‘GOVERNMENT PLAYING WITH FIRE’

Sir,

I am reminded of an episode when I was a young boy below six years while growing up ka-Zondwako. It was one of those chilly winter days and the Devil got the better of me. I took a box of matches and took some dry maize storks and headed for the kraal.

I lit a fire and took some wood from the very same kraal to make the fire bigger. Indeed I achieved that and soon the flame grew stronger. I wanted to put out the fire but it was already too powerful and I had to run for dear life and hide myself because my instincts told me that I was already in deep trouble with the elders.

consequences

The damage was soon put under control and a hunt for me ensued to come and face the consequences of my actions. Your guess is correct on what befell me from the elders.

I have been reminded of this story which happened many decades ago by this government of ours. I listened carefully the budget speech and was shocked that our minister, who also doubles up as a millionaire, is still taking the emaSwati for a hell ride. How on earth can someone raise taxes and not raise salaries? How are the people supposed to live?

It is general knowledge that we as a country just like to copy what is done in other countries without giving ourselves much thought and applying our minds. By the way may I ask as to who the taxes are being raised for? Obviously to be enjoyed by the few privileged of this country.

They know themselves. In as much as our millionaire minister for Finance did try to convince the simple minded that there will be controls in place to make sure that the finances shall be controlled and monitored, I beg to differ with him because this is only a dream and not a reality on the ground. We know how our hard earned taxes are plundered in this country and the untouchables are having a field day with the taxpayers’ money.

squandered

Eswatini has got lots of money, but the truth is: it is being controlled by the elite of this country. This being the case, the solution to our problem is to close the leaking holes.
What is the point of collecting lots of money and yet at the end of the day it will be squandered by the few chosen ones?  The poor of this country will remain poorer and the gap will just continue to widen. As long as the government of the day is all about raising money for the elite of this country to sustain their lavish and opulent life styles then we are going nowhere.

We talked of corruption and no one lent us an ear.
We talked of corrupt government officials and no one bothered to investigate. We talked of a rotten Legislature and no one even cared to follow up as to what we as ordinary poor citizens are crying about but all that is said about us is that we are progressives from the opposing camp and yet the truth is I will never join the progressive camp but shall stand for the truth because very soon we shall be standing before God. 

We have very poor citizens even as I am writing this article who hardly knows what to eat tonight let alone the following day.
But there you are the rich of this country throw away food in tonnes.

The painful thing is that we have our children who are growing up and surely they will never bow down to this dictatorship which has rendered the majority of us as peasants. Our children will never stoop so low and allow all these to happen to them. In as much as we are developing very fast infrastructure wise, but we are greatly moving backwards in terms of the developing and caring of our human resources.

generations

One day our brilliant kids will surely revolt against this. Maybe we shall long be dead by that time but Eswatini will not remain like what it is today.
There is no permanent situation in this world. Even the most feared Gadhafi, Sadam and many more was retrieved from the drainage pipe and his Government collapsed. I am not implying that same will happen to us but I am saying that things will one day change in this country. Eswatini will be for all emaSwati not a chosen few.  All emaSwati will one day enjoy the benefits of their forefathers’ blood that was spilt for this land.

Their blood watered this land so that their generations could live in it and be abundantly fruitful. Lastly, may I say that government must stop playing with fire and put its house in order and its priorities straight? We can no longer afford to sit down and whine while our country is being ravaged in front of us. May peace reign supreme in our country?
 
Khokhumcadvo – ka-zodwako

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