COME AGAIN YOUR EXCELLENCY?

“Never tell the truth to people who are not worthy of it.”

This famous quote by the legendary Mark Twain, who died in 1910, has been analysed by scholars and philosophers for more than a century. I was reminded of the American writer’s immortal words this past week, as the drama around the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Troika Extraordinary Summit unfolded. The high-profile meeting was held in Windhoek, Namibia, where Prime Minister (PM) Cleopas Sipho Dlamini represented His Majesty the King. I have no reason to doubt any of the statements Dlamini made when he addressed leaders at the summit.

Most of it was what we already knew as a nation anyway. The PM told leaders that Eswatini was still committed to holding the national dialogue that is hoped to bring an end to the political impasse that has gripped the country since June 2021. However, he reiterated the well-known government stance that the national dialogue would only take place when the State could ensure the safety of all those who wish to take part in the process. He said all participants needed to feel free to exercise their right to freedom of speech and association, regardless of their ideology. I had a bit of a problem with this particular submission, as contained in the PM’s Political and Security Situation Report. Yes, I fully concur with his assertion that currently, most emaSwati feel unsafe. We can all agree that it has become quite a challenge for one to make known his or her views on the political situation in Eswatini. We are all walking on eggshells. One is always alive to the fact that whatever one says could aggravate either side of the political divide.

Threats

Coupled with the real danger we all witnessed during the Incwala Ceremony, as people who innocently participated in this cultural event were shot, the safety of those who would participate in the dialogue cannot really be guaranteed. Threats are still flying all over social media, especially Facebook. They come from both political camps, with some people branded ‘Mangololo’ if they so much as say anything positive about the current administration. Mangololo is the name of a pro-Tinkhundla organisation formed shortly after the June/July 2021 riots. The emerging trend of attacks against pro-change activists has not made things easier. Some have been attacked in their homes and shots fired at their houses while two have been killed in cold blood. I am referring to Swazis First Democratic Front’s Muzi Mmema and Human Rights Lawyer Thulani Maseko.

There is clearly a growing sense of impunity in the kingdom, instilling fear among citizens. Nobody knows who will target them, when and for what. So yes, it could be a challenge to hold the dialogue within the current atmosphere. My concern, however, is that the PM’s statement did not inspire hope in terms of when this particular aura of fear could be over. It is the duty of the State to ensure the safety and security of all citizens, but Dlamini was not specific on how government planned to deal with this challenge decisively. Instead, he vaguely said in the meantime, government would continue to broaden back-channel engagements to bring an end to the violence.

guidelines

Maybe my English is too shallow to understand this but I felt this statement was not specific enough. It did not provide the necessary details for the nation to know exactly what was being done and how long it would take. The PM also said Eswatini was working together with its international partners on guidelines to put in place modalities for convening the national dialogue. Again, I wondered why government was only engaging international partners when the most important stakeholders were the locals who are calling for constitutional changes.
These are the people government should embrace as its partners because after all, they are citizens of this country. They are here to stay and will suffer the consequences of any bad decision and rejoice when things go well. These people are known. Their representatives walk the streets of the country’s towns and cities every day. Why is government not engaging them on ‘the guidelines to put in place modalities for convening the national dialogue?’ What if they later reject the guidelines that would have been drafted for the dialogue, citing the fact that they were never engaged in their preparation?

It was the same Mark Twain who said, “If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter.” He was emphasising on the importance of being brief when delivering an important message. His words were specifically directed at world leaders who generally make long speeches that lack significant content. Twain’s advice was that it was better to spend more time planning and preparing your speech, so that you make it short but powerful instead of making a long-winded address that bores your audience. That is why I will quickly move on to my last point and ask the PM if he thinks we deserve to know the whole truth regarding the safety and security of national elections vis-à-vis the dialogue.

dialogue

On his return from Namibia on Wednesday, Dlamini told journalists that government was already preparing for the general elections to be held later this year. He said elections would go ahead because they were not as risky as the national dialogue. I am finding this hard to believe because more people will participate in the elections than the national dialogue, which would presumably only be attended by representatives of all social and political groupings. Government should guard against validating the growing narrative that it wants to delay the dialogue at all costs. In my books, it would be easier to ensure safety during the dialogue than the elections. After what we saw during Incwala, when people were shot at merely for participating, who is to say those who will accept nomination or line up to vote will not be attacked? If elections will be safe, so will the national dialogue.

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