A TIME TO REKINDLE PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE

It is often said that the type of Christmas one has is reflective of how kind the year has been. It is also said that one of the measures of democracy is the protection of the human rights of all citizens, which would enable them to enjoy peaceful coexistence.

As we wrap up the year in different circumstances, it goes without saying that many people are struggling to find that spirit of celebration, let alone the courage to invite that ideologically opposed relative to spend it with, given the polarised positions that have emerged in the advent of ‘choose-a-side’ politics that are permeating our society and leaving a trail of blood on the streets.

Some are calling it quits, while others are marching forward with vigour and determination to either defend the status quo or seek to change it. Sithobelweni Member of Parliament (MP) Bhekitje Dlamini this week announced he was quitting politics after considering the current volatile situation in the country and the safety of his family. He says he does not want to wake up one day to find his home torched.

By this statement, one could surmise that the MP does not feel safe enough in his community, does not trust the system he serves to protect his family, and simply wants to have a Christmas every year with his family. One would have expected him to use his parliamentary role to make the country safer by building an environment of peaceful coexistence under the Tinkhundla dispensation. How many more MPs are thinking this way, and what can we expect at the next election?

We have seen this retreat during several funerals of the June 29 unrest victims, where the traditional authority in communities has been blocked from having a voice of mourning as is the norm. The chiefs have retreated without consequence for these families, many of whom were probably once loyal subjects of the local authority. Not everybody is shying away, though.

Senate President Lindiwe Dlamini this week declared that she was not ashamed of her King and country, saying other systems of governance did not cut it for her, while author and teacher Wandile Nkambule has taken his love for the King a step further and produced a book about his leadership.

“I have a strong sense of patriarchy. I love the King and the rich history of the kingdom so much. As a nation, we are the only remaining kingdom with a unique history and culture. We still need the King’s leadership and guidance, and I am hoping that this manuscript will shed light on this,” he said in an interview with this publication.

Groups

On the other hand, pro-change groups, such as SWALIMO, don’t seem to have anything to fear. They are heading in the opposite direction and want to participate in the next elections to formulate a good representation in Parliament in order to fight the system from within. Then we have the affiliates of the Multi-Stakeholder Forum (MSF), who want nothing to do with the Tinkhundla system of governance and are advocating for multi-party democracy. They are seen as a home for some people who feel marginalised such as the Eswatini Sexual and Gender Minority Group, whose coordinator, Sisandza Mavimbela, has just been elected deputy chairperson of the MSF, which is chaired by Human Rights lawyer Thulani Maseko.

The environment has also presented an uncomfortable situation for the business community. Some have been attacked because of their perceived affiliation with the royal family, which has necessitated public pronouncements about their ownership. Unfortunately, this has not gone down well with government, which subsequently issued a statement of concern regarding these statements.

Sponsoring

Government has also stepped up the monitoring of who is sponsoring who and for what purpose as reports of non-governmental organisations reportedly funding terrorists in the country came to the fore. However, none has been formally charged for this as yet, but it matters more now who is seen funding who and for what purpose. Watching society walk on eggshells, looking over their shoulders, and now having to go through the painful exercise of carefully selecting which relative to invite over for Christmas is painful, to say the least.

This is not what democracy – in whatever form or shape we choose – should look like. This is not the type of Christmas we ever want to have. Surely we can rise above these differences and peacefully coexist. Let us use this season to reignite the spirit of love, caring, sharing, forgiveness, reconciliation, and restoration, just as Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour, in whose honour we celebrate Christmas, wants us to do always. I take this opportunity to wish all readers of this newspaper and the nation at large a very peaceful Christmas.

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