By Zweli Martin Dlamini

When Mswati’s Government neglected officers within the Fire and Emergency Department, perhaps those in power were not aware that there would be violent protests in the future and the work of these officers would be significant.

Indeed, the are many incidents and government decisions that demonstrated lack of leadership by the Head of State who seemingly, thinks life starts and ends within the perimeters of his shallow understanding of politics.

Officers of the Fire and Emergency Department provide an essential service but this royal family government neglected them and refused to pay overtime allowances despite numerous warnings from the independent media and trade unions that this might cost the country.

Now, in the midst of the political unrest, the very same government is expecting these officers to work extra hard to fight fires while refusing to improve their working conditions.

In fact, businesspeople and individuals whose properties were destroyed by the political unrest fires must sue this government because it is duty of the State to protect lives and property. 

However, Mswati’s regime killed innocent people and neglected key stakeholders like the Fire Department in the midst of the political unrest.

It is clear even in the eyes of the illiterate that this government lacks vision and therefore, it must be removed as a matter of urgency.

We have seen even the courts trying to play politics by ruling in favour of the Fire Department employees just because their services are needed even by Judges now, no one knows when and how the arsonists will strike.

But this country wouldn’t be in such a mess if we had wise leaders who took decisions in the public interest not to protect their interests.

As mentioned, the captured courts are now trying to rule in favour of the fire employees just because their services are now important particularly to those in power who are at war with the people.

In conclusion, perhaps, it is important to remind this regime and further advise that in the coming new democratic government that employees of the Fire Department provide an essential hence they must be treated with human dignity. The burning of properties in the midst of the political unrest is very unfortunate but again, we will blame this incompetent government that neglected the people in favour of King Mswati and his family.