IT’S TIME TO LISTEN

It is time to listen to the masses.

The police brutality against emaSwati that we’re witnessing nowadays in the country is not new, it dates back many years. But the scale of the demonstration, dialogue and introspect it has prompted is unprecedented.
People are seeing more clearly than ever; they want change in the behaviour of police officers and the way they are disciplined. It is of no use transferring rogue officers to other regions as they take their delinquency with them. Law enforcers left unaccountable for human rights atrocities are polluters; they pollute communities with fear. They pollute the present and future with relics of hate and barbarity. They pollute our ideal of justice and this needs to stop.

Eswatini is on a precipice, whether we go over the edge into the abyss of a full-blown authoritarian State or find firm ground of law and order depends on how the police tribunal will deal with rogue officers. We need to be clear; every word and every action has consequences. The police service top brass has an important role to play in transforming this institution and holding officers accountable for violence against civilians. Believing that the might of teargas and bullets can silence the voice of the masses is to set alight an already volatile situation. Yesterday’s demonstration is proof that emaSwati are tired of the wool that is pulled over their heads as a result of officers abusing their power.

They are tired of health, education and food security playing second fiddle to prioritised security forces in budget allocations, which has seen our army get almost double the budget of Lesotho armed forces. They are tired of security service staff recruitment exercises that supersede those of nurses and teachers. We do not condone violence of any form and will continue to call for calm, restraint and dialogue to resolve differences, but this can only be achieved if the State forces set the example. Violence begets violence. We have been promised action, but with all the brutality, suspects are still at work, the commitment is clearly wanting. The only solution at our disposal is providing decisive action at all levels of government. The people have voiced their displeasure; it is time they be heard.

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