THE EYE OF THE SWAZI SOUL

After serious consideration please countdown to my ambition of publishing my thoughts and the funny side of the country's reports. Be it from the drunk side of life, be it those politicians and unionists which shook my tiny kingdom Swaziland. Surely U will have something to keep in your archives , something which will make you think of the year 2012 and wish it had more drama , laughter and craziness...

A sneak preview of the eye : An eagle’s eye has been glued to the following publications which have led to the accuracy of the quotes: Times of Swaziland: The Swazi Observer: The Mirror: Mail & Guardian: Swazi News: Weekend Observer.

The EYE HAS BEEN CREATED & WRITTEN BY MYSELF AND WOULD COVER THE FOLLOWING TOPICS IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER

Introduction- An eagle’s eye on Swaziland Social Front

- 2012 THE YEAR OF DELIVERANCE

- THE ONES THAT SHOOK SWAZILAND

- THE DRUNKEN SIDE OF OUR SOCIAL LIVES

-IT AINT GLITTERING FOR OUR MINING SECTOR

- DOING IT THE SWAZI WAY

- A YEAR BEFORE OUR PARLIAMENTARIANS BECOME ORDINARY

-SEXY CINDERELLA

- BOYCOTTING THAT HAND THAT FEEDS OUR CHILDREN

- OUR NEIGHBOURS EYES

SUCKER PUNCH OF SOME OF THE ALREADY PREPARED CONTENT:

A bag full corporate infighting, Boycotts, Promises, Garbage debates, Everlasting empty promises, glaring economic collapse as it had been experienced by the once powerful Greece. Now that our parliamentarians are gearing for their exit packages as the country prepares for the 2013 elections. I guess they will shy away from the social scene following their failure to ensure an economic growth for the ordinary Swazi who according to the international journalistic front being fed with ‘nothing’ as compared to the country’s politicians fat cheques.

Just like Greece I guess the once peaceful Kingdom has been attacked by the economic Hitman as John Perkins would in most instances refer to the world’s inability to deal with economic challenges.

I am still not sure how the country’s leadership defines democracy  due to the fact that protests action, liberation of the ordinary citizens human rights, labour outcries are treated in isolation. It is for this reason that the less than five political movements which amongst them include the People’s Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) and its youth wing the Swaziland Youth Congress (SWAYOCO); remain being labelled ‘terrorism groups.

Following the country’s continued ‘begging’ of the South Africa government E2.4 billion bailout , the Swazi people are not the ones interested in the loan but it remains government efforts to save face in their failure to curb corruption and exhorbent spending in recent years.

- -         “2012 is a new year, with new promises. 2011 was a year of problems .The number 11 is a sign that there would be upheavals in government, countries, families and other areas. The number 12, signals that this year of Benjamin. All people of Swaziland are Benjamins. This is the year of prosperity, a year full of gifts. God loves us and we should thank Him,” taken from Times of Swaziland report titled “2012 A YEAR OF BENJAMINS”- by His Majesty King Mswati III during the annual prayer service at Lozitha Palace.

-  -         “If we don’t get the E2.4 billion we will be in a very bad shape. We are not out of the woods even though we will be getting the E7 billion from SACU,” sourced from Times of Swaziland report titled “ GOVT STILL NEEDS 2.4 BN SA BAILOUT,” by Ministry of Finance Principal Secretary Khabonina  Mabuza  quoted saying that the E7 billion the country was to receive from Southern Africa Customs Union was not enough.

--         “The resolutions, especially those on Swaziland clearly reflect the determination of the South African government to see the people of the SADC region living better lives through democratic governments that meet the aspirations of the people,” was quoted from Swazi Observer titled “UNBAN POLITICAL PARTIES-ANC ADVISES,”

 - -         “My country is monitoring the situation in Swaziland closely, even though the lawyers boycott has ended for the time being. As we said in response to media inquiries on the, we applaud those in the legal community, who have chosen to stand up for judicial independence and the rule of law despite loss of personal income,” United States Ambassador to Swaziland Earl Irving was quoted by Swazi Observer where he explained that his country was concerned with any infringement on a person’s right to access justice or any threat to judicial independence.

- -         “I don’t understand these people who are turning funerals into social gatherings by drinking alcohol. I thought alcohol was for one to enjoy and be happy noT to drink and then go to a funeral,” were words from Magistrate Sindisile Zwane.

