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CHALLENGES MOUNT

24/08/2018 03:50:00 By Martin Dlamini

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THE challenges facing this country appear to be growing bigger and more complex by the day, which presents a huge mountain to climb for new parliamentarians.

The emerging issues make the cash flow crisis and the threat of a nationwide strike by public servants over a protracted cost of living adjustment demand to government, look petty.

For a country eagerly seeking new foreign direct investment, we now have mainland China to contend with. This economic superpower of the world appears to be getting a stronghold on many nations of the world and holding sways to who they relate with. Eswatini now remains one of about 17 countries globally left with diplomatic relations with Taiwan following the announcement by El Salvador this week to switch to Beijing.

The Taiwanese Foreign Affairs Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu released a statement that suggests El Salvador was holding his country to ransom with its ‘repeated requests for large-scale assistance with the unfeasible Port La Union development project and heavy contributions to the ruling party’s re-election campaign’. Wu said detailed evaluation by Taiwan technical experts indicated a low chance of project success and high probability of crippling debt for both countries.

“As a responsible member of the global community, Taiwan will not engage in Dollar or debt-trap diplomacy, nor make illegal political contributions,” said Wu.
Eswatini’s position on Taiwan remains firm, with His Majesty the King stating, recently, that we would stick with our diplomatic partner of 50 years, no matter what. This, notwithstanding the fact that we remain the only African country with diplomatic relations with Taiwan and will not be part of the much needed global networking, such as the upcoming China-Africa summit.

With Eswatini set to need more external assistance to overcome its fiscal challenges, the question becomes just how far is Taiwan willing to stretch its cheque-book without feeling we are becoming another El Salvador?

The new Cabinet certainly has its work cut out for it on this diplomatic front, where only astute politicians could help us navigate safely across these murky waters because China appears determined to set up a new world trade order that we may not be a part of.

This week also saw the release of financial results for the sugar industry where profits dropped 36 per cent following the opening up of our preferential markets in Europe. This has resulted in cheaper sugar from government subsidised farmers flooding the market. The Swaziland Sugar Association (SSA) is now looking at regional markets where we hope the trade laws and agreements are strong enough to protect us against any influence that China may have to induce her allies to reject our products.

Adding to all the above, next month we have the South African Customs Union (SACU) countries converging to finalise the sharing formula as; “member countries remain in suspense over what they are to receive in the following year if the direction of the formula remains unknown,” said Finance Minister Martin Dlamini after the recent SACU Summit in Botswana. SACU receipts provide over 60 per cent of our national budget. With the minister out of office by then, can we look to the Finance PS, Bheki Bhembe, to help keep the drip flowing? More importantly, who do we get as the new Finance minister to successfully pursue such matters if voters are selling their votes to just about anybody?

It is a shame really that almost each minister leaves behind a huge mess for others to fix. This raises the stakes in as far as getting problem solvers elected. It makes it all the more important for the voters to go into the primary election burdened with the magnitude of the problems we face and the presence of mind on who best can help us overcome them.

On the home front there are just too many challenges to count, not least the comedy show that has dominated headlines featuring the Mbabane City Council. All thanks to the Housing and Urban Development Minister Phiwayinkosi Mabuza, who is vacating office having failed to resolve the Mbabane City Council rift between councillors and embattled Chief Executive Officer Gideon Mhlongo.

This leaves the mess with the new minister, but it has been compounded by the contract renewal before satisfying all parties through a probe that all is clean. Now it has emerged there is a golden handshake received by Mhlongo that needs to be explained, as well as the allegations of bribery levelled against the councillors. So what was the rush?

It is a shame really for a transition of our government to take place in the middle of a self-inflicted crisis. Things may never be perfect at any given time but it becomes equally disappointing when the voters we look to for solutions decide to compound the problem by voting with their stomachs and not their heads. But why am I surprised, Albert Eistein did say “an empty stomach is not a good political advisor.”