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Good riddance to all

04/08/2013 04:25:00 By Qalakaliboli Dlamini

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This weekend, all roads lead to where the entire nation is participating in the elections’ nomination process.

On Friday the king addressed the nation at the Ludzidzini Royal Residence (Sibaya) and I am sure that by the time you read this article, parliament will have already been dissolved. I would like to make my own assessment of the outgoing government - both parliament and cabinet.
I cannot wait to read the full contents of and dissect the Prime Ministers end-of-term report, just to see what he is gloating about.

After spending time assessing the outgoing government, I realised that my assessment should be based on two main aspects namely the vote for a woman campaign, and the Ninth Parliament.
Normally, I would write a full article on each but today I have decided to simply just summarise the topics into one article.

This is because like every Swazi citizen out there, I would also like to forget this despicable outgoing government that has failed both the country and the people of Swaziland.
Now that Parliament is dissolved, I say good riddance!

At this point I just want to look into the future and pray that Swaziland will be blessed with a really God fearing Tenth Parliament, free of all the current grovelling sycophants and hypocrites. Now let us assess the outgoing government.

‘Vote for a woman’ campaign

The ‘vote for a woman’ campaign that was spearheaded during the 2008 elections was dealt a big blow if we are to look at the successes achieved by the women in cabinet.
We will remember that the outgoing cabinet had four women, and these were Jabulile Mashwama, Nelsiwe Shongwe (who was later replaced by Winnie Magagula), Lindiwe Dlamini and Hlobsile Ndlovu. There were also women of note in both houses of parliament, and from the top of my head from senate I can pick Gelane Zwane (Senate President), Thuli Msane, Thandi Shongwe and Princess Phumelele.

In the House of Assembly I can vividly remember Trusty Gina, Jennifer Du Pont, Esther, Siphiwe and Princess Ncengencenge.

In my opinion, the majority of women who were in the outgoing government have failed the vote for a woman campaign. Women from one Inkhundla in Nkwene said that they will not vote for a woman but will vote for a person who will give them food and money.

This was a very serious statement coming from other women, owing to the fact that Swaziland is in a drive to empower women.
I am convinced that women know each other better.
The campaign was partially successful in ensuring that women got a fair share in governing the country, but the caliber of women who were eventually voted or appointed into Parliament has been very disappointing.

I want to congratulate MP Trusty Gina who has been very vocal in parliament debates and her contribution in the legislature is well noted.
It is such women of steel that this country needs.

I will also like to recognise Thandi Nxumalo who only seemed to come alive when moving a motion calling for the vote of no confidence on the Prime minister and his cabinet team.
On the overall, in my opinion, out of the 13 or so women in the outgoing government it is only one woman (Trusty Gina) who has passed the litmus test.

This is a very disappointing result for women in Swaziland.
She has been a legislator of note and I am sure that she has also been a productive development manager in her constituency.

The women in Prime Minister Sibusiso Dlamini’s Cabinet have been a dismal disappointment!
What has Hlobisile Ndlovu done for the youth and sports in the country?
Nelisiwe Shongwe was embroiled in an alleged corruption scandal that saw her fired from the position as ICT Minister. As if that was not enough, she had marital problems.

Her successor in Winnie Magagula was so eager to start work that she never wasted time occupying her office. Winnie has also failed to resolve the MTN/SPTC impasse that has brought the communications industry in the country into such a dilemma.

Jabulile Mashwama was also involved in more serious controversy as she succeeded in seeing to it that an entity (Usutu Pulp Mill) that belongs to the people of Swaziland was sold.
Despite that Usutu Pulp is situated on Swazi Nation Land, Jabulile sold the pulp mill to South African company SAPPI without the due regard for the over 600 Swazis whose livelihood was affected.

From where I stand, there is no substance in the story SAPPI gave, to the effect that the pulp industry was no longer making profits.
If that were true, SAPPI should have also closed down the Ngodwane Pulp Mill in Nelspruit to which today our pine trees are now exported.
Government made the biggest mistake in closing down Usuthu Pulp without clear reasons to have another investor take over the mill.

The pulp mill was among the largest income earners for Swaziland.
SAPPI Usutu was only closed down because government feared the reprisals coming from a growing discontent over the country’s governance.

It was a way in which government could cripple the labour and pro-multiparty movement.
Then there was Lindiwe Dlamini who was also embroiled in a land-grab saga, after which the Prime Minister even went to the lengths of suing the very government he led.

In short, the ‘vote for a woman’ campaign has been undone by the women in Cabinet. I will not even bother to discuss Gelane Zwane who has treated members of Senate as her puppets.
The Ninth Parliament
This Parliament reminds me of the 1978 Parliament dissolved by King Sobhuza II in 1981, after the emagundvwane (mice) scandal.
Sobhuza made an example of that parliament as a sinking ship that had holes all over it.
These holes Sobhuza said were as a result of rats eating at the hull of the ship (sewuti mbhobombhobo lomkhumbi).

This ship we today call the Ninth Parliament failed the voters and the economy.
Swazis are prepared and ready to work.
They are prepared to start businesses but the Ninth Parliament allowed for a VAT Bill to be passed into law without regard for the struggling masses.

They have only passed legislation that does not enable a vibrant economic activity in Swaziland but stifles development and targets individuals.
The Ninth Parliament was another ship full of rats and in 2010, it sunk the economy with Finance Circular No.1. (Ed’s note: Even though MPs ultimately benefitted, Parliament had nothing to do with establishment of this circular. It was solely drafted and adopted by Cabinet).

We now hear of a 10 per cent salary increments for the EBC, Liqoqo and other fruitless bodies.
I will conclude by pointing out that the much anticipated end-of-term report by the Prime Minister is nothing but a joke. Snippets of the report say that the PM thinks Cabinet was too smart for the outgoing MPs and that Parliament failed on its mandate.

I must agree with the PM that Parliament failed to fulfill its mandate, just as Cabinet failed in bolstering our economy. Cabinet has only succeeded in impoverishing the masses so as to raise money for government.
Parliament failed by not moving a motion that would amend the constitution and empower the august House to have more authority over Cabinet.

The ‘no confidence’ vote was a blind side to MPs in that they did not have the moral obligation to go through with it, more so because most of them hoped for re-appointment to the tenth Parliament. Senate failed because, as MP Robert Magongo rightly put it, President Gelane Zwane dictated to and scolded members of Parliament as if they were her children.
At the end of it all, I thank God that it is all over for the Ninth Parliament. Once again, Good riddance!