--         One Busisiwe Dlamini told Mbabane Magistrate Court that she had been attending her sister’s lobola ceremony but had no idea that the beverage she was having on the day had been spiked. This was after she was driving with her blood alcohol high

MY DEAR READERS JUST GLUE YOU EYE ON THIS BLOG U WILL SURELY NEVER REGRET

JURIST - Paper Chase: UN rights chief says NGO restrictions undermine human rights

JURIST - Paper Chase: UN rights chief says NGO restrictions undermine human rights

IS THERE A NEED TO PRIVATISE GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONS

I may not be qualified to state such but being a bonafide Swazi interested in seeing the country progressing than being privatized to selfish business people who are only concerned about making money than empowering fellow Swazis.
I have noted that a number of government organs in the country have been privatized and some are still in the process of going through such a phase. It is no hidden fact that some parastatals like CTA have been a financial drain to government to such an extent that Government is dreaming of reducing the CTA’s looting hole through privatization.
Even though the country is engulfed with huge financial crushes one should know that , asking too much might lead to the government being forced to privates most services in order to benefit tinini
According to my untrained eye government is not in the business of creating demand but it provides services for its society to function happily and by privatizing most of the services it will mean that a lot of fly-by –night businesses would emerge and create new demands for new products. We know that our local government picks up thrash , while the national government services ensures that it teaches our children through OVC fund then I smell a rat when in the end of the day government privatizes its essential services then these ‘rich’ businesses will pick more thrash and make a lot of money at government’s expense.
I don’t care what other people would say but the Swazi government is directly accountable to me and you . Even next year the country will hold its elections and we (Swazis ) eligible to vote. On the other side of the private sector the corporate CEO Is controlled by a small group of people known as the board of directors while we (Swazis)  wish to fire our Members of Parliament, all we have to do is show up at the polls (something Swazis in the Urban areas are notoriously bad at).
I have just read from some useful publication that Ian Smith, Prime Minister of Rhodesia (Now Zimbabwe) 1964-1979, often said: "we were never beaten by our enemies - we were betrayed by our friends". The West essentially promised white leaders in South Africa that they would be allowed to continue practicing apartheid if they would stop arming Rhodesia in her war against communism. Between 1979 and 1980, Rhodesia fell into Marxist dictatorship under Mugabe and had its name changed to Zimbabwe . The World Bank provided loans to Mugabe up until May 2000. This is not an academic issue since millions face starvation because of Mugabe's Marxist policy of seizing the nation's farms. Ominously, Mugabe has turned to communist China to run farms in  Zimbabwe.

     In the 1980s the world saw starving children in Ethiopia, but what they did not realize was that this was a planned famine. The Marxist regime of Mengistu Haile Mariam undertook nationalization of agriculture and massive population resettlement program modeled on Stalin and Mao's starvation programmes in the 1930s and 40s which killed millions. Meanwhile the World Bank continued to send Mengistu millions of dollars, much of it intended for the ministry of agriculture undertaking the resettlement programme.  

     In country after country in Africa, there has been no accountability in the use of World Bank loans... Billions in World Bank loans have been embezzled in Africa and rarely anyone is held accountable and prosecuted.

     It comes as no surprise then that by its own admission, the World Bank's purported policy of strengthening African free market economies by lending $50 billion for 'Structural Adjustment programs' and other projects over the past thirty years has been an abject failure. That's because their real purpose was the exact opposite:

     The Bank's own reports in the 1980s revealed that it played a major role in nationalizing the development process throughout the Third World. Regarding these harsh conditionalities imposed by the structural adjustment loans, a 1985 confidential bank report by leading development experts concluded that 'the SAL's seemingly hard and all-encompassing conditionality is largely illusory'. The bank and some proponents of foreign aid claim that a wave of privatization swept the Third World but actually 'privatization was almost all talk'. World Bank loans either go directly to the recipient government or must be guaranteed by the government. So, by inevitably increasing the politicization of Third World economies, World Bank aid was the economic tranquilizer dart which created a weaker domestic market for the foreign multinationals to feed on. I remember two years ago , when I just ignorant of the world’s political situations but after intense reading I concluded that by end of the 1980s that by end of the 1980s the banks had successfully empowered and corrupted Third World governments with billions in bank loans. Liberal democracy and the free market had been strangled. Now for the second play: The sell off. The directive for the sell off came from the World Bank and IMF at the end of the 1980s as shown by World Bank documents signed by James Wolfensen and leaked to a BBC investigative journalist, Greg Palast. The World Bank flew in their teams who dictated their plans, an average of 111 conditions in a pre-written document, to each nation's finance minister. If he refused he would be denied any further loans and the life blood which had sustained his government would be cut. These conditions included selling off the natural resources and national industries to foreign multinationals. In the case of Argentina, they required the nation to give up its gas water and oil to Vivendi, Repsol, Enron and a few other multinationals. In 1988 Jeb Bush made a call to an Argentine senator asking him to sell a gas pipeline to Enron at one fifth of its market value. In return, a percentage of the discount would be deposited in the senator's Swiss bank account. The process has been called 'briberization' rather than privatization. 

