By Zweli Martin Dlamini

A delegation from the MultiStakeholder Forum attended the Southern African Development Community(SADC) Ordinary Summit where King Mswati received a huge mileage because he assembled his communication team.

Even this Swaziland News reported about King Mswati because that was the available information, some Swazis are not even aware that they were represented at the SADC and the submissions of the MultiStakeholder Forum remain unknown.

When Swazis criticized the People’s United Democratic Movement(PUDEMO) questioning what the political party has been doing for all these thirty-nine(39) years, I thought political organizations would learn, take that public criticism positively and strengthen their communication departments.

International donors played their part by supporting the independent media as an alternative voice but the pro-democracy movement is failing to do a simple thing, communicate with the people they aspire to lead.

As a result, by failing to communicate, they are giving the oppressive Government a gateway to manipulate the people again.

Lawyer Thulani Maseko tried to communicate with this journalist saying the MSF would be attending the SADC Summit but there was no proper planning on how their activities would be covered and reported.

A journalist from News 24 contacted me after the SADC Summit asking for contact details of the MSF, even international journalists are complaining about the poor communication network within the MSF and we have been trying in vain to advise through articles.

Even though the criticism against PUDEMO on what the political party was doing for all these years was unjust because at the time there were no communication platforms and the captured media was siding with the Government, it is important to learn from such public criticism and strengthen communication.

The MSF was formed by a group of organizations with leaders who aspire to lead this country but everyday we must remind them to be in touch with the people they aspire to lead.

As mentioned, international donors supported the independent media after realizing that the eSwatini struggle for democracy was lacking an alternative voice, now that the platform has been established and popularized, there is no leadership.

If the pro-democracy movement will allow Mswati to dominate news either positively or negatively,they will never win this battle for liberation.

What the MSF is doing is like preaching a gospel and when the people start to repent and seek guidance on how to reach Heaven, the Pastor disappears living the people vulnerable to be manipulated by the devil again.

People are now aware that Mswati is oppressing them and they are waiting for alternative leadership but, the people who aspire to lead are sleeping in hotels and taking international trips without communicating about what they are doing for the struggle.

Let me state clearly that the MSF is working but their communication is poor and people will then assume they are doing nothing.

Once the people start questioning and accusing them of doing nothing due to the lack of communication, King Mswati will regain power and it might take more years again to push the struggle to this level.

Then, they will look-up to the independent media to do damage control, we will soon get tired of baby-sitting grown-up political leaders who aspire to lead a democratic Government.