When the King’s eyes cannot see beyond the palace walls

Sometimes it is very wrong for a natural person to come to conclusions about the behaviour of any person without any compelling evidence. Well there are those amongst us who would prefer to say nothing than saying anything that may offend those that mean a lot to them in terms of survival.

In this beloved country we have His Majesty King Mswati lll who is loved by a number of his subjects for various reasons that I would not like to discuss in this article. The good thing is that the Swazi people have unconditional love for the King. They do not expect anything from the King because it is the King that expects something from the Swazis. Well I have not heard the Swazi people tell their King what they would like him to give to them in return for their loyalty. It is a one way traffic. The King has made it quite clear what he wants from his subjects: It is peace and stability of the Kingdom at whatever cost.

The most disheartening development in Swaziland is that the King stays in a palace surrounded by a brick wall 2m high, with no building higher than the wall. The king does not know how many Swazis are outside the palace. He knows the Swazis that are allowed entry to the palace. If a Swazi has never been to the palace then he is not an asset to the King because he does not exist and will never exist in the King’s list. The sad reality about hanging around the palace hoping to get an opportunity to pass through the guards is that life comes to a halt whilst nursing the hopes of seeing the King.

Let us briefly look at what the King sees within the walls of the palace: it is his family and then the messengers. Therefore the King’s interests are bound to be those of his family and to a certain extent those of his messengers. It is no surprise then that on the year of the 40/40 celebrations some of the queens boarded a chartered jet for some shopping in Asia. Now this is becoming a routine, as not long ago (about a week to be precise) another delegation of about 50 (including some of the queens) got some Visas for USA. It is no surprise again that they have a fine taste of style and the King has to look after their interests because his eyes can see as far as the walls of the palace. Do not forget I do stay by the road to the airport.

Anyway the local newspapers (Times in particular) were told not to inform the Swazis as they would face closure of publication.

It must be good being the King of Swaziland. What would you do if the opportunity came your way?

When democracy becomes a threat to tradition, where do people go?

About two weeks ago I took a trip to the country side to meet a very senior chief in the Kingdom of Swaziland with a view to understand why there is a big gap between those who are for democratic change and those who would go to great lengths to protect the status quo. The chief had heard about me over the national radio when I was a member of parliament (1998- 2008). The first question he asked me was why I did not run for the 3rd term. I was surprised because I thought he would be too happy that the “black” one had been taken off the field and there would be order and peace in the corridors of power. Although I was startled by his question, I later realized that there are some Swazis who would like things done differently.

They do not need to be young to demand change. They do not need to be associated with a certain group of people to hold on to certain beliefs. They are ready to embrace change when they believe it is for the common good. But like most other Swazis he would not dare to speak his mind in the open. Like most Swazis, he has to keep his opinion to himself and possibly hope to die in silence.

Most of my country men are paying a high price for the status quo to be maintained. I finally told him why I could not run for the 3rd term. Having been through the system or in the core of Swazi politics I told him that one voice in a set-up that favours listening to one side of a story is not helpful to anybody, therefore, I had to go back to the people on the ground to preach about life in a democratic Swaziland.

We are making great strides in sowing the seeds of hope in a democratic Swaziland. The question that I posed to the chief was, “In the Swazi set-up, there is a chief, the chief’s right hand man, the inner council and the greater community under the chief, could you tell me who has the final say/word in any matter under consideration”? His response was, “By virtue of the power/authority delegated by the King to the chief, in any given community the chief’s word is final”. This is not democracy and it will never help us to solve the problems (social) that are threatening our survival as a people. The environment in which we live is not for an absolute monarch to thrive.

The King, My King, has to adapt to this environment where he has to share, whatever he inherited from the King Sobhuza ll (the power, wealth and duties), with the majority of the people of Swaziland. The King has to acknowledge that we are here as a people and he cannot wish us away and neither can we wish him away. We are all made in the image of God. Greedy and selfish people should not be in position of authority because they tend to exist at the peril of the majority. The King has to embrace multi-party democracy before it is imposed on Swaziland for the survival of this nation.

According to the chief’s analysis, the people of Swaziland do not exist as adults and young people. They do not have the brains to think for themselves because their opinions do not matter.

