POLITICAL PARTIES ADDED BAGGAGE TO LIMITED RESOURCES - ALPHEOUS

MANZINI – “Political parties are not an answer to the challenges faced by Africa, including Eswatini, but an added baggage to the limited resources of the people.”

These are the exact words of Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo, which he said when responding to allegations that were level against government by some leaders of the mass democratic movement (MDM) during the commemoration of the month of June 2021 (in particular June 29, 2021). The event was held at Manzini Anglican Church on Thursday under the theme; ‘Lest we forget’. One of the MDM leaders, Lucky Dlamini, who is the Chairman of the Swaziland United Democratic Front (SUDF), said according to their analysis, it was not by mistake that about 63 per cent of emaSwati live under the poverty line in the Kingdom of Eswatini. Instead, he said their analysis suggests that this was a result of a deliberate agenda by the ruling regime (Tinkhundla System of Government) which aim to continue to be in power.

Challenge

In his claims, he alleged that the regime wants a majority of emaSwati to remain beggars so that they could not have power to challenge it. He added that it was in that regard, government would sometime threaten to cut scholarships and does not create jobs. Dlamini added that the system wants emaSwati to appreciate living in poverty than to stand up against it. Therefore, he said government’s failure to supply healthcare facilities with drugs was a systematic agenda of weakening emaSwati and by extent, killing them.In his response to these allegations the government spokesperson said, in his entire study of political history, he never came across a regime or government that had survived through using poverty as a weapon to sustain itself.

Commitment
Instead, he said the opposite was true. Nxumalo said any government would be very much secure when the citizens were prosperous and healthy. According to Nxumalo, this had been the commitment and success of the Tinkhundla System of Government.
He argued that the Tinkhundla system empowers the people in their very own backyard and communities.
“That is why week in and out, government, through the Ministry of Tinkhundla Administration and Development is delivering developmental assets to various communities across the country. This is done to ensure that emaSwati can be successful and prosperous,” the spokesperson of government said.

Committed

He added that this was a journey, not an event. He said it was a journey to which government had committed enormous resources. It is worth noting that a number of emaSwati have received working equipment and machinery, including tractors and/or trucks worth hundreds of Emalangeni from government through the Regional Development Fund (RDF). Regarding the challenges faced by the country’s health sector, Nxumalo said the Minister of Health, Lizzie Nkosi had already immaculately responded to the issue of drug shortages. The minister said soon drugs would be made available in healthcare facilities, as government have availed funds to purchase it. Therefore, the government spokesperson said in their views political parties or multi-party democracy was no answer to the problems faced by Africa, but it was an added baggage to the limited resources of the people.

Thieves

He added that according to their analysis, political parties were nothing but congregations of political ‘thugs’ and ‘thieves’ who were always taking away from the masses and never giving anything. He challenged the MDM to give the nation an example of countries where poverty was reduced by the mere existence of multiparty democracy. ‘Zero’, he said as he was illustrating that there was no country where poverty was reduced by the existence of multi-party democracy.

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