This is anarchy, says Jan
MBABANE – The Swaziland Democratic Party (SWADEPA) views the defiance of Cabinet to vacate office as anarchy.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, anarchy is a state of disorder due to absence or non-recognition of government or other controlling systems.
Last week Wednesday, the House of Assembly citing Section 68(5) passed a vote of no confidence on Cabinet. Besides being voted out by Members of Parliament, SWADEPA President, Jan Sithole pointed out that the nation, during Sibaya called for the dismissal of the Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini led Cabinet.
"We commend the people at Sibaya for being bold and courageous in stating, in no uncertain terms, their wishes and aspirations, and we further commend the House of Assembly, for being responsive and sensitive to the people’s pronouncements made at Sibaya," he said.
Sithole pointed out that Cabinet should know that the SPTC/Swazi MTN issue was just one of many examples of bad governance under the current administration.
He highlighted other examples such as the Crown land saga where Crown land was allegedly taken by some Cabinet ministers outside the ambit of the law and at high discounts, adding that some of the beneficiaries were benefitting for the fourth time when in fact it was supposed to be once; The Jozini big Six Issue, saying this project was already changing the economic landscape of an economically deprived area like Lavumisa.
The other examples a
re:
*The Judicial crisis. It is akin to the current government.
* The scholarship crisis
* The teachers’ strike
* The rule of law crisis. It is akin to this current government
* The economic/financial crisis. Ditto
*The infamous Circular No. 1, 2010.
Sithole said if Cabinet loved the country and the King, they should go home immediately. "Otherwise by not doing so, they are defying the people’s wishes as expressed at Sibaya, and the rule of law and the supreme law of the country and putting the country to local and international shame.
"Today, in this unprecedented political impasse it is the Cabinet under the leadership of the same Prime Minister that is defying the call of the people at Sibaya and the constitutional resolution by the Legislature. And yet, in their brazen constitutional defiance they have the audacity of claiming to be advocates for the rule of law, a clear contradiction in terms," Sithole said.
He proclaimed that the Sibaya was the highest national policy-formulating structure in the country. SWADEPA, he said viewed this crisis as an opportunity to expedite the addressing of the governance issues raised at Sibaya.
In addition, Sithole pointed out that the organisation believed that true patriots could not stand idly by and only lament, but must be part of the solution seekers.
Government has said it was standing by its decision of continuing with work, even after the House of Assembly had passed a vote of no confidence on Cabinet.
This was revealed by Government Spokesperson Percy Sime-lane. Responding to the allegations made by SWADEPA, Simelane said: "There have been no amendments to the two positions, and we beg not to deal with perceptions."
Simelane said Cabinet made its position very clear with regard to the House of Assembly’s vote of no confidence. He added that the Attorney General accordingly advised against it before it was passed.
... govt defiance dates back to ’90s - SWADEPA
MBABANE – The defiance by Cabinet allegedly dates back to the 90s when it failed to tackle political issues that were enshrined in the National Development Strategy (NDS), says SWADEPA.
SWADEPA President Jan Sithole said in the early 90’s the people of Swaziland, constructed a political road map in the NDS, whose chapter on governance and political direction was unilaterally amputated without the people’s consent.
"Convinced that the governance chapter of the NDS was designed to correct the political ills of the 1973 decree and effectively address the rule of law, separation of powers and popular participation in decision making in full recognition of international treaties, including but not limited to, the right for self-determination to which Swa-ziland is a subscribing member and signatory," relates Sithole.
He said it was regrettable that the adoption period of the NDS at the time coincided with the administration of the current Prime Minister.
Sithole highlights that the NDS was eventually replaced by the not-so consultative process which resulted into a failed economic policy called the Social Reform Agenda (ESRA) whose fruit, if any, has never been manifested.
Responding to the accusations levelled against government, Percy Simelane explained that the NDS was put together through a consultative exercise. "Anyone with a solution should have aired it during that forum," Simelane, the government spokesperson, elaborated.
COMMENTS:
- Thanks Jan Sithole for standing up for what's right. We need men like you at this dark hour of need. I agree with you that what cabinet is doing is anarchy because they should have at least vacated office first, then take the vote of no confidence to their nearest sympathetic court of law, where a ruling in their favour stands guaranteed of course. By doing that we would at least have seen that cabinet is a law-abiding group of incompetent individuals. But they refuse to do that because, in the words of the PM, "it's not even necessary". This implies they wouldn't dignify parliament's vote of no confidence by testing its validity through 'their' courts. To me this is an illustration of arrogance and short-sightedness mixed with disrespect which are, apparently, cabinet's preferred tools of trade lately. As far as we're concerned as citizens of this country we have an illegal government occupying office illegally, and anything they sign purportedly on behalf of the nation is null and void. I hope the international organisations like the IMF are taking note of this. Anything this PM signs, or promises to deliver in the future date, wouldn't be worth the paper it's written on until their validity to occupy office is confirmed by a competent and INDEPENDENT court of law. It's really an understatement to say we have anarchy in our hands. This is more like a coup d'tat stage-managed by a cabinet which has over-extended itself in almost every aspect of proper governance including integrity, self-respect and honesty. As we're talking the whole government machinery has ground to a halt because this cabinet (or should we refer to them as former cabinet?) is doing nothing else except to devise new clever tricks on how to defend their indefensible situation. I suspect they have one agenda on their Tuesday cabinet meetings which is: How to vindictively get back at MP's and then stay in power. After that, they go home with police escorts sirens in full blast to get us off the road. And we, the people, have to pay them huge benefits for doing just that. I say this is unfair. - Jan Sithole, if you continue like this you are in serious danger of becoming my hero and mentor. I respect a man who has a vision and who doesn't mince his words when it comes to issues of national importance. I'm sorry to say you're that kind of man Sir. Don't tire. - Delayed as they are your comments are both accurate and welcome Mr Sithole, you are joining albeit belatedly the very few voices of reason so far namely the House of Assembly, Prince Mangaliso, the idigenous business communiity and the Law Society. I ask where are the Federation of Employers, Labour Movements, Sibahle Sinje and the other formations etc. Your silence in this our of need will be bodly recorded in our Books of History.
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