IN LINE WITH SIBAYA’S CALL TO ACTION, LET’S ARREST THE THUGS, YOUR MAJESTY!
During recent submissions at Sibaya, Swazis made a heartfelt plea to His Majesty King Mswati III, urging the country to address the crippling issues of poverty, hunger, and widespread underdevelopment. Most significantly, they called for the arrest of those who steal from the people.
The masses voiced their frustrations, decrying the pervasive corruption that is devastating the nation. In response, the King acknowledged these grave concerns, categorizing them as national disasters. He announced the appointment of Prime Minister Russell Dlamini, leveraging his extensive experience with the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), to tackle these “disaster” head-on.
In his closing address at Sibaya, His Majesty issued a command for "nkwe" – a SiSwati idiom signifying urgency and swift action. This directive was a clear mandate for the government to act with the utmost speed and efficiency. Following this, Prime Minister Russell Dlamini announced that he was going to unveil a new government initiative named “Nkwe,” inspired by the King's command and the people’s submissions.
In recent weeks, we have witnessed the King inaugurating several new businesses, including Kareem Ashraff’s Union Papers (formerly Swazi Paper Mills), Power Pack Africa, Matsapha Lifestyle Centre, and the Tibiyo TakaNgwane poultry project in Malkerns. Each job created is a beacon of hope amid our unemployment crisis. The reality, however, remains stark: our people are suffering without jobs, healthcare, scholarships, food, and other essential needs.
According to the World Bank, “Unemployment is high and rising, having increased from 23% in 2016 to 33.3% in 2021, the highest rate in over a decade. It is even higher among young people, with those between 15 and 24 years facing an unemployment rate of 59.1% in 2021.”
What exacerbates our plight is the rampant corruption by those who plunder our nation with impunity. We have only one country, and we will remain here long after these criminals are gone. Why are we allowing them to wreak havoc and destroy our homeland? We implore His Majesty the King to command the government and relevant institutions to arrest these criminals immediately.
Your Majesty, arresting these individuals is the least we can do as a nation. Our hospitals lack essential drugs, and we all know someone who has suffered or died due to this negligence. Despite having reports naming the culprits, no action is taken. Why are these criminals allowed to operate with impunity, even infiltrating the private health sector to continue their looting? We have the reports and the evidence, yet no one is held accountable.
The Auditor General’s report lists those who must be held accountable, but again, no arrests are made. The perception, Your Majesty, is that these criminals are protected because of their proximity to power. As we speak, approximately E350 million was stolen from ordinary Swazis through Ecsponent, and still, no one is arrested! We all know these culprits, so why are they not behind bars? They are directly responsible for countless lost lives. If this doesn’t anger and galvanize us to demand justice, what will?
I wish “Nkwe” would translate into the immediate incarceration of these criminals who roam our streets freely. While “Nkwe” should ideally address poverty, unemployment, crime, education, health problems, and underdevelopment, at the very least, we must start by arresting those who steal from the people.
Nalo linyeva lami, Wena Waphakathi!