CHIEFS SUPPORT JAN ON REMUNERATION ISSUE

MBABANE – Chiefs welcome MP Jan Sithole’s idea calling for their remuneration. The Manzini North MP, Sithole, on Monday submitted in Parliament that including chiefs in government pay-roll would ensure that they were not compromised when people came to ask for land (kukhonta).

Sithole’s view is that such a move would do away with Swazi Nation Land being reduced to shanty towns (tikomu) as they are vulnerable to using the King’s land as a bargaining tool.
However, when granting interviews they pleaded for their comments or suggestions not to be directly attributed to them as that may appear as if they making demands to be paid through the media.

Allocate

“I wouldn’t want to comment on how chiefs allocate land but in my belief, as many would concur, chiefs have a lot of work in their hands as they go about their duties,” said one chief in the Hhohho region speaking on condition of anonymity.
“These are very important duties and it would be a very nice, meaningful and a sustainable thing to us to be remunerated. They deliberate on crucial matters affecting their subjects. They are also responsible for the land resources on behalf of the King as well as many other issues touching upon the livelihood of the people in communities,” he said.

Another chief, also not willing to be identified said: “This is a very important issue that has been raised in Parliament. However, I wouldn’t want to be quoted verbatim as my comments would be viewed as making demands through the press yet the matter was being deliberated in another forum.
“Nonetheless, I must say, having chiefs under government payroll would avoid unfortunate situations like where you find the King’s man so destitute that he is even made to sit at the bakkie of his subject’s vehicle on rainy weather, if I may make an example. That belittles his position lomutfu lomdzala.

Interrogate

“However, I cannot be precise with the issue of tikomu  (shanty towns). One would have to interrogate a number of things to come to a conclusion,” he said saying for now that remains only an assumption.
“There may well be other causes on that. Whether there might be a decrease or what of shanty towns, we do not know. Maybe it is the cause, maybe not. Every case depends on it own merits. For instance, you do find elsewhere that there are shanty towns even in places where there is no chief.

“At times you find that houses mushroom in the area without even the involvement of chiefs. So these are some of the issues that need to be interrogated before we can come to a conclusion,” said the chief.
Another chief said he supports the view that chiefs be paid more so if the economy allows for such an arraignment.
“However, as a Swazi and someone who is in my position I think it wouldn’t be proper for me to be seen issuing comments through the media over a matter that was being deliberated in Parliament,” said one chief who fortunately for him is under government’s employ.

Improper

“There are certain forums where this matter can be deliberated openly by someone like me who has a direct interest. It would be improper to do such in this forum. I have a direct interest in this matter and I have an area which falls under my jurisdiction as a chief.

“Also, it would be wise even for other chiefs not to be seen as making demands or jumping into the matter that is being deliberated in other forums. That would be Swazi.  It shouldn’t appear as a grievance,” he noted.
There are 336 chiefs in the country, according to the latest Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) statistics.

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