    When making the case for such a grand conspiracy as this, it is helpful to call a whistleblower to the witness stand.  Published in November 2004, the book entitled Confessions of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins ( now a New York Times best seller) is a public confession by an insider about the real purpose of Western loans to developing countries. Working in a private consulting firm, Perkins was one of the 'economic hit men' who carried out the plan detailed in the World Bank documents. Perkins describes a classical conspiracy between government and big business. The U.S. National Security Agency recruited and trained the 'economic hit men' to carry out their duties through private consulting firms and other corporations. The beneficiaries of the conspiracy were the international bankers and shareholders in the multi-national corporations. Unable to repay the loans organized by the hit men, developing countries had to surrender their national resources to their Western creditors.

    What an extraordinary scam: Destroy a country's domestic capitalism and free-markets, get it into massive debt and then with financial gun to its head, shake it down for everything its got. It is even more extraordinary for the fact that, because this piracy is conducted in international waters, it isn't even illegal! One of the questions raised in the next chapter is whether or not these agents have been acting, to some degree, on  Her Majesty's (secret) service.

SUCCESSFUL MEN COME FROM HUMBLE BACKGROUNDS

 

…In this life of VAT, Political instability, Gossip , Anger & Betrayal we will never achieve the same things and reach the same goals

After hearing one of my ex girlfriends (amongst the many) spewing bile about my background which she claims to have known at the drinking holes in the city where yours truly was bleached with disgraceful information about my past (which I am forced to admit that 65% of such is true). At first I did not take such kindly because it is not hidden fact that I was raised in a stick and mud house with electricity reaching our tiny hours six years after the hit of the millennium.

It is for this reason that I respect her for being open to me even though she was equally shocked that I am from a poor background and had a lot of run-ins with crimes on my heydays of youth. It is good that such was revealed because it made me feel inspired to write this piece and tell teach that world that most locals are always battling with reality that most of the successful men in the country came from those stick and mud –paraffin lamped houses.

They are the same people who considered an avocado season to be a blessing because their families never stressed about putting something on the table. I mean these are the ones who have dismally failed while on throne of political power and have treated all the poor with disrespect while fattening their pot bellies on the much availed funds.

Judging from the current situation our country is facing I have noticed that there is a vast inequality of wealth distribution which has been cause by the private ownership on the real estate and production sector.

If one would have at least ten seconds and run around the country’s main cities and check who the landlord is Mr Zhasjkkr from some planet beyond earth. One trained eye like yours truly there is just kicking himself wondering what will the ordinary Swazi own in the next six months-Nada; kute, vokol; everything has been been taken by our foreign friends but we made to suffer on the unfamiliar VAT attack with earning still motionless for the good or worse (I am just confused).

Social, intellectual and economic inequalities that arise from hard work, self-discipline and superior IQ are everywhere to be seen in the country. They are a natural state whereby those endowed with such qualities will rise in social status, if they so wish, and to whom the benefits of wealth will accrue.

It is no hidden factor that our natural habitation provides no evidence as it is enscribed in the Holy Bible that “Men were created equal” and that all that we will achieve in life will always be the same. While my Government is against the proposed mass action by local unions , the ordinary neutral Swazi has been left shaking in fear of the unknown.

It is no hidden fact that while the masses are shaking in fear there is a minority group of Swazis who are not concerned of the developments but continue to sit in the country’s hotels boardrooms with a sole intention of creating a successful business and have even forgotten that the word charity exists. These generate huge wealth and their products have immeasurably improved the living standards of their porch backyards than 999 233 Swazis suffering.

It is no hidden fact that these individuals exist to make money and profit so they can meet demands of the faceless investors in order for them to be able to re-invest the capital to make more products thus at the end of the day handsomely rewards its shareholders and two weeks ago I was taken aback by the sudden closure of the country’s only multi million facility and I find it strange that someone within its hierarchy is failing to own up on the consequences which have led to the Swaziland Association Nurses withdrawing its nursing staff from the facility. I am also wondering as to why no one fueled the investigation of the death of two orderlies (with the last medical report reported missing). Government has never set up this facility to resemble a death camp where the old, weak and vulnerable would be subjected to political indifferences which would put their lives in danger. 

