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GOVT OUT-MUSCLING ITS PEOPLE

28/09/2017 03:30:00 By Vusi Kunene

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IF it was possible to reincarnate a person, I would do so to Abraham Lincoln so he could explain what he meant when he said a government of the people, by the people and for the people.

This because our government seems not to understand that it is about people and the interest of the citizens of Swaziland is paramount to them. The fact that the people of Swaziland have no say in getting Cabinet to office and recalling them makes them think the people of the country are not important.

The Ministry of Works never ceases to amaze. It is very silent and seems not to know what its duties are. When it comes out through its minister it brings bad news to the nation. Recently it was the increase of traffic fines but it said nothing about the bad state of the roads. Now it is telling Swazis that it wants to take their businesses away from them. I sometimes wonder if it ever gives itself time to research before it embarks on a certain initiative.

Section 59 of the Constitution provides that the State shall take action to ensure that the national economy is managed in a way to ensure its maximum development and to secure the maximum welfare, freedom and happiness of every person in Swaziland and to provide adequate means of livelihood and suitable employment. I wonder if this was in the mind of the minister when she and her ministry decided to take away businesses of Swazis.

Most of the public transport vehicles on our roads are owned by Swazis if not all. With the outcry from the transport owners, is the ministry securing happiness for the people? Minister, can you please show us the adequate means of livelihood that you have secured for the public transport owners. I will not buy into the story that they will be made shareholders. Why are they forced into shareholding which they are not embracing in their own businesses?

They are now going to have their businesses managed by someone whom they cannot guarantee will not mismanage the business. My reason for not believing this shareholding thing is that the owners were told that their vehicles would service other routes. What is going to happen to those already servicing those routes? The minister is creating disaster because they will end up fighting for customers in one route and the accidents she says they want to reduce will be increased instead.

Section 59 (5) calls upon the State to afford equality of economic opportunity to all citizens. In my opinion the Ministry of Works is not affording equal opportunities to citizens but creating inequality. It would seem like some people are going to benefit more than others in this set up. If the news that the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund is into this whole thing then I think it is the MVA that is being assisted to make money when they already have a lot of it to sponsor sports.

Or the MVA is just a front? What of the transport owners? Is the Constitution ever consulted when such decisions are to be made? Or it is just that Cabinet does not care about the people of the country? Who will forget collective responsibility if I single out the Ministry of Works.
What worries me the most is was the impact of this on other people considered besides the public transport owners alone. The banks that are financing the transport industry will also suffer because the people will not be able to service their car loans. They will be forced to repossess the vehicles and resell them at a loss. Who will buy the vehicles from the banks because there will be no routes to be serviced by them.

I shudder to think of the number of people who will lose employment and a source of livelihood. The drivers and conductors will be out of employment. There are transport marshals who also rely on the public transport for their source of livelihood. The majority of these people are renting accommodation and thus give business to the landlords.

That source of livelihood will be lost. These people buy food on a daily basis and they support the small businesspeople who sell to them and those selling the food will lose business and thus a source of livelihood. Think of those selling clothes that are supported by the public transport workers.

The list goes on as I am not mentioning those wives and kids of the drivers and conductors. Will this decision not increase the crime rate? Cabinet may be shooting itself in the foot as well and it is good that they have reconsidered the decision even though the minister had mentioned that no matter what she will roll out her plan. I hope it is not for proper planning and bring this monster in another form.