TIME RUNNING OUT FOR LEADERS

Sir,

Aung San Suu Kyi, a Burmese politician, diplomat, author and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, had this to say about the importance of political dialogue.
  He said the main aim of political dialogue should be to resolve the problems of the nation, not to find out who the winner is and who the loser is. That’s not what it’s all about. It’s to try and find an answer that is acceptable to all parties concerned, which would of course require some give and take.
Powerful words from a lady politician, don’t you think?

I watched with envious admiration, BBC News on television since Wednesday, the airing of the second summit meeting between President Donald Trump of the USA and Kim Jong-Un, leader of North Korea, which took place in Hanoi, Vietnam. It is the second meeting between these leaders in eight months and when writing this column, both leaders and their aids, were having dinner.

What made me smile was to watch them shaking hands animatedly and smiling jovially at each other, hopefully, not for the cameras. In spite of the fact that the political landscape of their countries are the direct opposite to each other and that a while ago, they were sworn enemies, trading insults and threats of unleashing war on the other’s country.

The summit, in brief, is about America urging North Korea to dismantle its nuclear weapons programme. The North Koreans are seeking numerous concessions, including punishing sanctions. America is a model democracy envied by many countries and peoples across the globe. On the other hand, North Korea is a rogue, reclusive and despotic state where human rights are brutally violated.

Former sworn enemies around the globe are seeing the need to sit down around the round table and iron out their differences, for the sake of peace and progress. Sanctions are making life for North Koreans difficult to live and are wreaking havoc. Kim Jong-Un has finally realised that being a rogue and recluse nation is hitting where it hurts most and is succumbing to pressure to sit down and negotiate. He has realised that in spite of him amassing a stockpile of nuclear weapons, his people cannot eat these - hence the need to swallow his pride, sit down and negotiate.

political affiliation

Locally, time is incessantly running out for our leaders to embrace inclusive participation of all EmaSwati, irrespective of political affiliation, in the running of the country’s politics. Opposing and opposing views are viewed as - you guessed right - unSwati by proponents of the obtaining system of governance. There is a vast chasm between those pro-obtaining political system and others who yearn for a full participation in the political sphere. This has created enmity between those who benefit from the system of governance and those who want a level of political dispensation. Progressives are viewed as a reincarnation of evil and moves for change are ferociously thwarted.

Such enmity and the brutal suppression of those dissenting voices clamouring for change have seen little tangible progress since 50 years of self-rule. Our society is afraid to speak out against injustices because of a past history of brutal reprisals from the regime.
Sadly, beneath the superficial peace and silence, is a simmering cauldron of hate for the system of governance because it breeds nepotism, cronyism and patronage - in short, hard core corruption from those who hijack the system, for their selfish ends.

How with nostalgia and melancholy some of us wish we could emulate leaders like Trump and Kim, follow the advice of the Burmese politician and diplomat mentioned in the preamble of this piece, who saw the benefits of dialogue between opposing views.

We writers and columnists are constantly exposed through calls or messages to the torment and fear many readers convey to us at times. This can be too traumatising. I wish our leaders can understand what they are doing to the people on the ground who are so patriotic and love this country with a passion, but are treated as second class citizens and with disdain. I always warn people that we can fool or persecute people of lesser status, get away with it and that they must always remember that there is a God up there who searches the heart and the mind and will take a stand for His people one day. Phoke asati!
Shalom!

Alex Nxumalo

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