MBABANE – In a related debate, Senator Dr Linda Nxumalo warned that corruption and self-interest among leaders reflect a failure to internalise the very agape love being championed.
“Corruption is evidence that agape love is not being invoked fully and with commitment,” she said.
Dr Nxumalo called on politicians to abandon self-seeking tendencies and what she described as performative righteousness.
“Stop the self-righteousness because that is not agape love. There is a lot of pretence — some want to appear righteous in front of His Majesty to be noticed. That is bothersome,” she said.
She stressed that agape love does not boast, seek recognition or look down on others. Instead, she argued, it demands humility, repentance and ethical conduct.
“Through agape love, the King is calling us to repentance. Many things go wrong because of the absence of agape love. Even on the internet, we see cyberbullying — that too reflects a lack of this love,” she said.
Dr Nxumalo cautioned against pretending to practise agape love while pursuing personal gain, saying genuine commitment could significantly accelerate national development.
She also credited the King’s 40-year reign with tangible progress, particularly in rural electrification, describing it as visible evidence of long-term policy consistency.
Meanwhile, a moment of introspection gripped the Senate yesterday when Senator Princess Ncengencenge openly questioned whether parliamentarians deserve their recent salary increases.
The princess argued that the country has yet to see development that matches the pay rise. Speaking during debate on the Humble Address to be presented to His Majesty King Mswati III, following the Speech from the Throne delivered at the inauguration of the Third Session of the 12th Parliament on February 20, 2026, the princess delivered a candid and, at times, uncomfortable assessment of Parliament’s performance.
Her remarks come in the wake of a government salary review that saw legislators’ basic monthly pay increase from E54 743.50 to E83 984.33 – amounting to E1 007 808 per year before tax.
“Our salaries were recently increased; therefore, our work should reflect the salary increase, which we realistically do not deserve at this point in time,” she said bluntly.
The senator said she feels ‘fear and shame’ when spending her salary, mindful that it is drawn from taxpayers’ money while visible transformation remains limited.
“If there is no evident transformation in the country and yet the salary is increasing, then something is wrong. I say that without fear or favour. You can judge me, but I feel deeply about how, when I spend my salary, I do so knowing that the difference in the work done to develop and improve the country since we assumed office still needs a lot of improvement,” she said.
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