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IS PARLY POWERLESS OVER PRIME MINISTER?

13/04/2017 08:16:00 By Vusi Kunene

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MARTIN Luther King, in his speech ‘I’ve been to the Mountaintop’ mentioned that every person has to go through death and I fully agree with him.

Attending funerals these days has given me an opportunity of listening to the views of the people of Swaziland. I have a problem sitting in tents during funerals because I then experience some stomach discomfort. Usually I find myself seated with the group that sits around the fire away from the funeral tent.
There are usually guys taking their drinks and a lot of discussions. The freedom of the discussions taking place there is amazing. Politics and governance issues are discussed freely.

Once there was a discussion on the office of the prime minister and the incumbent. I asked why they were not publicly discussing this office other than doing so in funerals and the response was that you cannot dare do it. I wondered if we need to have funerals to discuss such issues when Section 24 of the Constitution guarantees that freedom. The African Charter on Human and People’s Rights as well as the UN Charter guarantees these rights. The ICCPR also pronounces this right. But the response that the incumbent can deal with you sent a chill down my spine.

What is happening in the country though has led me to asking myself; “For how long will we speak such issues in the darkness? Why do we need the death of someone for us to be free and enjoy our Constitutional right?” One, however, is forgiven for choosing to remain silent. With the silencing of dissenting voices in the country it is best to remain silent. Who will forget that those who decided to express themselves were threatened? The prime minister decided to lobby parliamentarians to have them ‘bekhanywe’ for expressing themselves. True, the statement was withdrawn but the message was sent. I always say I do not mind withdrawing a statement because then the message and my views are already known. So we know that someone in authority thinks that people should not express themselves and if they do ‘abekhanywe’.

Having said such one would think that the courts will be our place of refugee as the Constitution guarantees but that is not the case. You can try to go to court and the courts will be toothless to assist in asserting your rights. I say toothless because they may issue an order and it will not be executed or followed. Who will forget that the prime minister publicly declared that some court orders shall not be followed?
The protests and condemnations that followed that unfortunate statement did not help sway the prime minister from his stance and that statement still stands even today.

The orders issued by the courts were not executed even to this day. So how can we trust the courts that they will assist in exercising these rights? If the prime minister was able to stop the hearing of his divorce in open court, what can stop him from applying the same strategies to have one convicted? He had the audacity to announce that ‘bhova’ will leave and that is exactly what happened in the Judiciary. I shudder therefore that one day I may also have to suffer for expressing myself.
Will we easily forget the issue of the land that the prime minister acquired at a ridiculous price in Mbabane to the detriment of the citizens of this country?

Our Parliament, which should be exercising its authority over the actions of the prime minister made some noise and they achieved nothing as they were silenced. It is disheartening that despite the controversy around how the land was acquired; the very same Parliament is today offering money in the country’s budget to develop that very same plot that was acquired by the prime minister.
Our parliament is powerless when it comes to the prime minister that they just do what he says. An example is the passing of this year’s budget.

Once he spoke about the passing of the budget, Parliament chickened out and passed the budget. I am not sure whether they fear that the Anti Corruption Commission will be set on them because they have been discussing that it is used for someone’s bidding.
So I am not sure if I am safe after expressing myself or some government department will be manipulated to silence me. So help me God not to be manipulated as well.