THE RECIPE FOR LASTING PEACE

It is now history that Eswatini has been removed from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Troika agenda, where it had been placed as a result of the 2021 social unrest.

The deletion of the country’s name from this forum came as a result of vigorous motivation from government, which submitted that peace had returned to the kingdom. Two weeks ago, SADC Heads of State adopted a recommendation for the removal of Eswatini from the agenda. This meant that the spirited submission of Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Thuli Dladla, on behalf of government, had been heard and understood. Specifically, the DPM had represented Pholile Shakantu, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

Dladla told  the southern Africa leaders that peace and stability had been observed during the 2023 national elections, which saw the election of 59 Members of Parliament (MPs), some of whom went on to become Cabinet ministers. She said the elections were overwhelmingly supported by all emaSwati of voting age ‘under a climate of peace and stability’.

Leadership

She went on to cite the People’s Parliament (Sibaya) that saw citizens from all walks of life converging at the Ludzidzini Royal Residence last year, to discuss various social, economic and political issues. The DPM said at Sibaya, the public engaged directly with the country’s leadership on national issues. “This process, this time-honoured method of dialogue, deeply rooted in our culture, has once again demonstrated the resilience of emaSwati,” she told the SADC delegates. It is also a matter of public record that this decision by SADC leaders disappointed most of the country’s pro-democracy groups.

These entities had hoped that SADC leaders would facilitate discussions that would lead to the issues that gave rise to the socio-political instability being addressed. One of the issues progressive formations have continuously complained about is the national dialogue, which they say has not yet been held, yet it is crucial for the nation to find one another and start healing from the physical and emotional scars of the 2021 instability. Sive Siyinqaba is one of the organisations that believe that Sibaya was not a national dialogue forum.

Speaking after the announcement that Eswatini was off the SADC Troika agenda, Sive Siyinqaba Secretary General Vusi Nxumalo said, “We do not believe that what took place towards the end of last year was the dialogue. You will recall that not everyone was given the chance to speak and some had the microphone snatched from their hands.” They had hoped that the SADC Troika would help facilitate the dialogue they prefer. It is evident that peace is the buzzword in the country these days, no matter which side of the political divide you are on.While some emaSwati believe that the nation now enjoys peace and stability, others feel that this is a superficial peace that could explode into a second wave of riots anytime.

Vigilant

This brings me to the recent declaration by Minister Shakantu, to the effect that the country is ready to prevent fresh turmoil. The minister told senators last Monday that the Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF) remained vigilant to prevent a recurrence of the 2021 unrest. Senator Fezeka Dlamini had asked what government was doing to ensure that elements that infiltrated the country in 2021 did not get another chance.The senator rightly said emaSwati yearned for peace and preferred it over anything else. Well, who would disagree with that?  Senator Musa Mndvoti said he was actually one of the people who were directly affected by the unrest of 2021, as it was even dangerous to wear traditional attire because those who did so were targeted by violent criminals.

In her response, Minister Shakantu acknowledged that a lot of damage occurred during the political instability and assured that the army stood ready to protect the nation. The minister said emaSwati should desist from the new trend of burning down the property of people they had disagreements with. She opined that emaSwati should promote peace because without it, no business would thrive. The minister’s tone was conciliatory, as she stressed the importance of promoting peace across all sectors of the nation’s structures. She said a lot of important facts, but what caught my attention was her alluding to the fact that while the army was ready to protect the country, the priority was fostering peace among emaSwati.

Yes, minister, you are right. That should be the priority because those who have been calling for change have always emphasised the view that even the strongest army in the world cannot defeat the people when they decide to revolt.  That is why it is important to ensure that the preservation of peace does not become the sole responsibility of the country’s security forces.
EmaSwati come from various sectors. They included those who govern and the governed.

Demand

It is the responsibility of both to ensure that peace prevails.   For those who govern, the task is supposed to be simple. If Sibaya submissions are anything to go by, emaSwati only want service delivery.It is in the absence of such that they start grumbling and thinking about political change. When they demand change, various elements, some with ulterior motives, will emerge and hijack the whole thing, throwing the entire nation into disarray. In Eswatini currently, the main concern is government’s never-ending failure to provide quality public healthcare services.

We have all harped on this issue, but even as you read this, emaSwati are still forced to purchase even the most basic of medicine from expensive private pharmacies. Even ambulances are never readily available for the general public. This has been going on for close to two decades and emaSwati are tired of it.They are unhappy with the ever-dwindling provision of scholarships for higher education, the shortage of teachers in primary and high schools and the bad state of many of the country’s roads. While rural electrification has been a relatively successful programme, potable water is still a challenge for many communities. A strong political will to provide these and other services is the only recipe guaranteed to cultivate peace in our country.

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