WHEN ANGER PREVAILS

Comment

Blood and tears are becoming the new rules of engagement in Eswatini, where the hail of live bullets represents a government solution to dealing with a populace that is now prepared to sacrifice a limb – or even a life - in order to be heard.

This is tragic!
The ugly scenes of brutality that have played themselves out on the country’s streets over the past two days, on the eve of our national elections, deserve to be condemned in the strongest possible terms. 

However, we cannot ignore the fact that these actions have been a long time coming.

The source of confrontation is money – or should we say the glaring lack of it – and government can be credited with building an aggressive nation by perpetually refusing to listen to reason on how to spend it equitably. 

The goose that lays the golden eggs is no more and the full brunt of this consequence has been borne by the ordinary man on the street. 

Government has subjected the elderly to inconstant measly grants, deprived patients medication, forced psychiatric patients to use their bedding as toilet paper, starved our children in schools, caused job losses by failing to pay businesses and bulged the wage bill by deploying labour in all the wrong places; particularly the security forces that continue to enjoy promotions and wage increases when everyone else has been told to tighten their belts.

This is highly insensitive to emaSwati. Then we wonder why people are so angry, hungry, jobless and bankrupt.
For all this, the last Cabinet that can’t even point to a meaningful investor, deserves no exit perks.
Today they sit in the comfort of their homes with their feet up, probably watching the violent confrontations unfold and mulling over how to spend their undeserved perks.

 Well, they ought to know that theirs is as good as ‘blood money’.
The police may have arms of war at their disposal, but no amount of ammunition can buy the peace that we all deserve.  Tomorrow the nation goes to the polls and we hope for a peaceful election.

However, the real peace will come from the voters and whom they choose. Taking chances with an angry nation will most certainly guarantee an end to the peace that once prevailed in this beautiful country.

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