because her baby could die. Today she is back at home and the baby looks sickly.

When the political set-up is changed, Inhlava will make sure that basic education and training is a priority for our young people and ourselves. Inhlava will see to it that Swazis’ right to life is guaranteed by ushering a health delivery system in both urban and rural Swaziland. Affordable food production, job creation and basic education and training will be used to relieve the pressure on the Health delivery system.

Those that are in authority do not care about the plight of those that are not in authority and we cannot therefore, say Swaziland is a normal society in which the people’s needs come first.

Mfomfo 24 June 09

Threats to the Shadow Cabinet!!!

This country called Swaziland is full of surprises but I never thought the authorities of the land would employ tactics that shake the common man to the core. It has been sometime since we last had a meeting with members of the shadow cabinet. In this part of the world it is not easy to convene meetings as frequently as one would like because the high level of poverty becomes an inhibiting factor. One has to take into consideration certain factors before convening a meeting. With very few Swazis in decent employment, the belief of a better future under a new political set-up is held dearly by those that are marginalized by the present political system. Whatever money these people get must be used in the most efficient manner so that those things that are needs are given priority over those things that are not a necessity. A political meeting must be convened under difficult conditions with state agents wanting to be part of every meeting the people of Swaziland hold. They do not come in with the purpose of contributing ideas but just to sit down, take notes to give to their masters.

Generally the party convenes meetings to encourage its members to think big on all issues because this country can make big strides when the Swazis are given an opportunity to develop themselves mentally. The people of Swaziland have never been given an opportunity to discover their true potential in tackling issues that are challenging to them.

They have never been allowed to develop their self confidence. They are a people with a low self-esteem. They have been brought up in an environment where those that are in authority are allowed to think for those that are not in authority. Their main task has been to cheer up those that are in authority every time the authorities make any decision (whether the decision is right or wrong for the majority is not an issue to be commented on by those that are not in authority).

The presence of state agents when the party convenes meetings is against the spirit of developing the people of Swaziland mentally to tackle political and economic issues. This means the authorities of the land like to rule those that are ignorant of any matter of major interest to the majority of Swazis. They have since become public enemy number 1 without the majority of Swazis being able to identify their number 1 enemy. This calls on the party to use covert methods for strategic meetings.

Yesterday I bumped into the shadow minister for housing and the member was so pleased to see me. When I asked him where he has been hiding he told me that he was given a terrible grilling by the authorities of the land following a letter he had written to the “Times of Swaziland” newspaper editor advising the King to call me to a one on one meeting.

He told me he got a call from the illegal Prime Minister (appointed by the King in complete violation of the country’s constitution) to report to the Palace on a Saturday without fail. Present in the grilling session were the illegal Prime Minister, Dr Sibusiso B Dlamini, the Chairman of Liqoqo (King’s advisory council) and two other gentlemen whom he could not identify. He was given stern warning not to associate himself with the party or similar statements again. He was threatened with eviction from his village. I saw tears rolling down his face as he narrated his ordeal before the terrible four. Why would these four gentlemen pounce on a Swazi national who is trying so hard to help his fellow Swazis help themselves? What else are they capable of doing? In this country we are called “well behaved Swazis” if we keep our opinions to ourselves. When we die of hunger we should keep quiet, when we die of HIV/AIDS we should shut up, when we face poverty and joblessness we should blame ourselves for being loafers, when we have no shelter and a non existing health delivery system we should look up to the gods for assistance so that we are given a pat on our backs for being loyal and well behaved subjects of His Majesty the King.

We are working to change the political system to multi-party democracy.

Mfomfo (19 June 09)