Now that I can laugh again, I can write again. It pleases me to spit an ink over the paper again, after months of inaction. Let me put that again, hopefully a bit accurate than my initial attempt. I am gay that activity is back on this blog that was going sterile. I use the word gay conservatively, if you catch my drift.Much big ups go to my colleague who have unceasingly ignited the waning fire in keeping the flame of the blog burning. That is not to imply that he was oblivious to the challenges we faced, and I faced personally. And by that attempt he saved this baby from sterility.
The last time I posted an article was last year. And the last time I ever put ink on paper was in October 2013, when I wrote to the Times as a contributing writer. It was one of my highest highlight as a young growing writer and each day I cherish the privilege the newspaper offered me in using their hall. I didn't think at that time that my writing would soon hit a low. It came too soon. It came as a thunderbolt to me. I lost my laughter. I couldn't laugh anymore. There was nothing left to laugh. Since I could nolonger laugh, I could nolonger write. The demise of my laughter took away the zeal to write.
I am happy I wrote at the time of the thing that masquaraded itself as a judge. Chief Justice for that matter.
To write at that time was equivalent to paving your way to prison. The government of our day had intensified its grips on all free-thinking-non-praising people. You had to think more than twice before going on with an article. That is not to say today we enjoy the right to express ourselves freely. Far from that. It's a given fact that in much of the developing economies, where democracy is either at its nascent stage or just a dream, the media is censored. Swaziland is no different. However, there is room for improvement and the kingdom is far better than countries such as Russia, Syria and Zimbabwe where all media is state-controlled.
Michael M. Ramodibedi is languishing in the dungeon of history now following his impeachment by the Judicial Service Commission and his subsequent firing by His Majesty the King. This, after serving the government so diligently and enjoying the best hospitality reserved for the Shanmugas of this world. He now lives in the Republic of South After, near his nation's border. In shame.
Living in a luxury hotel at the taxpayer's expense to living in a plush mansion with a bunker in the posh Thembelihle suburb in the Capitol made him feel like he was a member of the royal family. He became too big. However, I will dedicate my time to this'thing' in another space. What's most important for now is that Bhova paid the price and now suffers the humiliation of stooping so low to being a puppet regardless of being the educated thing that he is.
One thing I experienced while I was writing for the mentioned newspaper was the many Makhulu Baases that live in every corner. Even where you least expect them. To meet a Bhova in an institution of high learning is very thinning. I met my own Makhulu Baas at the University of Swaziland in 2013. And this being a woman's month, I am saddened to reveal that my own Bhova was a woman. This is where I lost my laughter, and my ink. It was in one lecturer's office where I paid the prize for attempting my own analysis and criticism on issues bordering on religion and the Bible. My problem was making myself a now-know-it boy even before I graduated. What ensured thereafter was a battle over supremacy-it was third world war. The lecturer was my project supervisor and ironically a head of department. As the tension intensified, she pulled of as my supervisor and for the whole month of March, I was on my own. She, being the HOD frustrated all means for me to get a supervisor. Until the matter was handled at upper levels.
Let me say this, though this is not a blow-by-blow account of what really transpired and I never meant it to be thus, however, the motive of this article is to reveal that my Theology and Religious Studies lecturer stole my happiness. It is a given fact that depriviation of happiness takes with it innovation and creativity. That's why I emphasise that my ink got lost inside that lecturer's office when she reduced me into a nonentity. I lost my drive and my esteem was dented. I was powerless, she was on the other shore powerful. Very. I suffered for my own intelligence. Or rationale.
The above narration shows explicitly the extent people with power can go just to assert their authority on others. I am gay I made mention to Swaziland's ex-CJ, who was used by Prime Minister Dr Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini to instill fear within local scribes. Ramodibedi was a pain in the butt of journalism and free expression. This, after being unleashed by the fearsome Makhundu. The Mosotho turned the Judiciary into a one man show before it became a corporate immediately relieved Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Sibusiso Shongwe was appointed into the office. Sibusiso Shongwe is a man who made his name when he was a staunch supporter of the government's tool, Ramodibedi. Shongwe stood by the man in all accusations levelled against the Mosotho by the Law Society of Swaziland. He also stood by him against the effort of the media that was drumming sense to the stubborn PM aka Spakatane, that this Mosotho was but a moron. Thus Shongwe got rewarded for being a bullet proof for the disgraced Mosotho by being appointed Minister of Justice.
As I am resurrecting my writing today, Sibusiso Shongwe is a backbencher now after doing two months in jail for corruption related charges. His initial case and encounter with the law assumed a domino like in that more and more cases of corruption are emerging against the pastor of Calvary Ministries. The firing of Makhulu Baas and that of Shongwe as Minister of Justice is not a way of cleansing the Judiciary but just a fallout between friends. Attempts at cleansing the Judiciary should start from the Premier who is the main player in this whole mess. That birds are hovering over his head concerning the judiciary mess is absolutely accurate. His hands are dirty and his conscious equally guilt. His style has embarrased the likes of suspended Judge Mpendulo Simelane who became a spectacle during the infamous trial of The Nation editor and columnist, Bheki Makhubu and Thulani Maseko. Another embarrased stooge is DPP Nkosinathi Maseko who lost the meaning of what it entails to be DPP.
Resuscittating the blog means these main things to me and my co-contributor. It means that this blog will strive for objectivity, consistence, adherence to journalism ethics, professionalism, balanced analysis and respect. Ours is not to please the pundits of the Tinkhundla oligarchy nor to thrill the opponents of it. We are writing to hold our leaders accountable to the citizens, to offer a new dimension to polítics. As young men, we are representing the sentiments of our age group, the youth and how we wish to see this nation developing in the next years. We pour out of what we like and dislike of our leaders. Ours is not entirely to terminate the obtaining political, cultural and religious dispensations but is to condon and condemn where we feel there is a need for either. We are open to castigation that will not kill us but build as we also strive to build our leaders along the lines of the reasoning of us as the youth. Remember, lelive ngeletfu, sibabolekile labangembili kitsi. We, therefore, not anticipate to inherit a dysfunctional nation.
As a point of emphasis, the contents of this blog is not meant to glorify any person, whatever the social standing. We are not praisers of any individual. We have no boundaries too. We are the ink that stings. We are proudly Swazis.
We hope our readers will enjoy reading our blog the same way we enjoy writing our articles too. We may not agree on every point but we believe our views will help to bring another perspective in our socio-political, economic, religious and cultural terrain.
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Khayelihle Simelane is a holder of a degree in BA in Humanities obtained at the University of Swaziland. He studied History and Theology and Religious Studies. He is set to pursue a Masters in Theology and Religious Studies in the immediate future.
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