SWAZIS NEED ANC

Thank you for the space in your widely-read newspaper. I must say that I am one of the now few who buy newspapers published by the Times Group of Newspapers.

This is because your newspaper still has the guts to tackle issues that affect us the ordinary people. Most others are afraid. At times I shudder at the thought that they could be censored or the editors are safe-guarding their jobs. I must declare from the onset that I love journalism to the extent that I even contemplated taking a course in it but the volatility and unpredictability of life determined otherwise. Based on what I see today, I would probably not last in this industry. The thing is, I have got to a point where I have overcome fear, and so I say it like it is.

Without any further ado, I just want to respond to Mr. Phephisa Khoza’s article that appeared on the Swazi News dated the 8 of July 2017 under the title ‘ANC MUST BACKOFF’ insinuating that we do not need the help of this political organisation. I read his article many times because in the first reading I thought he was spin-doctoring. However, I read it again because I remembered that that was Percy Simelane’s job in the country currently. The next logical thing for me to do then was to confirm if indeed the sentiments expressed were indeed the Editor’s. Thus I looked at the picture and the by-line. Yes, it was Mr. Khoza’s writings and thoughts. I understand that at times we feel we don’t owe the ANC a thing because we helped and gave some of its members refuge during the Apartheid Era, but the crux of the matter is that neither do they owe us.

By now we should have long come of age ourselves. It is amazing how the ANC has matured in such a short time in government. It has been quick they can be forgiven for the mistakes committed because in their strides they were inexorable. This is one of the movements together with its alliance partners that has kept the government of Swaziland in check and has spotlighted the ills of the country for the international community to see. Remember the E2.4 billion we were denied.  It has provided refuge to the people that are being persecuted for their ideas and dissent in this country. I’m talking about people who are wanted in this country to the point that if they were to set their foot here, they would be imprisoned in a blink of an eye. Think about the bright minds in Mr. Pius Vilakati and others; they are our brothers and we cannot forget them.

To say the ANC must back-off when they want to help us cannot be right. This country has so far failed to provide employment for the 1.1 million people, and yet the Editor claims the ANC should not report us for human rights violation to SADC. Is failure to provide employment and allowing people to suffer in poverty not a violation of their right to gainful employment?
As a country, we will never wake up from the slumber we are in if we still cannot discern right from wrong. By the way, the ANC is not going to impose its support on us i.e. if people like Khoza are a majority then they will leave us to suffer.  Their intent to support us did not come with a condition that says ‘come low tide or high water’, NO.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: