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BUDGET WILL MIRROR CABINET’S RESOLVE

21/01/2019 06:21:00 By Vusi Sibisi

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IN appreciating the mammoth challenges facing government one almost feels sorry for the Cabinet, ostensibly since the problems are not of its making but are inherited.

Given socio-economic pressures on civil servants and private sector stakeholders it has very little time to adapt and normalise an otherwise dire situation. But before getting into the entrails of the subject matter of today’s column, I should quickly touch on something I found prodigious as well as cathartic in the ongoing civil insurrection against the authoritarian regime of President Omar al-Bashir in Sudan. In the midst of the ongoing deadly protests, al-Bashir’s government decided to shut down social media, evidently in the belief that they were instrumental in fanning the flames of public disobedience.

Hackers responded quid pro quo by shutting down the Sudan regime, taking more than 260 State domains offline. That, by all accounts, was resourceful and is what I would refer to as active and participatory citizenship. That, of course, is a far cry from what is obtaining on the domestic front where people have been subliminally patterned and programmed not to think critically, analyze but just to obey and follow orders either to carry favour of the leadership and possible upward mobility or in apparent fear of the unknown. Hence emaSwati are spending their whole life awaiting to start living, to borrow from German-born Canadian counselor and spiritual teacher, Eckhart Tolle.

Unfortunately what happened in Sudan was not replicated in Zimbabwe after the government shut down the internet following strikes triggered by a massive increase of fuel prices. However, this may not necessarily be attributable to weaknesses but rather to the military’s shock-and-awe tactics the government unleashed on the unarmed protesters. Well, enough of that and back to the domestic issues.

As I see it, much as one understands the prevailing circumstances - economic downturn, government’s cash-flow challenges, ever increasing unemployment especially amongst the youth (including graduates), deepening poverty and other social ills - but feeling any empathy for the government in general and Cabinet in particular would indeed be akin to becoming an apologist for the political system that is responsible for bringing this country to its knees in just about every respect. Yes, this Cabinet is not responsible for the downward spiral yet it is expected to perform some miracles in not just restoring confidence in the government but as well as rebuilding from the ashes what was left by the previous government.

And therein is the paradox since while the Cabinet, including Parliament, might change after each election the government does not change. That is the nature of the Tinkhundla political system, which is fostered by a very rigid body politic in which power is heavily concentrated in one centre, the institution of the monarchy that itself is not nuanced to accommodating any interventions whatever the crisis except to unleash naked force from the militarized security cluster when the people use the only weapons at their disposal, strikes and protests.

Of course this is peculiar to the Tinkhundla political system since in democratic dispensations elections deliver a new government, not just a new Cabinet, and a new mandate. This applies even if those who were in power pre-elections are re-elected since their re-election would be premised on a new mandate based on a new manifesto they would have campaigned on to win over support of the masses.

The same cannot be said of the Prime Minister Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini-led Cabinet, which will continue where the former Cabinet left off. It is in respect of the recognition that owing to the limited power and authority towards resolving the challenges bequeathed to it that one is sympathetic to the Cabinet. But that is as far as it goes. As leaders of government they are tasked with the responsibility of pulling this country out of the morass. That the Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini-led government used bullying tactics against PSAs to deny them annual cost of living adjustments is neither a refuge nor justification for the new Cabinet not to talk to the issues in earnest. And talking to the issues in earnest include a complete re-evaluation of government and national priorities as well as tightening control of the treasury to stop cash outflows to finance hedonistic projects with no economic value whatsoever, lavish lifestyles of the political elite and their hangers-on with no returns to the nation whatsoever.
As I see it, the budget for the next financial year will indeed be a mirror into the new Cabinet if it is serious apropos doing things differently and addressing the issues and reforming the way government operates and does business. Primary indicators towards this will include drastically cutting down military expenditure and putting a moratorium on recruitment of new soldiers. It is time the nation enjoyed the peace dividend accruing from the peace the leadership is always boasting about in praises of the Tinkhundla political system instead of investing in the military. Concentrating resources on education, health and agriculture while making savings from aborting lifestyle and hedonistic projects, including disposal or privatization of some of the State-owned entities, and inculcating a culture of human rights will enhance Cabinet’s stature not only to the nation but to foreign direct investors.
Consequently, PSAs cannot be faulted on the hard line stance they have adopted. They have been bullied long enough already. Indeed what is painful is that this country is in this negative position not owing to natural phenomena but to bad governance. Exacerbating matters in the face of an economic meltdown and government’s reoccurring cash-flow challenges is the fact that there hasn’t been any attitude change on the part of those hoarding and monopolising political power in appreciating the dire straits the country is in. It is poor governance accompanied by bad decisions and policies that have pushed the kingdom into the abyss.
Finally, in the wake of recent events we should begin asking ourselves if the new PM is as good as we thought he was or just a reincarnation of something dark and evil. Time will tell!