New Year message from Sive Siyinqaba National Movement
Sive Siyinqaba National Movement takes this opportunity to wish all Swazis a Happy New Year. The beginning of each year has always been characterised by new resolutions made by individuals or organised entities, Sive Siyinqaba being no exception.
It is sad though that the preceding year closed on a very bad note, both at home and abroad. The carnage of human loss occurring on a daily basis as a result of the bloody war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is revolting. Innocent lives, women and children have not been spared in the process. We remain confident that the United Nations Security Council will continue to work around the clock with a view to bring the blood-bath to a halt.
Sive Siyinqaba Sibahle Sinje continues to monitor the latest political developments taking place in neighbouring South Africa with keen interest. It is an undeniable fact that whatever political turbulences taking place in that country, one way or the other, will have an impact on our shores. We are, however, hopeful that this is nothing more than a case of a maturing democracy and that no significant negative spill-overs will fall on South Africa’s neighbouring countries.
On the domestic front, Sive Siyinqaba revisits the ugly incidents of the latter part of the just ended year 2008, whereby bombs were planted by the extremist cadre within the radical political formations and their international associates.
We remain steadfast in our condemnation of the bloodthirsty elements for such barbarism that has no place in the political dispensation of Swaziland, today, tomorrow or in the future. Conversely, Sive Siyinqaba is not blindfolded towards the sustained political protestation that seemingly has and continues to fall on deaf ears over the years. Intransigent attitude have no room and no role in the political governance of any country, but it can only serve as a catalyst for the adoption of unconventional means in order to initiate dialogue. Dialogue is at the core of the Swazis’ cultural heritage.
Needless to say, the Swazi is by nature peace- loving. Those selected to be in the leadership of this country for now, are duty-bound to adhere to such a profound cultural heritage and means of solving disputes. Failure to do so, as is the case now, will invite more harm and damage to the country and they should be ready take the blame. We can only hope that such political aloofness is temporary and is not systematically orchestrated. We hold the view that inflated personal egos and arrogance are definitely not in the best interest of Swaziland.
Evidently, Swaziland’s system of governance continues to face many challenges at home and abroad. This has resulted in the depreciation of our socio-economic life. The absence of significant foreign direct investment throws the country deeper into an uncomfortable zone. The less than 2% level of the country’s economic growth is totally unacceptable, making it better only to Zimbabwe within the SADC region. This is signified by the growing numbers of poverty and unemployment.
The sick and the ill no longer get the appropriate medical attention and supplies in our health facilities like it used to be the case before, and they now feel better cared for at home by relatives or health-care givers, than in hospitals. Our citizens are now not comfortable to be admitted in hospitals because they perceive them as deathbeds than recuperating centres. The status of our education system is no longer prided as one of the most qualitative in the region. The high quality education of the yester-years has been diminished significantly. Regrettably, corruption continues to dig deep into our social fibre and the results of the newly-constituted Anti-Corruption Commission are yet to be realised. Worse still, successive governments continue not to exercise fiscal discipline, against all professional advice from our international partners in the finance industry.
The country is gripped by a state of hopelessness. Such a doom and gloomy picture should not be allowed to manifest itself in a procrastinated fashion. Swaziland has the ability, capacity, talent and resources to extract itself out of this calamity.
Therefore, Sive Siyinqaba calls upon all Swazis to place national interest above individual benefit; embrace change not to the detriment of our national identity but as a inevitable necessity; accord the necessary respect but not fear for the institution of the Monarch; and that, an all inclusive forum for political dialogue for all shades of political opinion be created as a matter of priority for the future good of Swaziland.
Such a move will serve not only as a basis for the political and socio-economic advancement of the country, but will also send a very positive signal to the international community, friends and partners, i.e. at last ‘SWAZILAND IS TALKING TO HERSELF’. No one entity should be allowed to monopolise the national franchise because copyright to a country’s political governance should be inherently held by all its citizens. The country’s image can no longer afford to be a subject of international ridicule and pity.
Finally, as always, Sive Siyinqaba congratulates the nation for its continued adherence to culture, as demonstarted in the recent Incwala and Umhlanga. We further, applaud the high voter turnout in the recent national elections and thereby implore those elected to return the faith bestowed on them by the electorate, bearing in mind the challenges that lie ahead. Theirs is no easy road.
Musa Nkambule
Chairman
Source: Swazi News 3 January 2009
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