After over forty-five years Swaziland gained her independence from then Great Britain, the ordinary Swazi is treated with contempt by the ruling elite. He is not free. He is oppressed and made to live under embarrasing poverty. He is made to pay high taxes yet does not see what difference his hard-earned money makes. He cannot speak his mind. He is a slave. Oh, Cry the beloved country!
About six years ago, the head of state, His Majesty King Mswati III appointed Dr Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini as Prime Minister. This was during a time of political upheavals, with increasing voices calling for the dissolution of the one-party system and advocating for a transition to multi-partism. Graffitis characterised that period along walls ang highways of this undemocratic kingdom. Bridges were targetted to be bombed, like the Lozitha bridge. Homes of prominent political stalwarts were also target of political terror. The then PM, Absalom Themba Dlamini adopted a civil approach to these political sheninagans much to the chagrin of the appointing authority. Mind you, it was their existence that was under siege, simply for their failure to lead us towards democratic reforms. It was on the backdrop of A.T's diplomatic and civil approach to the 2005 -2007 political unrest that saw Barnabas bouncing back to politics, after serving for five years in the king's advisory body, known as Liqoqo.
He was given a crystal clear mandate by His Majesty: to strangle dissenting voices and the opposition. In short, these were the people who were urging Swaziland to adopt democratic principles so that the kingdom could realise economic growth and social stability. That noble call irked the institution of the monarchy whose face is The Ingwenyama ( the lion) together with The Indlovukazi (she elephant). Immediately Barney assumed office, he did not waste time but began to draft draconian laws meant to silence the opposition of the Tinkhundla oligarchy-a system that lives off on secrecy, corruption, intimidation, oppression, terror and nepotism among its top uncivil traits. The Suppression of Terrorism Act of 2008 became Barnabas' working tool. This act is much against the spirit of the Swazi Constitution and other Conventions which Swaziland is a signatory of. He pronounced his arrival with his infamous 'business unusual' mantra.
It was at this point in the politics of Swaziland that the sirens of false business and development unusual mantras rang. For, his reappointment was a knell that summoned us to the dungeon of purgatory, where even today we are languishing. His installation was the work of the government of the devil self! I am not being metaphorical here. His arrival into the second highest office marked a series of both economic and political problems. And these problems are framed by the hands of Lucifer in hell. Today we are watching in horror and in disbelief the demise of our then healthy economy and a nascent stable politics as a result of his orchestrated genocide. Kulaywa bani? For one, Barnabas lied to us about both his business and development unusual mantras he used to espouse his plans of perching Swaziland on the upper index of developed nations. Here, I do not use the word ''lie'' lightly. He lied that his administration would direct the budget towards development at grassroot levels, like creating jobs and giving loans to people to start businesses. By saying he lied, I mean that he knew that there was no truth in what he was promising us but went on nonetheless. He knew his administration is in office on a secret mandate and they were not going to fullfil what his two mantras promised. He blatantly lied knowing very well that nothing would happen to him.
Barnabas takes us for a ride. He thinks we are fools and know nothing about leadership. Leadership is not an abstract notion. Neither is it about power trips. It is never about making people bend to your will, just because you are in power and you have the disposal of the courts and police at your disposal, which you abuse at whim to get to whosoever stands in your way. Fools, we are not! Him and his administration have misled us without reserves or a feel of remorse. This is hardly suprising to those who have followed Barney's political career. They will agree with me that he is a man less chastened and very much less repentant. Look how he played around with our minds after his notorious ''abakhanywe''- strangle them statement! Instead of apologising for his untaste tongue, he objected himself as the mighty wiseman, dragging the kingdom to deep economic crises. Or the now forgotten grab-a-land saga. Here, he chose to stop parliament from probing his illegitimate hold on the land through courts orders instead of humbling his big self and acknowledge his blunder. Not Barnabas.
The PM's mindset decieves him and then other Swazis that in this kingdom, he knows better than all of us. This is why over all these years he have treated us and still is with contempt. Look how he lied about the AGOA loss, saying it was all the work of labour unions. How he misled the nation about the buying of the luxurious BMWs for cabinet ministers, saying it was all the work of the media. These expensive cars cost the taxpayer over E 23 m, plus fuel cost and service. This is besides the Premier's Rand Rover sport Evoque which cost over E 1.8 m and his mercedes benz, putting the total cost at E 4 m. And still you think this is not an economic genocide? He have falsely assured the nation that his government is doing something to retain AGOA. And what did we see recently? A closure of Tex Ray- an apparel firm in Matsapha that has got no orders of their products from the United States because of His Majesty's government's failure to address the five benchmarks that will allow Swaziland to exports her good to the US under the AGOA terms. Many of the firms are uncertain about their continued stay in the kingdom. The rate of unemployment is expected to shoot up astronomical, weakening the lilangeni and threatening its pegging on the rand. Underlying all these economic woes is Barnabas' personal credibility which he have wasted either treating us as children and the stupid peoples he think we are or settling scores with his political foes.
He have become the captive of this nation's development and does not see anything wrong ngaloko.
To me, Barney is clueless, heartless and greedy with an insatiable appetite for wealthy. All this becomes noticeable in his policies that tend to ignore the needs of the ordinary Swazis. All he thinks about is himself. Again, I cannot justly complain because he never went into office on the mandate of the people but was assigned by the monarchy. Thanks, in part, to his uncivil, violent and undemocratic approach to dissenting voices and civil groups calling for democratic reforms.
As Swazis, we feel betrayed, not only by Barney but also by the institution that is supposed to protect us: the monarchy. We have lost great faith in our institutions- monarchy, government, politics, church and the media. Why? Simply because all these mainstays of a healthy society are dismally failing. And our monarchy and organised religion being great let-down(ers).
Swaziland's leading factory power- house is closing-leaving a legacy of a double-digit number of unemployment and hopelessness. What have the monarchy done to prevent this? Nothing. The monarchy is the only institution that can give Barnabas a rest and have another competent man or woman take over. In 2012 , the people made it clear at eSibayeni that they have had enough of Barney. And what have the church done or say? Still, nothing yet they expect these jobless people to tithe. Nonsense! Lack of transparency has given Barney and his administration the big advantage to treat us with contempt.
His behaviour is a true and closest replica of outright tyrannts-arrogant, unaccountable and cavalier despots.
This sort of conduct nullifies the Constitution and disfrenchises the Swazi people. It is simply not representative government but political fascism.
Barney, I insist, is not chastened, and is less repentant. Even after the AGOA loss, he remains undettered and continues to do whatever means he deems necessary, in his self-assessed superior wisdom, to accomplish his political agenda, beginning with crushing our liberal rights.
In Barney we are presented with the pleasures of appointing a crook into a crooked political system.
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Khayelihle Simelane is a BA holder in Humanities obtained at the University of Swaziland. He majored in History and Theology and Religious Studies.
