Times Of Swaziland: THE ILLUSION OF PRIVILEGE

THE ILLUSION OF PRIVILEGE
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BY SANELE SIBIYA on 13/10/2021 07:53:00


Rioting pupils risk scholarships!
I mulled over this statement for a long while and I failed to understand it. It
did, however, reveal the level of ignorance that abides in privilege. It brought
to mind the level of State polygamy and misogyny that has ruled Eswatini and her
economy. It underscores the need to separate the scholarship fund and a lot of
other initiatives meant to develop the community from the traditional systems
that are based on value laden propositions. We have a government and ministers
who chose to intimidate rather than solve the problem.
The scholarship fund is capitalised by State funds, by our taxes and it should
yield maximum benefit to the general population. I find it disturbing that the
minister threatens to withhold scholarships from emaSwati protesting for
universal coverage of the scholarship project. It goes to show the lack of
accountability in this country and the fact that the power is so centralised
among those who are so detached from the daily lived realities of emaSwati.
Instead of solving the issues the country contends with, the authorities turn to
buying coercion and submission.
Idea of democracy
In as much as government views democracy as an idea, not an ideal, I must say it
is a good idea. The current system has so much power centralised in certain
echelons, decentralising the power would help improve resource allocation. If
the minister was elected into the post he occupies, I do not believe he would
have made these statements. Currently, the longevity of one’s political
ambitions rests with the appointing authority and not with the electorate. Such
a system cannot produce socially just outcomes for the whole population, it will
only work for a few.
Devolution is the key
The concentration of power is not good for the economy and the social cohesion
of the nation. If one minister, who got appointed into office just yesterday,
feels so powerful that he can dictate who gets a scholarship that is funded
through public funds is an indicator of how big the problem is. It reveals a
scenario of the tail wagging the dog. Studies show that in situations where
power is concentrated on non-elected leadership, corruption and rent-seeking
thrives. We need to cultivate a system that ensures that elected officials
thrive to work for the electorate. This system will result in a fair
distribution of resources because transparency and accountability are critical
to economic growth.
Depoliticise scholarships
The utterances by the minister show just how politicised the government resource
purse has become. We need to separate State political institutions from the
scholarship fund, youth fund, rural development fund and all other government
programmes that are meant to help emaSwati. In an ideal society, access to
government programmes is neutral, it does not depend on political affiliation,
religious beliefs and or any other socio-political variables.
We need to ensure equitable access to public programmes and it is uncalled for
that such programmes are used to buy submission. The role of umphakatsi should
only be to confirm residence and or domicile. It should not be left to the
umphakatsi to decide whether one deserves the stamp or not. Whether one chooses
to attend any traditional ceremony should not be used to determine whether they
are deserving of the stamp or not. We need to develop systems that ensure
equitable access to State programmes and not be used to purchase submission and
allegiance.
Address discerning voices
Instead of using his position to threaten emaSwati, the minister and Cabinet
should use their power and positions of influence to help steer the country into
a peaceful equilibrium. They sit close to those in power and to those who need
to do something about the current state in Eswatini. I urge the authorities to
address the discerning voices before it is too late. As we speak, the current
academic year hangs in the balance and government has been indifferent.
There is no clear plan to solve the problem of youth unemployment, no plan to
solve the unemployment problem, government is surging forward with the
construction of a new Parliament which frankly at the present moment we do not
need. All these issues do contribute to the current state of affairs in the
country. The indifference to the calls of the people is really concerning and
makes one wonder if at all we have a government that wants to solve issues and
effectively saying to the people ‘we do not care about you’!
Unifying the country
Constitutionally, it is the role of the Monarch to unify the country and
divisions have never been this apparent in the country. Can those in power who
sit closer to the sovereign use their influence to help the country call a
dialogue or at least do something that will engender a new sense of calm while
we figure out a long term solution. This uncertainty is not good for the country
and the economy, if anything it is contributing to a radicalisation of the
nation.