MINI DIALOGUE: MPS SEND PM, SPEAKER, SENATE PRESIDENT TO CONSULT KING

LOBAMBA – PM Cleopas Dlamini, Speaker of the House of Assembly Petros Mavimbela and Senate President Lindiwe Dlamini have been tasked to consult with His Majesty King Mswati III on the ‘dialogue before dialogue’ proposal.

This was an agreement reached by Members of Parliament (MPs) during a caucus yesterday.  The caucus was subsequent to a House sitting, where the legislators tabled reports. Initially, the MPs had suggested that there should be a consultative exercise with stakeholders such as political formations, churches and others on a ‘dialogue before dialogue’, in a caucus that was held last week Wednesday.

Some MPs said the ‘dialogue before dialogue’ would help in the sharing of ideas on how best the actual dialogue could be held and to make the environment calmer, while instilling a culture of cooperation. It is on that basis that the PM, Speaker and the Senate president have been mandated to consult with the King and get his blessing on the Parliament proposal.

Caucus

The caucus lasted for slightly over an hour and the Acting Prime Minister, Themba Masuku, Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg, Minister of Public Works and Transport Chief Ndlaluhlaza Ndwandwe, among other Cabinet members, were part of it. It was not ascertained when the consultation with the King would take place, though the legislators said the King’s approval of the consultation with stakeholders would mean that the House went ahead to select a sub-committee made of Cabinet Ministers, MPs and senators to engage the stakeholders on the mini dialogue.

The initial caucus came after Manzini North MP Macford Sibandze moved a motion using Standing Order No.58, wherein he requested the Speaker to pause the business of the day last week Wednesday and prioritise the issue of political killings and arson attacks, even though it did not make the list on the order paper. The reports tabled yesterday were of the Finance Portfolio Committee on the National Payment Systems Bill No.2 of 2022, Report of the Finance Portfolio Committee on the Income Tax amendment Bill No.7 of 2022 among other Bills.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: