By Zweli Martin Dlamini

In our culture, the King is referred to as “umlomo longacali manga” and this means, the “mouth that tells no lies”.

Perhaps, let me clarify that as a Christian, my religious belief suggests that the mouth that tells no lies is God the Almighty, any human being who goes to the bathroom just like me cannot be a “a mouth that tells no lies”, it doesn’t matter whether that person is a King or not.

But in the cultural or political context, the tittle might mean, the King and Ingwenyama takes decisions after wide consultations and/or after a consensus by the Governing Councils (Emabandla), it might mean “Inkhosi noma Ingwenyama iyatsatsisa kulabo labafanele noma lesebenta nabo ngaphambi kwekube itsatse tincumo”.

The King has Speech Writers who receive hefty salaries, they are tasked with writing and analyzing the Speech from the Throne before Mswati in his capacity as “The King in Parliament”, addressed the Nation.

But King Mswati touched on various issues of public interest when delivering the Speech from the Throne and the health crisis forms part of those issues, he ordered that, the shortage of drugs in public hospitals must come to an end.

Now, if the King’s Speech Writing Committee opted to incorporate a paragraph and literally made the King to issue an order directing that, the health crisis must come to an end without consulting Cabinet or analyzing the situation in public hospitals, that would mean his own loyalists or Speech Writers decided to throw him under the bus and/or turn him to “umlomo locala emanga or umcambimanga”.

Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Thuli Dladla is one of the few politicians in Cabinet who is making the King popular in the rural areas, “whenever the King visits communities and pledged to build houses for the poor,  the DPM would then turn the King’s promises into a reality.

Even when officially opening the houses, “uyigcebela kahle iNkhosi”, we know she is playing politics but emaSwati need service delivery and at some point, the King made a promise to build houses at Madlangemphisi, the DPM was quickly on the road ensuring that, the houses are ‘delivered’ to the beneficiaries.

The question is; now that the King has spoken, are we going to see ‘Nkwe’ and/or drugs in public hospitals?.

In our country, the King is highly regarded and emaSwati expect drugs in public hospitals after the King’s command, Cabinet must therefore, protect the King’s reputation by ensuring the availability of drugs in public hospitals.