WHY GOVT IS AFRAID OF MAZIBUKO

GOVERNMENT’S position apropos its refusal to install on the Board of the Public Service Pension Fund (PSPF) the nominee of the Swaziland Public Service Pensioners Association is fatuous and an assault on the collective intellect of the nation. Apparently Public Service Minister Christian Ntshangase excluded Sibongile Mazibuko when announcing the new Board of the PSPF, an omission he later explained was occasioned by the candidate having failed the vetting process. Even more extraordinary is that the vetting process is secretive, hence Minister Ntshangase declined to explain what it is that disqualified Mazibuko from being appointed.

But, as I see it, we probably all know why the fiery social justice and political activist, Mazibuko, was omitted from the Board. One of these factors is because she is the president of the Ngwane National Liberatory Congress (NNLC), the oldest surviving political party in the country. Of course, government’s disposition to political parties is well known, hence they are outlawed in favour of the exploitative Tinkhundla political system in which emaSwati are silent passengers.

As it were, government probably believes that by allowing Mazibuko to serve in the Board of the PSPF would be akin to recognising the NNLC. Riding on her chequered history as leader of the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) during her days as a teacher, government is well aware that Mazibuko is a formidable foe who is likely to rock the boat especially following the clandestine re-categorisation of PSPF from B to A parastatal. And while government may consider emaSwati to be ignoramuses as they are minions, it is in the public domain that this manoeuvre was not coincidental to government’s cash-flow challenges but causal to the fact.

Strategic

This strategic reclassification of PSPF opened the fund to looting that has become stock-in-trade of the Tinkhundla political system. Hence, government is now in the habit of borrowing from the PSPF to meet its perennial cash-flow challenges largely caused by poor governance manifested by poorly planned hedonistic projects of no economic value whatsoever, as well as to sustain lavish lifestyles of those in the pound seats of the political hegemony. Evidently, the presence of a fiery government critic in the PSPF in the name of Mazibuko will rock the boat by putting a stop into the willy-nilly looting of the fund and being forced by the political elites to invest in self-serving projects that otherwise are not economically viable.

Outside serving civil servants, Mazibuko’s constituency is the second most important, if not at par, in PSPF. It is in this vein that if the rest of the PSPF Board were moral compass bearers they ought to refuse to take up their positions now that the cat is out of the bag. Alternatively they will be perceived as aiding and complicit to government’s pillaging of the PSPF.

A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government, to quote Edward Abbey. The question is: are the rest of the PSPF Board members patriots? Time will tell! Equally important, is the fact that government is in defiance of a parliamentary resolution restoring the PSPF to a Category B parastatal.

This speaks to the rule of law that appears to be an albatross around the necks of successive governments under the corruption-fueling Tinkhundla political system. For government’s refusal to implement the parliamentary resolution once again speaks to the absence of checks and balances under the obtaining polity, an inherent failure of the system. This once again projecst Parliament as nothing but ineffective and a rubber stamp whose mere existence is to project a false façade of the obtaining polity as transparent and accountable when this is further from the truth.

Outcome

As I penned this article, the Kingdom of Eswatini is still awaiting with abated breath the outcome of her campaign to house the headquarters of Africa’s Free Trade block. One would have believed that government would be sensitive and sensible about the do’s and don’ts at this crucial hour, so that whatever it does projects this country as the best that is to take up this mandate. But if government is still secretive on issues such as vetting of candidates for appointment to public positions is somewhat self-defeating. This of course speaks to good governance which, unfortunately, does not seem to be the forte of the Tinkhundla political system-driven government of the kingdom.

In conclusion may I take a moment to mourn the sudden passing on of Mike Temple, a devout patriot to a fault? The man had a skill in humanising issues that made him relevant. I may have disagreed with his politics generally, but I respected him for he had the courage of his convictions that he passionately and ruthlessly pursued until the thief that is death stole him from us. Indeed, it has been a great pleasure to know and rub shoulders with Temple, and may his soul rest in peace.               

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