THERE’S NO PEACE IN SWAZILAND

Sir,

The year 1978 witnessed the implementation of the controversial Tinkhundla system of governance. According to my friends, when this system came into being, it was on experimental basis.

I do not understand why, 38 years later, we are still governed by a failed experiment.
To be fair, this system has dismally failed to address the needs of the ordinary Swazi. This system has been structured in a way to serve the minority. It is centred on individuals while the majority plunges into deep poverty. Tinkhundla has failed us as a country.

rying to reform it will not do us any good. Even sugar-coating it with appealing names will not change the fact that Tinkhundla has failed us in many ways. This is not democracy at all.

In fact, associating Tinkhundla with democracy is an insult to the creators of democracy.
My Concise Oxford English Dictionary defines the word democracy as “a form of government in which the people have the voice in the exercise of power, typically through elected representatives.”

It also goes on to state that democracy is the “control of a group by the majority of its members.”  Based on the above definitions, ours is not democracy. Admittedly, Tinkhundla does give us, the electorate, the power to elect people of our choice to Parliament but the power to govern is retained by the ruling elite.

More than half of the Cabinet is not elected but appointed.
While the public’s participation is only restricted to electing Members of Parliament (MPs), the prime minister (PM) is hand-picked among Dlamini males by one man, King Mswati III. As if that is not enough already, King Mswati (maybe in consultation with his advisors) goes on to appoint a Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and also fills the rest of Cabinet posts.

Whatever way you may look at it, that is not democracy at all.
Under the Tinkhundla system of governance, we are being deprived of our right as humans to choose a government of our choice, one we can freely remove if it fails to serve our interests. With that being the case, I conclude that this system is nothing but a tool of oppression.
This is so because it is characterised by dehumanisation.

By virtue of declining us our basic human right to choose a government of our choice, Tinkhundla dehumanises us in a way. It renders us, the ordinary citizens as nothing but ‘rejects of life’ who have no voice. Moving on, under this system people become politicians by accident.
We have seen a number of people splashing huge amounts of money to Simple Simons just to be elected into Parliament, and by stroke of luck, some of these people become Cabinet ministers.

These people are even clueless about the role they are supposed to play in Parliament. If you would take time and watch closely our MPs, you will surely entice that most, if not all, are nothing but development officers.
They constantly neglect their legislative roles.

All they ever think of are developmental roles like the construction of bridges, schools, roads, etc.
I also remember a former minister of Tourism and Environment, who soon after being sworn into office, became a tourist of some sort.
He would constantly be seen flying to different countries, in the process neglecting touching issues of his ministry which needed prompt attention. I do not blame him, though.

He, like many others, accidentally found himself in a position where he was supposed to carry out duties of a ministry he didn’t understand.
Such misplacements do not happen in multiparty democracy because political parties take time to scrutinise individuals before they are appointed into parliament. This is so because if political parties make mistakes in choosing their Cabinet, they run the risk of being voted out of Parliament in the next elections.

Another reason I feel Tinkhundla has failed is because a significantly high number of the population lives under the poverty line.
In the wake of all the poverty and low standard of living, millions are being pumped into cultural activities, most of which have lost their significance. Take a look at Umhlanga Reed Dance ceremony for example. It has lost purpose but it is still financed at the expense of the taxpayer while hundreds of thousands of Swazis die due to hunger every day.

The money that is used to sponsor what is now Princess Sikhanyiso’s show-off event would best be utilised in saving lives and also compensating workers fairly for their labour power sold.

It is argued by supporters of the failed experiment called Tinkhundla that it is a peaceful system of governance. If truth be told, without fear or favour, there is no peace in this land of our forefathers. There is only silence due to fear.

Siboniso Zwane
sdira17@gmail.com;
76034653.

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