Swazi Observer

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MPS CALL FOR DIALOGUE TO END VIOLENCE

By Sifiso Dlamini | 2022-07-20

Lobamba - Members of Parliament have unanimously pleaded with the Prime Minister, Cleopas Dlamini to speedily facilitate the much anticipated national dialogue.

The legislators are of the view that the dialogue would bring the much needed calm in the country.

They have also indicated that they were now living in constant fear for their lives as they could be victimised.
The PM, however, stated that the dialogue would only be called once the situation in the country was conducive.

This was mentioned during the debate of the prime minister's office first quarter performance report yesterday.

While delivering his preamble, the premier made a humble plea to the nation.
He acknowledged that while it was true that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and unprecedented civil unrest as well as the negative impact of the Russia-Ukraine war continued to tremendously upset economies resulting to closure of businesses, job losses and resultant to an increasing inflation.

“The resultant frustration of our people in particular the youth is understandable, but violence and destruction will never be a solution.”
If anything, this is the time for unity of purpose and collective efforts to address our challenges as a nation,” he said.

Dlamini added that it was imperative that everyone embraced the spirit of peaceful dialogue when not in agreement as opposed to violence.
He said government would announce the dialogue as provided for in the Constitution as soon as the environment was conducive.

The MPs were of the view that government should take the initiative and make the situation conducive for the dialogue.

They further urged the PM to speed up the preparations.
Nkhaba MP Zakhele Magongo was the first to urge government to stand up and be counted.
“I hear the PM saying that the dialogue will only take place once the situation is conducive. Enough member of the public have died and have been laid to rest when will the situation be conducive and who is responsible for facilitating this," he said.

He urged the premier to be proactive and make the situation conducive by facilitating the dialogue.

He said the dialogue was a must have and should be speeded up.
Deputy Speaker, Madala Mhlanga, said this was no longer the same Eswatini he grew up in.
He enquired what the PM was doing to unite the nation as they were now all living in fear of being victimised if they spoke against the ongoing violence.
Lomahasha MP Ndumiso Masimula said the situation was now tense and there was a need to curb the ongoing violence.

Condusive

“It is now scary and the only way forward is to sit down and talk, find solutions to the challenges we face as a nation. If the situation is not conducive, will we wait for more people to die before we have the dialogue,” he submitted.
He aslo said it was not acceptable to sit and fold their hands while hoping for the situation to be conducive.

Madlangempisi MP, Sibusiso ‘Scorpion’ Nxumalo, said he pitted the PM who came into office during such a difficult period in the country.

He said it was every one's duty to leave the country peaceful as it was before.
Nxumalo said peace and stability was critical and should be promoted.
He also questioned why the Cabinet excluded politicians in finding a solution yet this was a political problem.

Manzini North MP, Macford Sibandze, said all the efforts made would count for nothing if the situation was still not conducive and all were in a state of fear.
Sibandze said the PM should have a caucus with MPs to come up with suggestions for promoting peace and stability in the country.

He said the country was now in a state of emergency, which was now spiralling to a State of war in the country as the police were now unsure if calls for help were genuine or not.
He enquired who was responsible for making the situation conducive and said as politicians they should play their role. “I do not believe that the situation will just miraculously become conducive and there is a need for a long term strategy,” he said.

Sibandze questioned why the funds budgeted for the dialogue had not been requested.
He suspected that the anger could be resolved through dialogue and there was a need for a healing strategy to be developed and he believed that they could come up with solutions if they had a caucus. Gege MP, Musa Kunene, also concurred that these were trying times for the nation. He urged the PM to conduct a vusela exercise and visit the various constituencies to engage the public. He also mentioned that it was concerning that as Parliament they had not been engaged by Cabinet on the issues at hand.

He added that there was a need to present a strategy to foster peace and stability in the country.

Meanwhile, Motshane MP, Robert Magongo, also enquired when the dialogue would take place so Emaswati could sit down and talk in a peaceful manner.

Victimised

Nhlambeni MP, Manzi Zwane, said they were all Emaswati and as politicians, they still had lives to live after their political lives came to an end.
He added that there was a need speed up the dialogue while complaining that some of them had now been blacklisted for speaking on behalf of the public and there was a need to find a way forward as an entire nation.

"How long will we keep quiet in fear of being victimised," wondered Zwane.
Lobamba Lomdzala MP, Marwick Khumalo, said the PM should utilise Parliament, which was the rightful forum to discuss policy issues.
"I do not think that talking about policy issues behind closed doors is a good idea and if the PM was advised to do so, it was not good advice," he said.

Expected

He said as politicians, they should not shy away from their responsibility and change should be led by the country’s leaders and it was wrong to fight political issues using security personnel. Khumalo said it was not proper for them to hide behind the security forces because they were expected to play the political game.

"Why are we involving the police in politics? Let us accept our responsibility as politicians. We cannot allow the police to be killed for political issues and not security issues," he said.

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