Times Of Swaziland: MPS SLAM GOVT’S PARTIAL LOCKDOWN

MPS SLAM GOVT’S PARTIAL LOCKDOWN
================================================================================
Ntombi Mhlongo on 26/03/2020 09:15:00


LOBAMBA – Does the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini care about the lives
of its citizens or it is only concerned about the economy?
This is the question that was posed by Hosea Member of Parliament (MP) Bacede
Mabuza as he, together with his colleagues, criticised the partial lockdown
which was announced by government in the fight against the spread of the deadly
coronavirus. During a sitting in the House of Assembly yesterday, the Prime
Minister, Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini, watched in dismay as MPs took turns to blast
some of the guidelines which have been outlined in the partial lockdown strategy
which he announced on Tuesday.
Economy
At the beginning of his debate, MP Mabuza wanted to know if the current
government was one for the people or the economy.  “I am asking this question
because government said the safety of the people was of utmost importance but
then the same government says the people should use kombis and go to work in the
textile firms. “As of now, it is like our government only cares about money. I
am a businessman, I have many people employed in my companies. I can safely say
that their lives are not safe,” Mabuza submitted. Elaborating, Mabuza said he
wanted to know from the PM and government as a whole as to who would suffer in
the event that all firms were closed. He said as a businessman, he knew the
strategy that was used by government through the Ministry of Labour and Social
Security.
According to Mabuza, the ministry had a tendency of sending about three or more
inspectors and all they did was get inside offices of the bosses and then come
out to say all was well when it was not the case. Furthermore, he revealed that
he had received several calls from suppliers in other countries informing him
that they had closed. “And then government has the guts to say it is my choice
to close. It is clear that government is running away from the responsibility of
paying the employees,” he submitted. Also making a submission on the
ministerial statement was Hhukwini MP Nkhanyeti Ngwenya, who first enquired if a
government gazette authorising the guidelines had been issued. Ngwenya then
asked why government had not issued a directive for civil servants to stay at
home. In his view, keeping the workers at home would save costs.