Times Of Swaziland: YOUTHS WILL GET  CHANCE TO VOTE FOR CHANGE – PM

YOUTHS WILL GET  CHANCE TO VOTE FOR CHANGE – PM
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BY NHLANGANISO MKHONTA on 14/10/2021 08:47:00


MBABANE – Prime Minister Cleopas Sipho Dlamini has said the youth that is on
the streets calling for change will have their chance to vote for change.
Dlamini was speaking during a live interview with CNN TV on Tuesday. He said in
2023, the country would be going to the polls and that was where those calling
for change would have a chance to vote for the Members of Parliament (MPs) who
would be in a position to introduce the changes they wanted. Dlamini said they
were at the Dubai Expo to showcase the country’s economy and cultures. He said
they were hoping to tell the world about Eswatini’s potential for investment
and trade.
Investments
He said just like many countries that were hit by COVID-19, Eswatini was
planning to revive the private sector through attraction of foreign investments
and also domestic investments.
He said the protest actions were not for democracy but in demand for economic
delivery because of the high level of unemployment caused by the COVID-19
layoffs and shutting of the economy. He said primarily people have been
protesting for poor service delivery. He admitted that people were also
protesting for political reforms.
When asked why the army was on the streets for the second time as during the
June/July unrest the army was deployed, the PM denied that the army was on the
streets. He said it was only the police on the streets. “We have not yet
deployed the army,” said Dlamini. He said in as much as sometimes the police
got overwhelmed by the protesters, the army had not yet been released  because
the protests were still peaceful.
Reforms
When asked if the country’s authorities understood what was meant by political
reforms, Dlamini responded to the positive. He, however, said the reforms had to
follow the Constitution which spoke very well on what needed to be done when one
wanted these reforms. He said this originated particularly from parliamentarians
who understood very well what they needed to do in order to achieve those
reforms.
He said the country was proud of the fact that it was the last remaining
absolute monarchy in Africa. He said the King did not have a tenure, but was
there for life. He said the system had been the same for kings in the past. The
PM mentioned that what needed to be done was that if there were any changes
being proposed, they should follow the Constitution. He said what was seen on
television was an exaggeration of what was happening in the country. “The
majority of the people, more than 80 per cent are still in favour of the
existing status,” he added.
However, social media users were of the view that the PM was not stating clearly
what was happening on the ground. One particular issue that they thought the PM
had misrepresented was that 80 per cent of emaSwati were in favour of the
existing system.