It’s just a matter of time before King Mswati experiences what ousted Gabon President Ali Bongo is going through, indeed, the days of a dictator are always numbered.
Like Mswati who was crowned as King after the death of Sobhuza, President Ali Bongo inherited power or dictatorship rule from his father Omar Bongo and soon thereafter, continued with the social, political and economic oppression that, subsequently, resulted to millions of Gabonese citizens including soldiers languishing in abject poverty.
The ousted President of Gabon recently released a video urging the international community to intervene,his soldiers removed him through the barrel of the gun and subsequently placed him under house arrest.
The Gabon soldiers were actually very kind not to kill the tyrant, considering the serious atrocities he committed against the Gabonese citizens.
Now, in eSwatini we have soldiers who are languishing in debts, they can’t afford to sustain themselves, not to mention their families while Mswati and members of his royal family enjoy a lavish lifestyle.
Soldiers are very loyal security officers but, hunger and frustration have no regard for loyalty.
In fact, hunger and/or poverty in an unequal society manifests into anarchy and disorder.
Eswatini has about 70% of the population living below the poverty line, this means over seven-hundred citizens including some soldiers and their families are struggling to afford a decent meal.
Before the drastic decline of the looted economy, eSwatini soldiers were enjoying certain benefits including but not limited to; free food parcels for their families.
But this, is becoming scarce and only senior soldiers now enjoy certain benefits and, the military men are slowly becoming more frustrated like their colleagues in Gabon.
Therefore, it’s not a guarantee that Mswati will remain on the Throne for more years, it’s just a matter of time before he is removed like Ali Bongo of Gabon and orher dictators, he might be removed by his own hungry soldiers.
It should be noted that, soldiers are silent liberators, they might escort and salute you today but, frustrate them if you desire to see their true colors.
A soldier carrying a gun might be loyal to the King but, the gun is loyal to the soldier who is operating it not Mswati.
This means, the gun will ‘listen’ to the soldier, points to the direction as commanded and, execute the task as per the wishes or target suggested by the one who is pulling the trigger.
Indeed, the ‘loyalty’ of the gun to the operator being the military man suggests that, if the soldier commands it to Mswati, the gun will listen, execute the task and end the life of the King.
In politics, the days of a dictator are always numbered but, Mswati is better positioned to be a champion of democracy by calling a genuine and all inclusive political dialogue.
King Mswati.