EMASWATI WILL LOSE IDENTITY BY REMOVING KING - MPHANDLANA

MBABANE – Veteran political activist and senior member of the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) Mphandlana Shongwe, says removing the Monarch could risk the nation’s culture and tradition.

Shongwe warned that the King should quickly lead the political reforms to avoid eroding Eswatini culture and traditions, with the institution of monarchy. He stated that he was revived to the importance of culture and tradition in cementing the identity of a nation by the Canadians. Shongwe is currently in Canada on a political visit. He stated that the Monarch is a cultural symbol and the country is going to run the risk of losing its cultural identity and traditions if the institution of the monarchy was to be totally eradicated. Shongwe said the Monarch should be the one leading the reforms in order for it to remain relevant and for the country’s history to be preserved. “What I am discovering is that we are not wrong when we say the Monarch must elevate itself above politics and leave governance to political formations. This is very possible,” he said.

reform

Shongwe has been calling for the country’s system of government to reform and embrace multiparty democratic principles, but has pronounced himself firmly on the role of the Monarch.
He said while in Canada, he has learnt the importance of the preservation of culture and tradition and it has since assisted him to discover the truth behind the calls for the King to leave governance to political parties and assume an elevated position. He said in Canada, he has experienced that country’s strong cultural ties, which is what awakened his senses to the need for emaSwati to ensure the preservation of traditional institutions in order to maintain identity.  

intrigued

“My arrival in this land of the ‘first people’, as they are known coincided with their conference in which I was proud to have been allowed in during their dinner. We were serveda traditional and symbolic dish made of meat of a moose; a large deer with palmate antlers and a growth of skin hanging from the neck (looking like liphiva) which is their traditional animal completing their delicatessen. I was very intrigued by the subject of their conference which was very similar to Africa’s history. It was the land issue. This is very interesting because one seated in troubled Africa would never have thought that the issue of land exists in First World countries. Who would have thought that I would sit next to a chief after the conference around a fire like I was at home. All this was a sign for me that we need to consider the discussion around preservation of culture and tradition,” he said.

Shongwe added that like emaSwati, the people of Canada are cultured and they believe in God and ancestors. He said he was moved when the chief offered them tobacco and they all stood up and burnt some of it in a fire, as a sign of speaking to both God and the ancestors. He mentioned that he felt at home and immediately learnt that democracy, culture and traditions could co-exist. “Like any people that suffered through occupation and colonisation the Algonquin as they are known lost all their land and culture. For many years like everyone under foreign occupation they were subjected to new methods of life and culture.

resisted extinction

“Like any nation under occupation they have resisted extinction and survived all attempts to wipe their history out of the pages of history. This is what we are familiar with in Africa. In a jest and according to King Sobhuza II, there are some good things we can learn from other people across the world.Traditional structures do have a role to play in governance but through democratic means,” he stated. He added that in Eswatini it was paramount for the Monarch to be the one allowing political reforms and helping the nation to embrace democratic means of governance. “Our Monarch must rush into allowing democratic reforms in order to remain relevant. This will save us the risk of having our traditions and cultures eroded with the institution of the monarch.We now hate some of our traditions because they are being abused. We are now at a risk of being a nation with no history and no culture because it is already tainted. What I am experiencing here is the opposite of what our chiefs do.What we expect is that our chiefs should embrace democracy. Democracy and traditions can coexist in Eswatini if it can coexist somewhere else,” he said.

Shongwe mentioned that his political organisation, PUDEMO, was not against culture and tradition but was calling for the identity of emaSwati to be preserved, so the country could have a lasting image in the world. “If there is one issue that has been left unattended or explained in our pursuit for democracy, it is the issue of culture and its traditional apparatus. We have been preoccupied by the ever changing paradigm shift and left some issues in deep ‘grey’ areas. In PUDEMO we believe in culture and traditions and in our founding documents and principles, we acknowledge the significance of this. We are therefore on record and we are sayingit clearly that our stance and position on this issue is that culture and tradition shall be subjected to democratic principles. Cultural and traditional practices that are not in line with democratic foundations shall be done away with,” said Shongwe.

briefing

When quizzed on the purpose of his trip to Canada, Shongwe said the trip was part of PUDEMO’s international political work. He said it covered two issues which included meeting emaSwati and briefing them about the latest political developments in the country and to also meet some Members of Parliament (MPs) to tell the Eswatini story. “Canada is a member of the Commonwealth that sponsored the crafting of the Constitution. In my tour I have been able to attend one conference for indigenous people of the first nations (Algonquin). With these people we share a similar history (colonisations), which was possibly by the same people. To my surprise these people have chiefs and that taught a very important lesson that democracy, culture and traditions can coexist and it works here.This means traditional structures must embrace democracy,” he added.

Shongwe further stated that the trip was facilitated by the President of PUDEMO, Mlungisi Makhanya, through his contacts. He said he was under monitoring and supervision of the office of International Affairs in the movement which is under the leadership of Siboniso Mkhabela. The community east of Toronto along the Ottawa River and its tributes is deeply embedded in cultureand traditional. The area has the great lakes with a history and civilisation dating back to 12 000 years before the coming of settlers (English and French).

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