MPS: WE’VE DONE NOTHING FOR OUR PEOPLE

MBABANE – Words are meaningless without intent and follow through.

This saying is relevant to the situation that Members of Parliament (MPS) are enduring owing to government’s current fiscal crisis. The 59 elected MPs held campaigns in their constituencies, prior to their victory in the national elections, undertaking to the electorate that they would implement projects which would help develop their communities. The varying projects are water and electricity schemes, building of schools and clinics, fixing of bad roads and bridges and employment opportunities among other vast pledges made by the legislators.

It’s been a year now since MPs commenced Parliament business, from October last year, but the MPs have asserted that they have done nothing in terms of development in their communities. It is worth noting that the primary duty of an MP is, through observing local community protocols, to mobilise the Inkhundla community to articulate its desired policy ambition and direction. It is also to ensure that the community’s desired public policy ambitions and directions are integrated into the national policy and legislative agenda through parliamentary and general national government procedures and protocols. However, the duties are not limited to that as an MP performs  any other duty that he may be required and permitted to do to achieve the objectives of the Tinkhundla system of governance, which includes the development of the constituencies they represent.

Confirm

But that is not to confirm the perception that many people hold on to duties of MPs as some people still think it is part of the MPs duty to build roads, attend funerals and officiate the opening of boreholes. Much as MPs carry out these duties as part of their community engagements and in their oversight role, sometimes also for votes, these officially do not constitute their primary duty. Maphalaleni MP Mabulala Maseko recently moved a motion in Parliament ,which was requesting the ministry of Finance to release the Micro Projects Programme funding, which stands at E120 million for implementing small capital projects.

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