The current police crackdown on the leadership of Sive Siyinqaba ‘Sibahle Sinje’ might manifest into a political suicide for King Mswati.
A political suicide in the context of this article refers to the current political blunders committed by the King who instructed the police to harass Sibahle Sinje Chairman Musa Nkambule and his family. His only sin was to express views regarding the leadership crisis in our country. That citizens risk being arrested for criticizing the King and questioning the social and political injustice in this country suggests that we are in a dictatorship State whose Head of State disregard the human rights enshrined in the Constitution. Are we expected to keep quiet and praise the King for purchasing multi-million cars with our resources while about 70% of the population live below the poverty line, with hundreds of eMaswati dying in hospitals due to non-availability of drugs?
It is very unfortunate that Musa Nkambule had to flee his home at Mafutseni and his family was subjected to torture by the police who believe the only important person in this planet is King Mswati, this is pure political ‘nonsense’. What did the Sibahle Chairman, a citizen of this country, did to deserve such treatment? Is it expressing his political party’s views with the way this country is governed and the wasteful spending by royalty? Other Swazis who are also citizens of this country are calling for the removal of King Mswati, is it a crime to hold a different political view and demand that the King must hand over power to the people? Well, those who advised the King or Prime Minister Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini to target the members of ‘Sibahle Sinje’ actually don’t know the power of this political organization.
Members of this powerful royal entity are deeply rooted within the governing structures of this country and they can just press the button and bring the operations of government to a standstill without engaging in a protest march. The King, PM, Speaker in the House of Assembly, to mention a few; are surrounded by undercover members of Sibahle Sinje, hence it wouldn’t be a crime to conclude that this police crackdown amounts to political suicide for the Monarch. Furthermore, the National budget of this country is approved by Sibahle, hence, they are in possession of critical information regarding the strengths and weaknesses of this country. The problem with this predicament, is that we have low minded leaders even in government who do not have ideas on how to manage such internal political conflicts, they believe arresting is the solution. This reminded me of Senator Isaac Magagula, the then National Commissioner who sustained the political dictatorship of Barnabas by arresting anyone who was opposing the late tyrant. Musa Nkambule is not only the Chairman of Sibahle Sinje, he is a father and a husband and the conduct of the police who arrived at his home without any arrest warrant traumatized his family. The silence by the Swazi media while police are terrorizing Musa Nkambule’s household, suggest that this was well planned, political leaders of this country might just disappear at the hands of the police and it would be business as usual for the captured press! However, as a country we must now be very concerned with the current state of political affairs, Sibahle Sinje might adopt other means to protect their Chairman.
At the end, our country will be the victim once members of this powerful organization who sympathize with their Chairman retaliate and systematically sabotage the operations of government.
It would be in the interest of the King and the whole country to call all those who are not happy with the way this country is governed into a roundtable to discuss the future of this Kingdom, manipulating the police to fight political wars will never work. Instead, King Mswati might end up appearing before Judges of International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity should this country experience a civil war, as result of his political arrogance. What is wrong with handing over power to the people and allowing them to elect their own government because the King has proven to be a ‘low-minded’ Head of State who cannot be trusted with absolute power? A Head of State should never be immune to criticism particularly this one, who steal our money through taxes and buy cars while we starve to death, he doesn’t care! Who then can have the courage to tell us that we must stop disrespecting a corrupt tyrant, who buy cars while people are dying in various hospitals?
People should be free to choose their own government who will account to them not this ‘nonsense’ where citizens are persecuted for expressing their political views on issues of governance in their own country. The international community must intervene and impose targeted sanctions to all those who are violating human rights in this country, this should include those that issued the order to harass Sibahle Chairman Musa Nkambule. We cannot be treated like this, by tyrants in our own country-who believe they can regulate our political thinking.
King Mswati III