This is just not a funny affair where I see some of the health politicians live on the backs of others and are not concerned about the people dying of TB but they are quick to jump to the streets
I just wish to see Swaziland being a more caring and equal society which is one of compulsory equality and even higher levels of taxation to support an ever growing welfare parasite class.

FROM AN UNTRAINED EYE- AM FEELING LIKE OUR BILETARAL AGREEMENTS ARE YIELDING SOUR FRUITS

I might be touching a hornets nest on this one. I mean the reactors of  every posting might turn rebellious when I touch on  issues which boil around politics and the economies.

Being an untrained man in this regard I am not sure if the relationship the country has been engaging itself in really benefits the ordinary citizenry or certain sectors of the country.

The country has been seen falling in love with oil rich countries such as Kuwait and Equilateral Guinea. I hear such marriages usually take years to stabilize but I am happy that Kuwait has been seen pumping million for the highly criticized Sikhuphe Airport project. then what?  No one knows if the country’s relationship with Kuwait goes beyond Sikhuphe because after the smell of the oriental oils presented to the lucky, I don’t see anything which would benefit the ordinary citizenry from the oil rich country. 

I know those who are always privileged to high profiled information that oil rich country opened up for interested Swazis in the Agriculture sector to consult government and get information of how they can take advantage of the opportunity. I wish to hear who has already benefited on such or it was one of the ‘known’ stunts by the country’s politicians to justify their late night dining with ‘agents of investments’.

Recently the country is said to have fallen in love with Equilateral Guinea another oil rich country but unfortunately negative reports about the country’s leader seem like it will yield a bone crushing divorce with the country. It is so unfortunate that the the French Government has frozen the leader’s assets whilst they are trying hard to investigate money laundering allegations. I know now that such has emerged there is nothing fruitful the country is going to benefit from this marriage.

On the other side of the coin I hear of an invisible figure known as African Growth and Opportunities and I hear it’s a brainchild of the American government. I hear it was an opportunity for the country to receive mouth watering incentives for frican countries to continue their efforts to open their economies and build free markets and in return African countries would access US markets without restrictive quotas or import taxes.

It was during the introduction of AGOA that Matsapha industrial sites was littered with textile factories who as of today I am confused of who benefits from investment. Fine such provided job opportunities to our sisters but the basic income it provides leaves a lot to be desired.

I remember stumbling on an article where the US Department of Commerce said the value of Swaziland's AGOA exports increased nearly threefold, from $65 million in 2001 to a peak of $199 million in 2005; Lesotho's exports reached $140 million in 2001 and peaked at $467 million in 2004.

According to IRIN  News network during the peak period of Swaziland's AGOA exports, employee numbers were double the current figure - about 15,000 Swazis, mostly women, are employed in garment factories financed by Taiwanese investors and operated by managers from mainland China.

It is just sad that each and every year factories close …and with the low salaries received by our sisters in the factories they cannot afford paying the taxes which at the end of the day would help government improve the country’s social programmes.

SOME JOURNALISTS ARE MORE LOYAL TO THOSE IN POWER AT THE EXPENSE OF THE PUBLIC

… The media’s role goes beyond collecting, packaging and disseminating information it should help in checking misuse of authority, expose corruption and defend human rights

Is the country happy with the manner events are still reported in the country?

Being a person who has keen interests on the operation of media in the country  I have noticed that the country’s private media is scrutinizing every deal or move our government makes however such  has not been going well with the sympathizers or those who are secretly working as human shields for some corrupt or rich Swazi Citizens.

Many have been accused of being ‘protectors’  as they always react to riots about their paymasters in the disguise that they are feeding the nation with a clear picture of the how the ‘true’ yet not so true events unfolded.

While the public have a right to complain about the kind of information they receive, the challenges facing the media go beyond the journalists themselves.

The rich and the country’s politicians and media owners are the ones who should get the bigger share of the blame for the poor debate on important national issues.

It is worth noting that the involvement of some high profile individuals who push or protect their evil agendas has greatly affected the way journalists conduct their business.

It is just saddening that political cleavages are dividing the journalistic communities resulting in lack of dialogue and solidarity among the various factions within the corporate sector and government, hence preventing journalists from jointly defending their common interests.

I have heard in hush tones that some influential figures continue putting pressure on the media, especially public media to an extent that journalists are now more loyal to those in power at the expense of the public.

