PARLIAMENTARY PROTEST NOW

If the ordinary liSwati who is not affiliated to any political party feels the street protests, burning of tyres, and roadblocks, he or she is not comfortable with, then there is a way to make their voices heard which is a passive sit-in protest at the Parliament compound or any other building of authority.

We don’t have to break or burn anything. Petitions were sent months ago but there is still no response.

Speaker of house of Assembly

EmaSwati must write to the Speaker of the House of Assembly and politely ask him to give feedback on the debate of the petitions that were sent by our Members of Parliament. In fact emaSwati should learn that writing to your MP or the Speaker is a healthy democratic process. EmaSwati must start writing letters and officially deliver them in their numbers to Parliament if there are still no debates on the petitions. This is a legal and correct way we can exercise our democratic duty as citizens.

I will further say MPs should educate their voters on the correct use of protest action and how they should write to the Speaker and demand the debates with a promise that in seven days if nothing has happened they would all come for a peaceful (sit down and read the Bible) protest at the Parliament steps from 2pm to 5pm every day until the petitions are debated.

Supreme law of land

MaSwati lamahle liciniso litsi the Constitution is the supreme law of the land. The Constitution was ushered in by an act of Parliament which simply means the House has the powers to amend it and it gives parliamentarians the power to effect any changes which the people deem necessary at any time given that they work together with one mind and resolve. I have heard many say it’s impossible to change anything through Parliament because it is captured. However we have heard the King, in many instances, stating that any changes in the Constitution can only be effected through Parliament.

We are now able to elect direct parliamentarians because of changes which were allowed. Last week the prime minister also stated that if we want political changes we must wait for the 2023 parliamentary elections. The question that came to mind was why wait for 2023 as if we have no Parliament yet the country is burning?

 Why wait?

What is wrong with the current parliamentarians such that we need to wait for 2023?  They have been given a mandate by emaSwati to effect social, economic and political changes for the people’s benefit. The country needs leadership now and fast. People are running riot and the average liSwati is confused wondering where our MPs are. In June this year some petitions we sent to MPs for the purposes of fulfilling the requirements of the Constitution.

I had the opportunity of looking and contributing to our petition but our MP left with it and later told me that the Speaker was still ‘working’ on them. Now that the country has gone mad, with school children all over the place, why are MPs not fighting for the people? Sive siyafa nikuphi? If they are not able to vote out the gatekeepers within Parliament, then why should any of them come back in 2023?

It is not an easy task given the powers that be, but it is doable with resolve and unity. The elected members are a 2/3 majority but they tell us they can’t do anything. They can force matters through go-slow protests and delay Bills if need be; expose to their voters those working  against change, do what needs to be done as the country needs strong leadership now. EmaSwati are being bullied on the streets by protestors, businesses are suffering, workplaces are closed, there is a shortage of fuel , no transport, school children have been drawn into this mess and parliamentarians keep on telling us that they have no power.

 Evolve political system

The victory was in 2005 when the Constitution was adopted and we need to build on this and evolve the political system. The correct struggle for democracy should be in Parliament where the verifiable numbers {voters} are, as opposed to political parties on the streets. Democracy is actually good for the country and the economy. It brings about transparency and accountability.

An absolute monarchy is not good for the country’s economy as the investors feel unsafe to put their money in a country where the King has so much power and is above the law; rightly or wrongly it does not matter, that is what all investors think. Ironically democracy will also be good for the monarchy as it protects it from the scrabbles of politics. I was very disappointed with the prime minister’s answer to a question posed by a CNN journalist on the world stage where he answered and said he is proud of our absolute monarch status.

I don’t hate the King; he is my King, but the ministers of Commerce, Finance and all Cabinet ministers know very well that our status as an absolute monarch is not good for our economy. The negative effects on service delivery of a non-democratic government is very devastating. MPs who were elected have voters to worry about and the appointed members don’t have the same pressure.

If they can entertain the big capital projects close to the King’s heart the people can come second.  And naturally the temptation to use appointees and the resources they control, to decide who gets the resources  and is voted back to parliament and who does not is very big . Democracy will deal fairly with such issues. septembereswatini@gmail.com

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