Mfomfo (7 July 09)

Mfomfo on Monday 6 July 09

The purpose of writing these Monday articles is to appeal to the common Swazi to look at things differently and try to find a role that he/she could play in bringing about the desirable change in the Kingdom of Swaziland. I am inclined to annoy those that are in authority with these articles together with their followers/supporters. It is not my intention to annoy anybody with these articles but the latest developments in this Kingdom have convinced me that there is a certain group of Swazis who are totally against the sharing of information of this kind, with the majority of the people of Swaziland.

I think their fears are based on what they know to be the truth and the consequences of letting the masses know the truth. Any normal person behaves differently once the truth is revealed to him/her especially if they discover that those in authority have been withholding information which they could have used to arrive at reasonable conclusions.

I have said time and again that those in authority think they are the only ones that are capable of using their brains and everybody else who is not in authority has to be told what to do for the rest of their life. They have since made it difficult for news reporters to keep the people of Swaziland informed about pertinent issues and decisions being made by those that are in authority. The Swazi people have to read about community news and sports and nothing else. I am sure these guys in power would have stopped the viewing of TV stations based in RSA had they had the means.

Last week I said we would look at how Swaziland can best address the issue of food security. This problem which is threatening the survival of this nation is not one that can be looked at from one angle alone. Everybody has to be aware that this problem is real and must be tackled by all who live in Swaziland for the good of this country and our children. It is very important to realize that those in power have the resources to make great strides in addressing this problem but they have the wrong mind-set to yield the correct results. This wrong mind-set has resulted in the majority not trusting the leadership of this country with the country’s resources. The Swazi people have not forgotten that not long ago they were promised that over $200 000 would be made available to them to start income generating projects, but up to now that promise has never been fulfilled despite this promise coming from the King himself. In practice this country has no Development bank because those that are in authority have no confidence in Swazis making use of such a facility to take themselves to another level of prosperity. Swaziland has a university that has a faculty of agriculture but the government has no facility that sees to it that those that graduate from this university have access to land, water and resources for a given period of time to put their skills into use for the benefit of this country and its citizens in general. It is well known that the majority of Swazi farmers are into subsistence farming and such farmers are not encouraged to go into commercial farming. Those that have gone into commercial farming have been lured into sugar cane farming where again a majority of them have found themselves indebted to commercial banks and shylocks for their life time.

The staple food for Swazis is maize meal yet the Swazis are not encouraged to produce more of this crop than the others but the infrastructure for sugar cane production is well developed compared to maize. It is a known fact that agricultural activities rely on continuous research yet in this country, the research that is under taken has no benefit in the production of food.

Taipei has tried her level best to give the best advice to Mbabane on how to go about doing things differently for the prosperity of Swaziland and her people but it has fallen on deaf ears. I strongly believe that the political set-up in this country has a lot to do with the failure of the Swazis (farmers) to produce enough food for the people of Swaziland. The political system has made Swazis fail to come up with a priority list in which the majority needs take precedence over the needs of the minority.

A number of new faces have come into government and also disappeared, without changing the mind-set of those put in positions of authority to serve the interest of the majority of the people of Swaziland. It is quite clear to me that those in power today have no intention of ever making the people of Swaziland become aware of why do civilized people need governments in the first place.

This habit of keeping people ignorant about issues that are critical for their survival is very suicidal to the majority. Swaziland needs a change of mind-set to be able to produce enough food for herself. I will never understand an individual who claims Swaziland to be a peaceful and stable country when there is a great majority of Swazi people who are poor, ravaged by hunger and diseases as well as HIV?AIDS. Peace and stability should be defined by a high degree of general prosperity and self-sufficiency in food production.

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)

Mfomfo on Monday 08 June o9

If ever I would be given an opportunity to make a wish in this world it would be “My wish is to see fellow Swazis live lifestyles that would put the potential of every Swazi (young and old, woman and man, boy and girl, physically challenged or not) into good use for the benefit of Swaziland and her neighbours.

When I think of the plight of the Swazi people, I sometimes think of other occasions in history with parallels to the present time here. I think of Emperor Hirohito of Japan who was held as god by Japanese people and was forced to renounce such a myth on public radio at the end of the second world war, and I think of Gandhi who was a lawyer in South Africa during the early days of Apartheid rule by the Boers and how it inspired him to return to his native India and embark on a course of peaceful change defying all those who stood against him. You see, one thought of superiority and the other only ever saw an equal human being.