A small media market and general underdevelopment of the economy means that the media has to ally with political forces to get financial support. This has also definitely affected the way the media functions especially when it comes to its watchdog role. This is key in a modern and functioning democracy.  

Notwithstanding, the above concerns, the general environment is good for the media to grow and the journalists to freely collect news.

DISABLED BEGGARS KICKED OUT OF THE MALL

…There is a serious lack of reliable information about the nature and prevalence of disability in Swaziland

It’s exactly two weeks  I heard of a saddening story about how security guards in one of the privately owned shopping malls in the country’s cities were instructed to chase away a three notable beggars (disabled beggars) at the mall.
Even though one is yet to confirm this saddening report, but I have been told that three notable faces of two disabled women who can’t stand on their own given feet and a middle aged man who are known to have found a spot to solicit money at the mall  have been told not to set the their unable bodies at the mall…What , this is when I screamed ‘Racism’ and if only I had the power to prevent such in the country’s highest courts I would have mobilised the highest paid lawyer to help the Swazi Citizens to defend their presence in the privately owned mall.
Evident to such an inhumane treatment is that I have seen one of the women whom I had developed a very close relationship in the past three months  ago sitting under the scorching sun next to the now defunct Metro Cash & Carry trying to recover from the shock of being kicked out of ‘her spot’ on the doorstep of a busy travel agency.
As I walked towards the bus ran I met this middle aged brother who moves around only with the aid of crutches trying to squeeze himself on the narrow pavement at the bridge not very far to the mall.
As I passed next to this brother my heart bled because I have known these people to have been well mannered and even interesting characters who were not aggressive, harassing the shoppers at the mall. I would always see people volunteer and donate whatever they had to the poor souls.
As I tried to gather about their ban from the mall I overheard one transport operator stating that a complaint was raised to the owner of the shopping centre that these humble souls were harassing customers. I didn’t and I don’t want to buy the story because with my over 30 years in the city of Mbabane I have never seen these individuals disturbing shoppers.
My sweet message to whosoever was behind the drive of frustrating these people is that beggars are all over the world and these people are not there to rob anyone but have been forced by the lack of proper and physical structuring of their welfare.
 People with disabilities are excluded from the mainstream of society and experience difficulty in accessing fundamental rights. There is, furthermore, a strong relationship between disability and poverty. Poverty makes people more vulnerable to disability and disability reinforces and deepens poverty.
Disability tends to be couched within a medical and welfare framework, identifying people with disabilities as ill, different from their non-disabled peers, and in need of care. Because the emphasis is on the medical needs of people with disabilities, there is a corresponding neglect of their wider social needs. This has resulted in severe isolation for people with disabilities and their families.
To the management of the mall and the country’s legislators they should know that just t because beggars make more affluent people feel uncomfortable, that is no a reason to sweep them off the streets..we are going up the road that Hitler did. he had a final solution to beggars and Romas....do people want that?
Poverty exists, that is a fact. It will always exist. Unless a society is willing to provide a safety net, tackle the causes of poverty and fight the organised gangs that exploit it, then just moving the poverty away from where it is uncomfortable for rich tourists to see it is not solving the problem.
Demonising and marginalising a certain group of the community and moving them out of sight of the mainstream is just the first step on the road that eventually led to genocide in many cases. I do not think pointing this out is trivialising this matter.
Poverty and homelessness exists, sweeping it under the carpet and pretending it doesn't exist by banning it from the country’s shopping malls , presumably because it makes the shoppers uncomfortable, is not one of the solutions.
Following such I feel I need to get back to a story by one of my close friends and ex Philile Masango about one inspiration soul (may he rest in eternal peace) Joshua Simelane who despite his blindness he was determined to overcome the lack of proper structures in the country to take care of all disabled people. He had a dream of seeing the country’s oldest institution of higher learning University of Swaziland providing a Braille facility for the blind. I  know most of the those who are able to see the sun rise and set will always laugh it off and add to the statistics of those voting against the respect of fundamental rights of all the country’s citizens.
 The right of people with disabilities are protected by the Constitution. Government departments and state bodies have a responsibility to ensure that, in each line function, concrete steps are taken to ensure that people with disabilities are able to access the same fundamental rights and responsibilities as any other Swazi.
The legislative framework is crucial. There is a need to examine the need for new legislation. Existing legislation must be scrutinised and amended where necessary. Ultimately, legislation should comply with and give substance to Constitutional requirements.