Parliament weakness exposed

 Once again that statement echoed the importance of the premiership I raised sometime back and in intervening to solve the Manzini Satellite chaos the Premier did just that.

　

Let me encourage the PM that such interventions must be timely and be tangible across the board. There are issues that need urgent interventions as we speak, but we see none. If all those entrusted with authority by His Majesty were to be proactive in all spheres we would not be accustomed to picketing like we currently are; and His Majesty would be saved from possible embarrassments he may endure when a Parliament rises against itself and against His Majesty by extension, like ours has done this past week.　

This Parliament has set its mind in proving to the entire Swazi nation and indeed, the entire world that Tinkhundla is unworkable and as such the Times Managing Editor is right that the King should consider sending them home.

There are some　visible loopholes with our legislative system such that we are now confused if our interests are well represented or not when we elect parliamentarians.

　

If this government was for the people and by the people we would have long recalled it, but more seriously at the moment is the fact that if this government was for His Majesty, it would not go all out to embarrass him like it currently does. This government by its actions, is denying if there ever was any economic melt-down in Swaziland.

What is government going to do now because SNAT is breathing on its neck and their proposed strike is looming as you read this?

How we wish our Constitution could be revisited so that it includes a clause that includes the nation in Parliament’s allegiance so that when the nation’s interests is trampled upon like this current lot, the nation can seek redress with the King and continue to recall the representatives they elected. We have witnessed some parliaments in Africa and even beyond coming to blows and I am afraid that one of these days King Sobhuza II’s Memorial Park might turn to be a hideout for some MPs when they come to blows in Parliament.

　

Did I not allude to the danger of a combined lot that represents different political schools, coming in because of stomach politics to serve a system that they don’t believe in? They behave like what we see in Parliament!

We, the mere masses can only stand and watch at a distance because we don’t have a voice really.　 This is the problem that ensued in England that led to a Constitutional Monarchy. The people saw the state of affairs deteriorating so badly when they could not take the bull by the horns and engage their government in a more robust and meaningful way all because the Monarchy that they loved and respected might be offended and feel sabotaged and rebelled against.

They could not bear to see their Monarchy sabotaged by a failing government. Out of their uttermost love for their Monarchy they wanted to save them the day to day embarrassment which causes them to take the blame when government messes up and they proposed the ‘independence’ of government.　

I repeat, that they did that out of their love for their Monarchy; and that’s why they lined up by river banks defying bad weather just for a glimpse of their esteemed royals just recently.

Although we may not fully come up with reforms that will totally resemble the British style, I humbly implore our PM to make it his goal that he comes up with measures to protect the Monarchy and bring the masses into the game more tangible before he steps out of office, whenever that will be. It is a serious and genuine concern that the hands of our Monarchy are dirtied over nothing in political issues, but that concern remains suspect for obvious reasons.

 If Tinkhundla is to self-sustain it must agree that it’s possible to have these reforms initiated to foster first class government performance. If Tinkhundla does not envisage opposition in the form of political parties, it must concede to the need to formulate its own opposition system within its legislative table because 21st century governments can no longer perform at peak without oppositions.

　

The opposition, when Bills lie idle like its confirmed with our inept Parliament must not be the Premier like in the current state where the Premier is frustrated; but must be the opposition floor that keeps the incumbent on its toes! Look now, the King is embarrassed when his representative in the PM is stopped in his tracks. Don’t get lost I am still talking about what the King conceded to ‘the much needed fine tunings’.

If there are men and women who believe in Tinkhundla so much, they must help the King come up with necessary reforms that will put our government at par with renowned democracies.

　

As I end, let me stress that the only way to find out the best possible way forward for Swaziland is to continually engage the nation through consultative exercises that will point to possible certain ills embedded in our Constitution etc.

 It will do us a lot of good to consider periodic referendums on certain issues; and moreover a referendum would be excellent if included in the 2013 election ballot, especially on education and the debatable political issues.　A referendum is not a monster, but an important tool and means to keep abreast with the masses and foster checks and balances. The attitude that once we raise the book it is no longer subject to revision, is backwards and thwarts the progress that Swaziland so desires.

I keep on touching on the British and their Constitutional Monarchy on purpose and, my main objective is to wake us up to finding means to improve what we have, for if we are adamant and fail to adapt and improve what we have the very things that we so vehemently oppose will inevitably overtake us. More dangerously, we will find ourselves not getting out of special paragraphs. By our pestering we are lending a distance helping hand to our King.

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