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By Sibongile Sky Sukati | 2024-10-22
IT is kind of hard to write on a serious topic, especially after the Saturday that we Manchester United fans had.
You know we won, I think for the first time in the past five Premier League games and the joy we are feeling ayichazeki shame.
Anyway, let me try and address a serious subject which unfolded last week in the House of Assembly on Thursday.
It turns out the Prime Minister, Russell Mmiso Dlamini, was engaged in a serious debate with members of Parliament and the deliberations had a lot to do with the Government Policy Statement and the implementation of the police officers now infamous ‘phase 2’.
However, I do not want to dwell on what the PM said about the phase 2, but how he got MPs hot under the collar when he accused them of not conducting research, but liked to talk so they would be written about in the media.
Apparently, the PM had told the MPs that studies were showing that the world was becoming more and more urbanised and some of the MPs were concerned on what would happen to the people in rural areas.
It was not the first time that I heard the PM emphasise on the word research, which was what he also stated at the now infamous Eswatini Editors Forum Breakfast Meeting.
One of the editors had asked Dlamini if the green chert being mined at Malolotja/Motshane was not being an environmental hazard to the nearby Malolotja Nature Reserve.
The PM there also told the editors to go and do their research. I have forgotten what the other question was, but there was a mix-up in numbers presented by one of the editors, and this did not go down well with the PM.
Anyway, I have similarities with the PM, because I also strongly believe that people should debate about subjects that they have knowledge of, not just talk about issues they have no idea about.
For starters, I have friends who are into finance and once they start talking stock exchange and GDP, I keep quiet, listen and learn. You will never find me contributing my two cents worth when road engineers, for example, are talking.
That is why most of us find ourselves saying ‘the road should have been straight instead of the bends’ yet we do not know they science that went behind that decision, besides assuming the engineers just wanted to make extra money.
Perhaps, it is the manner in which the PM suggests the need for research that rubs people the wrong way, but I like it that he would like to see people being empowered with knowledge.
The other problem is that people in general just like being thought of as relevant, which is why they always opine on a subject they have no knowledge of.
The other day while waiting for a meal at one of the eateries I had to endure a 10-minute (which reminds me that restaurants should cook faster) lecture from a guy who thought he knew everything about what renal patients go through when they were having dialysis.
He seemed to like the Minister of Health, Mduduzi Matsebula, and did not understand why the renal patients were embarrassing the minister by camping at the hospital.
“Batsi awatsatsephi lama body parts,” he went on and on.
I had to move to the next table as he moved on to another subject about how he could help reduce the rush hour congestion at the Mbabane Bus Rank. Maybe I should not be too harsh on the guy, he is a great researcher who covers every topic.
To the PM, though I think people are not really offended by the advice that they must conduct their research, but it could be the manner in which it is relayed. In summary though, I would encourage MPs to conduct research especially on debates which are going to be held in the house.
It is a good thing that they know well in advance what will be debated on that particular day. So we are looking forward to well-researched debates and arguments.
On a totally different note, believe it or not my highlight for the whole of last week was waiting for material from the King’s Office Correspondents who are travelling with His Majesty King Mswati III to Italy, Serbia and Samoa, respectively.
My excitement actually started when the King left with Liphovela Nomcebo LaZuma from the King Mswati III International Airport. It was my first time seeing pictures of her alone looking so demure, chic and basically Hollywood glam.
She reminded me of Kate Middleton, wife to Prince William when the world was first introduced to her. The Liphovela looks so calm and welcoming and I just want to give 10/10 to her or her stylist…too beautiful.
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