Times Of Swaziland: MPS COMPEL GOVT TO ENSURE DIALOGUE HAPPENS

MPS COMPEL GOVT TO ENSURE DIALOGUE HAPPENS
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Phiwase Phungwayo on 19/07/2022 07:45:00


LOBAMBA - The ongoing violence has pushed Members of Parliament (MPs) to compel
government to ensure that dialogue takes place.
Under the current volatile situation in the country that has led to the killing
of security forces, the MPs have declared that dialogue ought to take place to
address the country’s predicament. It was during the debate of the Prime
Minister’s (PM) Office on the report of the first quarter of the financial
year, which took place in the House of Assembly yesterday. Some politicians even
suggested that it was high time the premier visited constituencies and engaged
emaSwati through vusela exercises, to ascertain their grievances and gather
solutions to the problems faced in the country. Nkhaba MP Zakhele Magongo
highlighted that many emaSwati had died. He said police officers and soldiers
had died and it was enough. He asked the PM when it would be conducive for the
dialogue to take place. Magongo reiterated that there was a need for dialogue.
Condolences
Lomahasha MP Ndumiso Masimula expressed his condolences to the security forces.
Masimula submitted that it was frightening when those responsible for protecting
emaSwati were mercilessly killed. He said the only way to address the violence
was to engage in dialogue. The legislator stated that the PM had said the
environment was not conducive for dialogue. However, he asked what would be done
in the meantime until the right time for dialogue. He asked if government would
continue watching people die. The MP said evading and doing nothing was not the
answer.
“I believe that dialogue is the way to go,” he emphasised. Gilgal MP Kenneth
Sandla Fakudze also queried when it would be the appropriate time to engage in
the dialogue. He highlighted that it was once stated that the dialogue would
take place after last year’s Sibaya. However, he said the nation was soon
approaching the next Incwala.
Growth
Manzini North MP Macford Sibandze was of the view that there could be talks of
economic growth, but it was as good as nothing as the nation was in a state of
fear and emergency. He said everything was not well and there was a need for the
PM to conduct a caucus with politicians to come up with solutions to the issues.
Sibandze articulated that since June last year to date, the country did not know
peace. He said all issues were rectified through dialogue. Meanwhile, the MP
asked who was responsible for ensuring a conducive environment for dialogue. He
further answered himself, having said that it were politicians. In the same
breath, Gege MP Musa Kunene sympathised with emaSwati who had lost their loved
ones. Kunene said they had tried as politicians to engage constituents. He
implored the PM to do vusela exercises at constituencies as the constituents had
asked if the PM engaged them. Kunene mentioned that if the premier could engage
emaSwati, strategies to solve the impasse could be raised from the engagements.
Solution
Motshane MP Robert Magongo noted that the PM, in his report and preamble, had
alluded to a peaceful solution when they all sought for dialogue. Magongo
further quoted the PM as having talked about the nation condemning violence and
killings. “You keep talking about dialogue, your excellency. When is it going
to take place?” he queried. Magongo further reminded the PM of a time when
there was violence in neighbouring Mozambique and a dialogue was held in
Portugal. Nhlambeni MP Manzi Zwane noted that after their term of office, there
would still be life. He said history would judge them for having finished their
term without addressing issues that resulted in the loss of lives of emaSwati.
He said the dialogue was necessary to tackle the issues in the country.
Lobamba Lomdzala MP Marwick Khumalo highlighted that the PM came at the toughest
time. He mentioned that the premier’s forum was in Parliament. Khumalo advised
that he should refrain from talking behind the scenes when addressing matters of
national importance. “Let us accept that it didn’t go well. We didn’t take
full responsibilities as politicians. We don’t talk about these issues in this
Parliament, but we are supposed to own our mistakes,” he said. He said
security forces were shot at not because of security issues but political
issues. Khumalo encouraged the PM to take his role seriously and champion the
cause. “Otherwise all the efforts of going to garner investors from countries
is wasted energy. People research the country’s profile on the internet and
find this bad picture about the country. “No one owns a copyright to national
dialogue or the political franchise. The political franchise is owned by each
and every liSwati. Let us sit down and talk, remove hostilities and hate, invite
even people in jail, let us come and sit. They have done it in South Africa, why
can’t we?” he asked.
Killings
Responding, the PM Cleopas Dlamini, said the people behind the killings were not
emaSwati. He further stated that government could not be held at gunpoint and
forced to engage in dialogue. The premier stated that the Constitution
prohibited them from making decisions willy-nilly, at gunpoint. “No one has
denied dialogue. But can you call every liSwati and want them to talk about the
killings? I don’t think it is every liSwati who can answer to that,” he
said. He further mentioned that government could not go where the wind blew.
Instead, the PM said there were certain individuals who needed to engage in
dialogue, and these were the people behind the attacks.