TWO COMMON BUT DIFFERENT ENEMIES

In World War II the Allies, of which Swaziland – now Eswatini – was one, faced two common enemies. And two proved a lot heavier than twice one.  

Today in Eswatini we are faced with a similar challenge, though with enemies as different as chalk and cheese. No prizes – I’m not in the mood – for guessing that number one is COVID-19 and number two is the violence accompanying the myriad of political and other grievances. Both COVID-19 and the unrest have caused a huge amount of damage and neither is yet resolved. Yet there are two fundamental differences. Firstly, in tackling COVID-19 we are united in battle; in national grievances, and how they are viewed and dealt with, we are not. And, secondly, the damage caused by COVID-19 has been largely unavoidable, while the damage to people and structures in the protesting has been avoidable. Destroying schools removes validity from any objective.

Inevitable

We’re almost through the third wave of COVID-19. But, according to scientists and medical specialists, the fourth wave will come to South Africa in December, with the inevitable impact on Eswatini; some Christmas present! We can’t even celebrate the passing of one wave before we brace ourselves for the next. It is anticipated from a combination of a weak vaccine roll-out and the South African local elections. So

I plead again for the publication of over-16 vaccination figures; for two reasons. Firstly, below 16 years a person is less likely to get, or pass on, a serious dose of COVID-19; secondly it will show the degree of denial in the adult population. The virus cannot be eliminated; only subdued. So let’s vaccinate like crazy to be able to accept living with the virus until it fades into insignificance. And let’s make vaccination a no-brainer; or no-refuser. Perhaps government can’t force, but it can certainly incentivise; and I don’t suggest a couple of free Top-Decks at vaccination centres. And then perhaps we won’t need herd immunity. The future profile could become a normal lifestyle, with the virus still around, causing the occasional mild outbreak; but that requires vaccination in huge numbers. Is all the required vaccine available? We hear nothing to doubt that.

Damage

On the subject of Enemy Number Two – violence, loss of life and damage to structures, to education and business – it’s difficult, perhaps impossible, to say anything that hasn’t been said already. But one thing is abundantly clear and, I would argue, irrefutable – the longer that violent behavior and damaging words continue, the deeper the disablement will go, until it is irreparable. Is that what everyone wants? Of course not. But some do; and it will take skill, especially in communication and trust-building, to diffuse the anger that exists in our society.

And ‘no one size fits all’. On the protesting side, not everyone is a troublemaker with malevolent intentions. But many probably are. You can bet your last dollar on many protesters being under the influence of dagga or alcohol, often to give them ‘Dutch courage’. The country is riddled with dagga anyway. But whether or not they’re under such influence, they are products of this society. We are looking at a lot of unhappy people, angry about financial status and job prospects, perhaps bitter about the country’s income inequality, growing corruption and resource wastage. And the damage that they’re doing in the protests is giving them power, perhaps for the first time; dangerously addictive stuff that needs to be stopped in its tracks; but through open, confidence-boosting and reassuring dialogue.

Drastic and rushed political change merely precipitates power struggles; look around the world for evidence. Thanks to diplomatic intervention and a self-injection of local commonsense a truce is now offered to the table. Genuine dialogue, ideally with independent assessment, has to follow, with steady progress, reinforced by mutual political and personal respect to heal the divide.

Destruction

Any violence or destruction in the meantime will merely suggest a desire for anarchy rather than what is best for emaSwati. That’ll get us nowhere. Sibaya is to take place in the new year. A promising step, though embracing a delay that is of some concern, given existing tensions and the threat of a fourth wave, with potential crowd restrictions. Sibaya lies solidly within our constitutional processes, though Section 232 assures delivery of ‘views’, so it should not just note the grievances and do nothing about them.

Section 84 provides ‘the right (for the people) to be heard through their freely chosen representatives in the government of the country’. So, in the meantime, as confirmed in the July 2021 Sibaya, can the nationwide views be gathered through peaceful submissions to tinkhundla and then taken by MPs to Parliament for discussion, with conclusions delivered to Sibaya?

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