I do have some difficulty then in accepting standards on general relationships if they have been built on simple understanding of a person’s mind or logic or common sense. The problem I have with man imitating God is that once he lifts himself to a position of a god of some kind, he has a tendency of assuming that everybody else has to agree with his line of thinking.

Those that refuse to agree with him on very serious issues which to a certain extent, have to do with justice or lack of it, or a disproportionate distribution of resources amongst the people of Swaziland, etc are often considered to be disrespectful or very bad persons. Generally all people are born with a potential to be bad and good at certain times of their lives. The environment that one is brought up in has, to a certain extent, an influence on the character of an individual. But I must not rule out that the intervention of open and peaceful dialogue could turn an evil hearted person into a good one. Our environment is often shaped by those who are revered by our societies. In any given society it is the person who has wealth who tends to have great influence on the majority of the people.

Generally those who tend to acquire money illegally but are not brought before the court of law for their methods of getting money, have the tendency to set the standards for those that are poor and for the children that are brought up in that environment. These people who get rich using illegal methods have a tendency of acquiring assets (expensive cars and other accessories) and setting up a lifestyle that is envied by those that are vulnerable.

The burden of setting up societal standards is a natural obligation for those that are in authority or in leadership. It is not me who is in leadership in Swaziland. I have a role that I must play too, to make Swaziland a country where a few of the majority may have hope in the future. It would be irresponsible of me as a Swazi not to do something that could help in steering the boat in the right direction. It has never been my plan to spoil the party for those that are in leadership.

My father and some of the tax payers of the people of Swaziland paid for my secondary as well as tertiary education in the only university of Swaziland. This was an investment of some kind by the people of Swaziland, who were expecting some returns in one way or the other. Nobody knew then what returns would be made by the investment. I am sure some are happy that I am trying to do something for the good of the majority whilst others are cursing that I am poking my nose into areas that are out of bounds.

When I finished my junior degree in Science I was able to teach science in a boys school until His majesty paved the way for me to go to England to study for post graduate degree. The scholarship was no hand-over as I had to sit for an interview conducted by the British Council panel at the time the “Brits” thought highly of Swaziland 1993. At the time I left for UK I had been involved in national politics (teachers’ union). I went to UK with my eyes wide open and willing to learn the politics of England. I learned a lot.

I came back to join the private sector and the King introduced me to parliament. I got a lot of support from him in the political field although there were moments when collisions occurred but we worked out those areas without drifting apart. When I was made minister the King had full knowledge of the Swazi he was appointing into ministerial position. When he had had enough of me in 2006 I went home without feeling bitter. I know this political system and I can safely say it is not good for the betterment of the majority of the people of Swaziland.

Let us put our heads together to change it peacefully so that we may retain certain things that are treasured by the majority of the Swazi people. My task is primarily to have Swazis debate critical and sensitive issues publicly because if we do not, then another minority group could come up and give the people of Swaziland the same dose of medicine which we have been getting for quite a long time from the present leadership. I do not want to have public debate replaced by public silence.

The stopping of the weekly analysis called “Mfomfo on Monday” from being published by the Times of Swaziland over a month ago is nothing more than telling the people of Swaziland to keep quiet and keep their opinions to themselves.

We can’t progress peacefully if we are ordered not to share ideas with fellow human beings in Swaziland and all over the world. I therefore, make an appeal to civilized people of the world to help us remove the masking tape that the leadership of this country has put over our lips. We want to talk with our lips and voices because we do not know the sign language and the Swazis do not have a lot that uses the sign language.

This could be the last article on the blog because the authorities are moving fast to have me put behind bars. The leadership of this country is putting more coal beneath the pot and those Swazis who are being heated in the pot could jump out from the pot in a bid to escape, but end up in the fire. Let Swaziland not repeat the history of RSA or Mugabe’s Zimbabwe.

Please help the Swazi people to help themselves. Our number one enemy is the lack of leadership. Hunger, poverty, HIV/AIDS and fear to make right decisions for the benefit of the majority of Swazis/openly criticize those that are wasteful, are the factors that make this country gets to the lane that leads to self destruction. The majority of the people of this country needs political education not one to be conducted by the present leadership or to be conducted under the auspices of the present government.

God have mercy on Swaziland.