Times Of Swaziland: WELL-MEANING VISION 2022 FRUSTRATED

WELL-MEANING VISION 2022 FRUSTRATED
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Editor on 24/03/2021 07:51:00


Sir,
While everyone was parroting the virtues of the kingdom transforming into a
First World nation, no one paused to consider first, the practicality of this
happening and second, the modalities of how this can be achieved in the event it
was feasible. Although many years have gone by since this vision was piloted, no
one paused long enough to consider the need to get the entire nation aboard the
transformation train. This well-meaning intention was always frustrated by
individuals who are self-serving. I can recall vividly many years ago, when
during a graduation ceremony at the University of Eswatini, government was
charged with compiling data of unemployed graduates.
Expectations
Of course, this created expectations across the nation that this data would be
useful in either government identifying areas of development that would absorb
unemployed graduates or piloting a social responsibility programme through
insurance or other means in order to support unemployed graduates. It is
anybody’s guess if this was carried out since the following year, at a similar
event, the unemployed were told that they were on their own and should look
outside this country for job opportunities. Perhaps had someone within the
echelons of power considered the enormity of the First World dream and its
possible impact on people, they would have stumbled on the realities of the
multi-faceted challenges facing the majority of emaSwati.
Reality
The stark reality is that the majority of the people are still starved of the
basic amenities of life to even start dreaming of transiting to another and
better world. Many, especially in rural areas, still have to compete with
livestock for water. Many still lack the means to make a decent living owing to
widespread unemployment such that they cannot guarantee themselves a single
decent meal on any given day. Poverty remains foremost in the minds of the
majority of our people to even imagine the bolts and nuts of a First World
country. Access to health facilities is still a nightmare to many and even where
health facilities are accessible there is no guarantee that they are adequately
equipped with requisite professionals let alone drugs and equipment.