… As he makes his submissions at the Sibaya People’s Parliament day 4.
BY ANDREW DLAMINI AND KWANELE TSABEDZE
LUDZIDZINI – “I should say that if there is a beautiful system of governance, it is this one we have as Emaswati.”
These were the glowing words of Sikhumbuzo Dlamini, the Member of Parliament from Nkwene when making his submissions on Day 4 of the Sibaya People’s Parliament. The Nkwene MP was tasked with discussing the Tinkhundla system of democracy, and Eswatin’s unique model of Monarchical Democracy.
“As a leader, it is important that you are able to hear your people. You are supposed to look around and make sure you have a consensus. It is also important for a leader to be honest and have integrity,” started Dlamini, broadly advising on what qualities the next Prime Minister should have.
“I should say that if there is a beautiful system of governance, it is this one we have as Emaswati. This is because the political representatives are elected at the level of communities, where those leaders are there to legislate with the king,” said Dlamini.
“The advantage of our system is that the King provides stability to the country in terms of politics. We have seen how presidents change in other countries, whether through the ballot or being deposed, there is always some political instability,” said Dlamini.
He noted that issues of social unrest are influenced by what the people have said about needing more employment opportunities, citing that economic development is the only way forward. He advised that the next Prime Minister should make sure that they prioritise anti-corruption, especially in the name of the King.
“You have solved the issue of separation of powers, Your Majesty. As Emaswati we are able to elect our Members of Parliament, and we are able to advise on the appointment of the Prime Minister and the cabinet, which is a big step in the right direction,” added the Nkwene Member of Parliament.
The MP also spoke on Monarchical Democracy, citing every Liswati should understand their role in the marriage of the monarchy and the ballot box. He added that the Prime Minister should not be separated from the functions of the monarchy, as that is antithetical to the political stability objectives of the Tinkhundla system of governance.
He commented that people should be well educated about the system of governance so that there is as little room as possible for misinformation which may result in situations such as the 2021 social unrest which was perpetuated on social media.
“There should be cultural events like immimemo where Emaswati will get to know themselves, their culture, and system of governance better,” added the Nkwene MP.
He encouraged Government to double down on its efforts to promote government programmes on social media, as this reduces the effectiveness of anti-Government sentiments which are perpetuated on social media.
