It was interesting to read an article online on the widely patronised Swaziland News that captured what transpired in the Senate on Monday morning, 3rd April 2023, wherein my name and that of Hon. Robert Magongo was mentioned in derogatory terms and disdain.
As usual,Lobamba Lomdzala held its annual Inkhundla function on Saturday, 1st April, 2023 symbolising the commencement of the new year which is always held after the Appropriation Bill has been passed, for obvious reasons. It is in this forum that we report back to the constituents on the developments that occurred at national level as well as at constituency level. Similarly, it is our opportunity to unveil our constituency's development agenda for the incoming year. The popular Times Sunday in its edition of 2nd April 2023 captured what transpired at the event. The occasion was blessed by the presence of guests from other areas, including two prominent Members of Parliament namely Hon. Lutfo Dlamini and Hon. Robert Magongo for which we thank them.
I have been made to believe that the event invited insults from Sen. Moi Moi Masilela, who in his shallow state of mind chose to bundle Hon. R. M. Magongo and I together, because of what the former had said in the annual event about a ‘sleepy Senate’.
Well, it's unclear to me why have I become a recipient of unpalatable terminology when I never said a word about Senate.
Nevertheless, I hereby accept the unsolicited invitation to say something about it.
Three very respectable Senators separately confirmed to me that, during their caucus, Sen. Masilela bellowed rhetorical smoke through his unclean mouth, that had the stench of a skunk. They even told me, separately though, that he accused me of campaigning as if he has a clue about electoral campaigns. Electioneering is a module of political science that is beyond the comprehension of a pseudo-politician hence it will forever remain elusive to him.
Those that are ungifted in the area of political discourse will always resort to insults directed at those they cannot match, leading to deep seated hatred. Talking about hatred, the British Author, Rudyard Kipling wrote a poem in 1895 entitled ‘IF’and it read as follows;
"If you can keep your head when all about you; Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too. If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or being lied about, don't deal in lies, Or being hated, don't give way to hating..."
Now, to be hated by someone like Moi Moi Masilela can only be laughable because he has no value to add or subtract in one's life. The China trip fascinates him as he replayed it over and over last Monday in the Senate. His brain box tells him that we committed a crime. Shame, poor Moi Moi. He is the only one person I know in this country who enjoys swimming in a pool of his lies. From time to time, I would see him bringing together the heads of the freshmen in parliament just to fart verbiage.
Ordinarily, in terms of parliamentary ethics and standards, toxic insults such as his is a free ticket home for the day, courtesy of the Presiding Officer. Even a withdrawal of such gross insult is not enough. In all the years I have spent in the House, I don't remember a single legislator uttering such graphic expletives. In the Chamber, we bow to the Crown, when we enter or leave the chamber.
No member has a right to treat the respectable Senate chamber like his backyard in which he utters insults as he pleases, without anyone calling him to order. The Crown symbolises the presence of the highest authority in the land.
How I wish the caucus was held to discuss issues regarding the Bills that have been stashed in the Senate. If the speed with which a caucus was called on the basis of a simple newspaper article, was used to attend to the Bills that have held the country at ransom, then it would have been a commendable move. The Senate has degenerated to the very low levels of holding caucuses to discuss personalities not national issues. Against this backdrop, no less than eleven Bills, including those that were brought by the Cabinet with a certificate of urgency, remain stuck in the Senate.
This is a record. Such a development is without precedence and something has gone horribly wrong. The inaction on such an important call to national duty is indefensible, bearing in mind that this is an election year. Very soon parliament will be dissolved.
May I share the list of the Bills that have been shelved in the Senate since last year and some as old as 2019. Even though I didn't want to associate with the sentiments expressed by Hon. Magongo recently at Lobamba Lomdzala, nevertheless, if one goes through the list below, what is it that comes to mind. Bills collecting dust in the Senate are as follows:
BILLS IN SENATE
(1) The Farm Dwellers Control (Amendment) Bill No. 19 of 2019
(2) The Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Bill No. 1 of 2021
(3) The Standards and Quality Bill No. 13 of 2020
(4) The Technical Regulatory and Quality Infrastructure Bill No. 16 of 2020
(5) The Income Tax (Amendment) Bill No. 7 of 2022
(6) The Roads Authority Bill No. 05 of 2021
(7) The Examination Council of Eswatini Bill No. 11 of 2022
(8) The National Payments Bill No. 2 of 2022
(9) The Reinsurance Bill No. 14 of 2021
(10) The Health Bill No. 1 of 2022
(11) The Pharmacy Bill No. 8 of 2021
Insultive language is not my cup of tea, and surely if Sen. Moi Moi Masilela does not believe that this is tantamount to sleeping on the job, then what is it? Originating a Bill is a laborious process. The ministries and the Attorney General's office take months, sometimes more than a year or years preparing these Bills. Stakeholders are consulted before they are gazetted.Then they are taken to Cabinet which gives them preferential treatment because they are of essence to government service delivery. Traditionally, they are then tabled in the House of Assembly for processing, which includes holding public hearings.
Once the House is done, the Bills are then transmitted to Senate, with the hope that it will be sensitive to the national appetite for the much awaited pieces of legislation, pho kuphi la. It is rather unfair to MP's who crack their brains, working right round the clock, to get the Bills passed in record time only to have its hard work watered down by the inactive Senate.
I read recently in one of the dailies about how Senate felt undermined by the Hon.Minister for Finance when he failed to show up to explain about a certain Bill. The question that begs an answer is what value would such explanations add to a stagnant process?
Not too long ago,the Senate rejected a crucial Loan Bill by the World Bank that sought to initiate the introduction of pre-schools in public schools especially in the rural areas after a UN scientific study had shown that pre-schools are an essential component for the child's formative education. Also it sought to strengthen Maths and Science in both primary and high schools.
The Bill was brought by Cabinet with a certificate of urgency. The House of Assembly passed the Bill but Senate rejected it. Guess what, His Majesty the King agreed with the House and enacted it into law, yet 66.6 percent of the Senators, including Masilela, are appointees.
Added to that,during the speech from the throne,His Majesty spoke emphatically about the establishment of the Roads Agency that will address the road infrastructure development in the country. That Bill was passed last year by the House but it is still stuck in Senate. Paradoxically, it is not the elected parliamentarians that are stifling government legislative business.
Having painted a picture of a legislative crisis in the offing, at a time when parliament is likely to be dissolved in a few months, where to from here? The Constitution of 2005, spells out clearly the limitations of the powers of the Senate when it comes to certain Bills, including those that have been brought through a certificate of urgency.
Sections 113 and 114 of the Constitutive Act, 2005 have not been adhered to and unfortunately we too have treated these sections like their application was optional. The Speaker and the House, with the advice of the AG, need to act, ‘lest we find ourselves, as a collective, being an accomplice in the violation of the Constitution.
I,therefore,challenge Sen.Masilela and those of his ilk,to give their version against the facts presented above or failing which, he should continue to launch more attacks, calling me names, hurling insults and giving me labels since he has made it his favourite pastime. After all,who cares.
In parting, there is a lot that I will say about this man in due course,but for now, let me drop the pen right here.
MP Marwick Khumalo.