PM, TEAM MUST WORK ON REVIVING LOST CONFIDENCE

Sir,

This past week has been very busy, hectic, and on the surface, very promising, but I dare say, an inspiring one for our nation, if what unfolded down at the Ezulwini Valley last week is anything to go by.

Government, specifically our focused, visionary and indefatigable Prime Minister Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini and his team of Cabinet ministers have overnight raised the nation’s hopes with grand plans, promising to take the country forward to a rosy future, which includes an imminent advent of thousands of jobs in the next few years. A nation which - for years, has been buckling under the yoke of unemployment, abject poverty and a fallen economy, among other ills, suddenly has their hopes revived - hopefully not in vain.

Strategic Road Map

Undeniably, the buzzword doing the rounds was the alluring Eswatini Strategic Road Map that was recently unfolded at the prestigious Royal Swazi Convention Centre in Ezulwini.

Well, the reaction to the plan from some people in our society has been, and still is phenomenal. From the ordinary man on the street, to social media platforms, as well as captains of industries, there has been and still continues to be a flurry of comments, with some being positive and others sceptical of the success of the plan.

What I would love to point out is that, since time immemorial, every journey begins with the first tentative but bold step. Success on any undertaken project depends on adequate and meticulous planning, determination and the belief in what you are planning to do. Such has a pivotal bearing on whether you will succeed.

Teamwork and the reigning of a motley and diverse bunch of brilliant minds to work with, who are willing and have an unquestionable belief in your plans, is also a prerequisite to the success of any planned venture. Not forgetting getting views and input from the people on the ground.

Without any shadow of doubt, the nation’s confidence in our government, especially in those of preceding years that were in office, was repeatedly eroded, and when Mandvulo’s government took office, there was suddenly a glimmer of hope that just maybe, things might just change for the better.

There is something around the demeanour of the incumbent Prime Minister that inspires confidence. Unlike his predecessor, who had his tyrannical streak surrounding him and who brooked no opposition, Mandvulo seems amiable, approachable and on the surface, determined to prove his critics wrong. The interest of the country seems to run in his veins. I hope I am not wrong. If so...Lord help us!

I loved it when he conceded that as government - past and present, I presume - they had this fatal flaw or weakness of planning roadmaps and failing to implement them, and therein lies the rub. Planning but failing to implement is the greatest tragedy of all any government can fall into. Setting control measures and following them up has been part of government’s spend. Coupled with a lazy, complacent and arrogant civil service, failure was imminent.

economical with the truth

I did not take kindly when one minister went economical with the truth, insinuating and telling the PM that obtaining a national I.D. card now takes less than three days. It took me from August 2018 to this year April 2019 to get one - my poor maths tells me that is 8 months. We don’t need such leaders.

Our nation has been callously abused by previous governments, with their rights violated wantonly and with impunity, wallowing in a vicious cesspool of poverty, suffered from nepotism and an unfair distribution of the country’s resources, such being used as a piggy bank for the elite and minority.

To succeed, Mandvulo and his team have to work on reviving the lost and shattered confidence of the people. The people yearn for a high level of political dispensation, where they will have a say in crafting, not only their future, but the future of the coming generations. It is a tall order; we are cognisant of that fact. He has limited powers, we sadly understand, but we urge him to give it a shot.

Alex Nxumalo

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