Swazi Observer

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THE SENATE ELECTION UPHEAVAL

By Joy Ndwandwe | 2020-08-09

This column, under normal circumstances refrains from commenting on current affirms, however, the issue of the Senate election upheaval deserves my attention as it sent shocking moral waves.

To this regard, I wish to thank Senator Gamedze for confirming the on-going suspicion on the Senate election upheaval negating being elected into this august House of Senate. On a personal note, my late mother Dr. Maggie Makhubu was nominated by the late Babe William Msibi, who knew her when she was a rural health nurse at Dlalile Clinic in the 1960s, marking the advent of her career.

Thus, Babe William nominated Dr. Maggie due to her trailblazing legacy, serving diligently in communities, at national level and transforming the nursing academic landscape.

This nomination was supported by the majority members of the House of Assembly, she received the highest votes followed by Mbo Shongwe nominated by the late Prince Phiwokwake Dlamini. Babe Msibi did not require payment as this nomination was honour based, a legacy of service to the nation, hence, Dr. Maggie did not have to pay any money as she had already paid through national service within the community health sector. Therefore, it is disheartening to know that the Senate election is now embedded within poverty consciousness politics evoking chaos theory within Tinkhundla Governance System. Evidently, begging serious attention while reflecting on the caliber of parliamentarians and senators leading the legislature, particularly when they resist important legislation such as the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA).

Poverty Consciousness Politics

The senate election upheaval is a classic example of poverty consciousness politics, evoking greed, conspicuous consumption, materialism and corruption in order to be elected into the House of Senate. Particularly when it’s considered parliament business to pay any amount such as E10 000 in accordance to a variety of sources, the total payment could be up to E500 000 to secure a seat in the House of Senate.

Thus, I am morally challenged to think of the caliber of parliamentarians that we are electing into the House of Assembly from the Tinkundla constituencies. Such that when they are in the House of Assembly, their vote for electing a member of Senate not only has a price tag, but it ignores the caliber of person they vote for.

Thus, in present day august House of Senate, the prequalification is money and not legacy signifying how poverty consciousness politics is the dominate paradigm. This unfortunate circumstance is telling on how politics of the stomach is the dominate paradigm in the country. As some sources indicate that these fees such as E10 000 at least paid for a vote, funds Tinkhundla constituencies, as voters are continuously depending on their parliament representatives. Therefore, the poverty consciousness emanates from the constituency level, resulting in this Senate election upheaval as the whole system is driven by greed, conspicuous consumption and corruption. Then, I ask how come we expect the House of Assembly to consider legacies and trailblazers to be elected into the House of Senate, when they have paid throughout their lives by being of service to humanity?

This brings personal pain to my soul and most significantly as a proponent of indigenous knowledge, when reflecting on how Tinkhundla was meant to preserve indigenous democracy and governance. Therefore, I question how indigenous metaphysics could be preserved within a system infiltrated by poverty consciousness such that greed, conspicuous consumption, materialism and corruption is dominant paradigm. Evidently, the constituencies that were meant to preserve common consensus as Supreme law now dominated by those rooted in poverty consciousness. While leaving in the periphery those who served this nation diligently not willing to spend their pensions and hard earned savings to pay for votes into the House of Senate. Then, why are we surprised that critical legislation such as Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA) amendment is stalled, thus probing thoughts on whether our Tinkhundla governance system is evoking chaos theory.

Chaos Theory within Governance

Last week’s front page Sunday Observer: “Senate Seat Race…Seats are for Sale, Says MPs. Parliamentarians admit that Ngoma Gamedze is right, but says it’s part of business. EBC says this is corruption, calls for probe.” This evoked thoughts on chaos theory articulated by Waters (2004): “Chaos theory offers insights into human creativity…creativity led metaphorically to the vortices of individual and collective truth experience in a moment of balance like boiling water vortices.” The actions of former Senator Gamedze and the response of parliamentarians and EBC, are classic examples of vortices like boiling water evoking imbalance within the House of Assembly and Senate, which are allegedly occupied by elected vote sellers and purchasers.

The role of Senate in disrepute due to prevailing vortices emerging from how this august governance house, is infiltrated by poverty consciousness politics as dominant paradigm, evoking greed, conspicuous consumption, materialism and corruption. Evidently, when chaos theory is evoked within the governance system in the words of wisdom of Waters (2004): “Everything is related, everything has an effect even small changes have an influence.” Thus the poverty consciousness politics from constituency have effect on both House of Assembly and Senate, which in my mind the House of Senate is for honourable citizens with trailblazing legacies. Moreover, there are many citizens of this country that would bring positive change, and rightfully so, they are not willing to participate in poverty consciousness politics.

When the chaos theory is evident within a governance system it is embroiled, as elucidated by Waters (2004): “Societies are ruled by the obsession with control, individuals feel powerless, and individuals subtly influence any system, including intractable problems of modernity.” When poverty consciousness politics evokes greed, conspicuous consumption, materialism and corruption its champions and drivers are evidently obsessed with

. Thus, emerging from constituencies up to House of Assembly and Senate the ‘leadership of powerful individuals’ creating intractable problems of modernity emanating from greed, conspicuous consumption, materialism and corruption, poverty consciousness. Thus, rendering the Tinkhundla governance system in chaotic state due to vortices effecting small changes fueled by obsession with control while resisting transparency and accountability evidently, manifesting in powerless constituencies.

Conclusion

As I conclude, the Tinkundla constituencies are being provided with handouts to pacify their poverty consciousness while creating a dependency syndrome manifesting into intractable problems of modernity. This evokes the words of wisdom of Morgan Freeman: “Maybe if we underpaid politicians and overpaid teachers, there would be smarter people and less stupid laws.”

This statement evokes thoughts on what are the critical factors driving being elected members of the House of Assembly and Senate. Thus, reflecting on the title Honourable, Mhlonishwa, preserved for servitude and ethical leadership individuals with trailblazing legacies availing themselves to serve the nation. Therefore their pay is to ensure that they maintain ethics and ethos that promote the Tinkhundla governance system as opposed to creating poverty consciousness politics and chaos theory. Thus, overpaying teachers to ensure that we have service oriented and ethical leadership emerging out of the education system regenerating the desirable leadership effect. Such as understanding how the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA) is nothing personal as only stupid persons or champions of greed, conspicuous consumption, materialism and corruption would perceive this act as a personal attack.

Lastly, this Senate election upheaval has evoked the memories of my late mother Dr. Maggie Makhubu and her trailblazing legacy, and the memory of the late Mike Temple whose election replacement has revealed the poverty consciousness politics and the chaos theory within governance.

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