GIRLFRIEND OR 20 WIVES, NOBODY’S BUSINESS – PHILA

LOBAMBA – “As a liSwati man married under customary law, whether I have a girlfriend or married to 20 women is not the public’s business.”

These were the words of Minister of Labour and Social Security Phila Buthelezi as he reacted to strong criticism he received on social media recently. The minister said as someone who stood by what he believed was just, he would never support or watch on the sidelines when some people made attempts to overthrow the Tinkhundla System of Government and its leadership. The minister stood up using Standing Order 68 and presented a personal explanation statement.

Prudent

He stated that subsequent to events unfolding around his personal life in recent times, he found it prudent to explain himself out of respect for his family which allowed him to contest for elections, to the Matsanjeni North constituents who democratically entrusted him with the responsibility to represent them in Parliament, to the country’s authorities who appointed him as a minister and to everyone who cared about him, including his colleagues. He said he wanted to clarify what he termed widespread misleading information that he was the one who started the call for regime change and had since made a turnaround. He said never at any point had he ever suggested that the executive powers vested on the head of State should be removed and be entrusted to an elected prime minister (PM).

“My opinion, which I voluntarily withdrew in 2016, was nowhere near anything suggesting regime change and my constituents have never given me any mandate to that effect.  I will always stand by the vows I took when sworn into Parliament, Cabinet and at initiation to respect all laws of the land and defend the country and its authorities. I strongly believe that our system should be maintained as it is more effective than most politically, socially and economically,” Buthelezi said in his statement.

He mentioned that bringing up things from his past would definitely not deter him and that no amount of insults, hate and blackmail plus threats and intimidation would ever sway his position to defend the country and its leadership. He stated that concealing the face and sharing his picture removing lihiya in his private space, sharing nude pictures of strangers with concealed faces and some without faces at all purporting that they were his would not work. He said the fake and baseless stories depicted gross desperation to slander, but he remained unmoved.

“Many tricks are being used to assassinate individuals’ characters given the advancement in technology, but the public should be careful not to be misled with altered and fake graphics. The time and efforts spent for evil intents on social media should be redirected to meaningful work for the resuscitation of the country’s economy and other goodwill initiatives,” said the minister.

He said just to highlight the extent of hate he went through as an individual, during a particular debate in Parliament a couple of months ago, a colleague made a statement that ‘emantulwa awavutfwa ngekutsandza kwengobiyane’ during his submission and surprisingly one pro-change colleague, who was very active in the social media circles insinuated to the public that he (Buthelezi) was the one who made the comment which, according to the minister, was seen to be undermining the pro-change agenda. He said since then he had been bashed endlessly for something he never said.

“Nonetheless, I remain unapologetic about my stance on the regime change agenda. I am ready to continue bearing the insults as I am still able to dedicate all focus and efforts on development projects’ delivery, which is positively improving my constituents’ well-being including potable water schemes, improving road infrastructure, accessible health facilities, construction of new schools, electricity schemes, equipment for income generating projects and many more, including participating effectively in the formulation and promulgation of pieces of legislation aimed at improving the lives of emaSwati,” highlighted the minister.

Furthermore, Buthelezi said to the haters who may be thinking that the threats and insults would make him succumb to their wishes of regime change orientation, such would never happen.

Malicious

“Let me remind emaSwati that one of the pillars of democracy is tolerance, one valuable element we seem to have lost. Holding different views on issues shouldn’t make us enemies to such malicious extents as this defeats objectivity on any course,” said the minister. He stated that no one had ever entirely dismissed the existence of challenges in the system like in any other, which he said may require attention here and there, but that it was the citizens’ unique pride which required respectful and meaningful engagements to improve. “May I suggest that we all heed to His Majesty’s call for dialogue after Incwala,” said Buthelezi.

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