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SOME YOUTH CLAIMING TOMORROW TODAY

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Not since the Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions (SFTU) - inspired strike of 1996 that not only paralysed, but brought the government of the kingdom perilously close to collapse has this country been shaken as it currently is by the sweeping youth movement calling for far reaching political and social reforms. But like the 1996 strike action, will the youth movement come fizzle out without achieving any of its objectives?

Your guess is as good as mine, but even if things stay the same in the aftermath of the rolling protests, the leadership would be shaken enough to wonder how long it can resist change. The naysayers –– will be disappointed that some of the youth, a majority of whom are unemployed notwithstanding the fact that a healthy majority of them are university graduates, are finally unshackling themselves from the yoke of the Tinkhundla political system with rolling protests across the nation galvanising their elected representatives in Parliament into action.

Of course those on the side of the State, as well as those awaiting their turn on the feeding trough, are hurting over what this train of protests could achieve while cynically remaining oblivious to the fact that it is their beloved Tinkhundla political system that is responsible for reducing this Kingdom of Eswatini into a poverty-stricken beggar nation yet enabling the privileged class to amass and increase their wealth exponentially to further widen the gulf between the haves and the have-nots. No, none of them including government are embarrassed for presiding over a failing country, a consequent of wrong decision-making, imprudent management of the fiscus coupled with profligate spending on a First World lifestyle for the political elites and vanity projects of no economic value whatsoever and institutionalising corruption - the sum total of which is called bad governance occasioned by a political experiment gone horribly amiss.  

Death

Significantly, the youth, spurred into action by the controversial death of one of their own, university student Thabani Nkomonye and concomitant police brutality, have targeted the Legislature, which essentially is powerless, but merely exists to rubber stamp executive decisions. The rolling youth protests are being targeted at Members of Parliament (MPs) at constituency level to get them to be relevant in driving their, youth, agenda in the Legislature.

Additionally, the MPs have been cornered to pronounce themselves on a cross section of issues while also being chastised for remaining silent in and outside the legislature in the wake of the trio of Hosea MP Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza, Siphofaneni MP Mduduzi ‘Gawuzela’ Simelane and Ngwempisi MP Mthandeni Dube shaking the political rafters by calling for, among others, an elective prime minister (PM). Common in the petitions being served on MPs variously are political reforms and endorsement of the three lawmakers who have since been labelled sell-outs by some of their peers under the paralysis of fear of the grim possibility of losing their livelihood.

The State arsenal, including the security apparatus, as well as the traditional leadership, have been unleashed to profile and persecute the three outspoken MPs for breaking their oath to the Tinkhundla political system with some calling on them to resign. But their stand has now been fortified by the rolling youth protests at constituencies across the nation in support while also pressuring their respective lawmakers to follow suit.  
As it were, the issue of the demand for an elective PM is not new, as suggested by some of the defenders of a polity that has taken this country on a trajectory of failure manifested by widespread poverty, wastage of resources, ever growing unemployment, a dysfunctional education system and a collapsed healthcare system. As I see it, the youth have emerged at an appropriate juncture to challenge the Tinkhundla political system that has essentially failed them and before it collapses the country.

Indulge

While it is fashionable for officialdom to mention the youth in their speeches, but nothing practical has happened to advance their cause. I will not indulge in the small-change funds that have been created that are supposed to make a difference since this is like feeding on crumbs when the real meal is enjoyed elsewhere. Youth unemployment is the biggest threat to this nation yet the system is able to maintain a league of the elderly in just about all key positions. Disillusioned with and having lost trust in the leadership, the youth are claiming tomorrow today in order to rescue and steer this country on a new trajectory of hope. It is, therefore, incumbent upon the leadership to sit up and not only listen to the youth, which not only represent the future of this country and nation, but also happen to form a majority of the population, but to act accordingly by embracing change. The clock is ticking …!

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