Times Of Swaziland: MPS CARRYING CONSUMERS’ HOPES

MPS CARRYING CONSUMERS’ HOPES
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Thobeka Manyathela on 17/11/2024 16:37:00


Minister of Natural Resources and Energy Prince Lonkhokhela, hit the nail on the
head when he advised Members of Parliament (MPs) against discussing the issue of
a proposed electricity tariff increase for now.
This is actually something members of the House of Assembly should have known
beforehand.After all, such decisions cannot, or rather should not, be
implemented without their approval. Last Monday, Prince Lonkhokhela delivered a
preamble on this controversial issue in Parliament. He revealed that the
Eswatini Energy Regulatory Authority (ESERA), was mandated by the Energy
Regulatory Act, 2007, to regulate and approve tariffs, prices and charges. He
said since ESERA had requested to embark on a consultative process on the
proposed tariff increase, it would be premature for Parliament to discuss the
issue.
Opposed
On Friday, one such consultative forum was held at The George Hotel in Manzini,
where Eswatini Electricity Company (EEC) representatives and their customers
interacted - to use a mild term.Justifying their decision to request a 25.51 per
cent tariff increase, EEC Managing Director Ernest Mkhonta said the parastatal
had been selling electricity to its customers at a lower price than what they
paid the supplier for it. Customers basically opposed the proposal, with one
Thandizwe Shongwe saying electricity was already out of reach for many emaSwati,
even before the proposed increase.
Lest we forget, the proposed increase would see E100 purchasing only 32 units.
Currently, domestic users get 42 units for the same amount.We are a very long
way from the days when the prepaid electricity system began, when E100 bought
about 100 units. However, I digress. My point was that the minister was correct
in saying MPs should not discuss the issue of the tariff increase for now.His
advice or should we say request, to the legislators should give them time to do
thorough research on the topic and speak from an informed point of view.
Besides, by the time they debate the matter, the public would have made their
comments and contributions on the topic.
That would make whatever input the legislators have, more relevant. My concern,
which I know is the concern of many a liSwati, is that more often than not, MPs
raise hell on an issue when it is topical and sometimes without having done due
diligence on it. They make their views known and demand answers but once it dies
down, they move on to the ‘next big thing’. This makes our Parliament
ineffective in playing its oversight role on the executive arm of government.
Had Parliament been effective, we would have long kissed the never-ending health
crisis goodbye. Instead, Parliament has become sort of a ‘gossip forum’
where all the Ministry of Health’s dirty linen is hung, without any positive
change on the ground. The shortage of medical drugs, painful as it is, has
become a norm in this country. EmaSwati go to government hospitals and clinics
knowing very well that they will only get a diagnosis and prescriptions. They
are lucky to find one or two of the prescribed drugs in stock. This is just
painful and unacceptable.
This past week, Parliament was once again the venue for the revelation that most
of the medication supplied to health facilities across the country is
substandard. Parliament’s Ministry of Health portfolio committee uncovered
this in its investigations. Its findings were contained in the Ministry of
Health’s Second Quarter Performance Report, which was presented to MPs on
Wednesday. Among other things, it was revealed that the drugs supplied to health
centres across the country arrive when they are already close to expiring.
This is obviously a health risk and there is a real possibility that they could
be dispensed to patients a few weeks before they expire. The medication could
also expire shortly after being received by the patient, before it has been used
up on treatment. Again, such reports, though shocking and worrying, are not
new.Parliament has previously been made aware of the delivery of medication
whose expiry dates are close. This was the finding even when the team of Cabinet
ministers visited the Central Medical Stores (CMS) shortly after appointment,
exactly a year ago.
Parliamentarians should be disappointed in themselves that a year later, such
reports are still cropping up. It is an indictment on their effectiveness both
as representatives of the electorate and overseers of government policy and
direction. A fortnight ago, the same House of Assembly was informed that there
was an acute shortage of teachers in many schools around the country.This was
contained in the Ministry of Education and Training’s Second Quarter
Performance Report tabled by Minister Owen Nxumalo.
Vacant
The ministry conducted inspections in both primary and secondary schools, and
found that in some cases, the staff shortages were caused by wrong replacement
of teachers by the Teaching Service Commission (TSC). The Commission is
apparently unable to fully carry out its mandate of creating new teaching posts
and filling vacant ones. The newly-introduced Grade 0 programme was also found
to be in disarray, as there were no new classrooms built to accommodate
learners. Shockingly, government has employed only 20 teachers for all the 420
schools that have introduced this class. Obviously, this seriously affects the
delivery of quality education in our schools. Once again, this is not a new
revelation.
The Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) has been raising the issue
of a shortage of teachers in schools for years. With Parliament fully aware and
being updated regularly by the same government, there has been no positive
result. In recent weeks, we have praised Parliament for standing its ground on
various issues presented by Cabinet ministers, like last month when they
rejected an ‘untruthful’ report presented by Public Service Minister
Mabulala Maseko, on the controversial salary restructuring for junior security
officers.
What remains now is for MPs to ensure that they are not ‘all buck and no
bite’ by putting their foot down and ensuring that the never-ending crises in
health and education come to an end.
That would raise the confidence of the nation that is already saying the
electricity tariff hike will be implemented, no matter what Parliament or the
consumers say.