Times Of Swaziland: MORNING OF BEER TALK, POLITICS, MONEY, CORRUPTION, CELLPHONES

MORNING OF BEER TALK, POLITICS, MONEY, CORRUPTION, CELLPHONES
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BY WELCOME DLAMINI on 09/06/2019 00:38:00


welcome@times.co.sz
EZULWINI – The first breakfast meeting of the Swaziland Editors Forum and
Prime Minister Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini’s team was an interesting one.
With the ever-recognisable presence of The Nation magazine Editor Bheki Makhubu,
one would not expect it to be short of excitement.
The veteran journalist was at his usual best, but so too was the prime minister.
Those that drink beer should be excited to have someone in the calibre of
Makhubu as their non-elected advocate.
Makhubu sure knows how to lobby for the imbibers to continue to be able to
afford that one cold beer after a long day’s work, especially on a Friday.
He brilliantly linked the need for imbibers to continue having that cold one on
a Friday with the apparent refusal by those in public office to be held to
account for mismanagement of taxpayers’ money.
Clean shaven as is the norm, Makhubu had just been interjected by the prime
minister on another pertinent issue regarding the millions of Emalangeni that
the politicians will purportedly take home after their term of office when he
thereafter looked after the interests of those that take that one cold beer.
“There is the issue; every five years we go to the election and elect people
to represent us in parliament and when these people ask questions in parliament
they are doing so on our behalf. It becomes disturbing when you who are in power
decide what you should and should not be asked. You are now making a mockery of
the whole system,” said the editor as he got the ball rolling.
Everyone by this time had their attention focused on the ever-straight-talking
Makhubu, who like his column ‘Speaking My Mind’, did not hold back one bit.
In fact what happened at the PAC “(Public Accounts Committee) nullified the
purpose of parliament; it was turned into a useless institution. You can’t say
you’re rebuilding this country but say there are questions that can’t be
asked.  You say I don’t like your questions but I’m going to increase your
taxes so that I can rebuild the country, but don’t ask us questions,”
Makhubu said.
With the prime minister (PM) giving him all the attention, he went on: “For
example, if you hike sin tax, take the guy who has a beer on a Friday and now
they can’t afford to have a beer because it’s more expensive as they have to
pay more tax.
“You’re saying to him he can’t make a choice as an adult because you make
drinking unaffordable. You take that person’s money and tell him not to ask
questions how it will be used. What does that person become?
“You’re rendering him subhuman in that way because he must do as he’s
told: wake up at 8am, be at work, knock off at 5pm, he can’t have beer to
relax and he doesn’t have to ask questions; that’s abuse!”
He added: “We have a parliament and why is it not doing its function in order
that you can get the money to rebuild the country and avoid us insulting you for
misusing our money.
“If you stop us from asking questions, then we will insult you. what other
option would we have? Why close the doors to accountability as the State, you
being (the) political head of parliament.”
Some of those who were in the meeting – those that enjoy that one cold beer,
were certainly longing for their favourite drink by the time Makhubu stopped
posing his question.
One of them was heard telling a colleague after the meeting that; ‘I wish I
could have a cold one but I just can’t because I still have to go to the
office’.