Elderly man questions King

This transpired yesterday on the last day of the Sibaya (People’s Parliament), which was commissioned by the king on Monday for purposes of deliberating on issues that troubled the nation.

As soon as he took to the podium, Nkosiyemantjonga Mkhaliphi, 78, did not beat about the bush but went straight to the point. He complained that His Majesty the King had reneged on his promise to follow in the footsteps of his father – King Sobhuza II – when he ascended to the throne in 1986.

"At the inception of your reign, Your Majesty, you made a great promise to the nation! You said, during the course of your reign, you would follow in the footsteps of King Sobhuza," he said, and then paused before going on to say, "You haven’t as yet started following in the footsteps of King Sobhuza. It has not happened."

The countrywide evictions that have pervaded this country in the recent past seemed to be Mkhaliphi’s main concern.

He said it was very disheartening that each time there were evictions; the king’s name would crop up, courtesy of other royal family members.

Mkhaliphi said he did not understand why such people were still afforded the opportunity to be close to the king.

"There are black sheep even among your siblings, Your Majesty! One of them is even looking at me right now," he said, inviting wild applause from the audience, which seemed taken by what the old man had to say. He stole the moment, and everyone was asking for his identity.

"What did he say his name was?" people would ask each other, repeatedly from the floor as Mkhaliphi pressed on with his submission. He asked the king to start cracking the whip, right next to him, saying his brothers should be the first among the casualties. Mkhaliphi said it was the first of its kind that a king would be roped in on land disputes.

"If it is true that people are being evicted on the king’s instructions, then it is very unfortunate. I am really not comfortable with the fact that a king is capable of evicting people. Where should they go?" he asked, before emphasising that the king should relieve some of his brothers from positions of authority.

Mkhaliphi also touched on the issue of farms that fall under the ownership of commercial conglomerate, Tibiyo TaKaNgwane. He suggested that these vast acres of land should be taken back to the people. "What would His Majesty do with the land if it is not given back to the people, who are in a good position to till it?" he enquired. Mkhaliphi, in conclusion, said he loved the king and pleaded with Swazis to retain the institution of the monarchy.

 The country’s history was on the spotlight at the last instalment of the Sibaya as various other speakers took turns, seeking answers on the issue of land ownership. Another speaker who wanted some clarification on land issues was Allen Mango, a resident of Vuvulane.Mango questioned the "in trust" element on land in the kingdom. It should be noted that it is always said that land is held by the King, in trust for the Swazi nation.

He doubted that when the decision was taken that land should be held "in trust" for the nation, the intention was to open up a `free for all’ among royalty. "No, the intention was not to allow princes to ride roughshod over our interests," he emphasised. He asked: "Who really owns land in the country: Swazis or Tibiyo?" Mango reminded the leadership that Swazis did not become what they were by choice but by fate.

"So, we cannot keep quiet. This issue touches on our very existence," he said.

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