By Zweli Martin Dlamini

The proposed opening of schools by the Ministry of Education and Training in the next coming weeks will surely manifests into a death sentence for both parents and teachers. 

Under normal circumstances, the first contact of a child when he or she comes back from school is a parent who prepares supper, a shower and even assist that kid with homework by touching exercise books among others, some even welcome their kids with hugs and kisses.

As a result, every parent is a direct contact and or a conduit-pipe to be infected and further spread the virus across the country through interactions with other colleagues in the workplace. It should be noted that even before their arrival at school, the children will have close contact with public transport conductors, exchanging money through payment of bus fares and the understanding of the COVID-19 preventive measures in the process remain questionable.

As a Nation, we need to understand that we don’t have a government in this country and everyone should be responsible and protect his or her family from this COVID-19, no sane parent will send a child to school under the current situation.

The Swaziland National Association of Teachers(SNAT) has been speaking strongly against the opening of schools without a clear preventive framework to protect their members and the kids, but the truth is, they are raising valid points that seeks to protect us as parents. 

The truth of the matter is that some of these children can survive even if they can be infected with the virus because their immune system is very strong but most parents are sick with underlying conditions, this is surely a death sentence for them. Most parents are stressed by financial challenges caused by job losses, government failure to pay suppliers and food shortages among others, this means their lives remain at high risk should they get infected.

One the other hand , the kids cannot survive hunger once their parents being bread-winners die, this is a very tricky situation that needs strong leadership not political ‘cheeseboys’ like Prime Minister Ambrose Dlamini who takes a decision today and reverse it tomorrow.

For these reasons, as parents we must refrain from allowing this government to gamble with our lives, this is a very serious matter and the whole country should be supporting SNAT in opposing the opening of schools.

But then, in every sector of society, we do have low-minded individuals who doesn’t apply their minds when doing things, they just take orders from government without analyzing how those decisions impact their lives including families. 

As a result, we have no alternative, but to say “Rest in Peace” to those teachers who might report for duty in the coming weeks, these are individuals whose failure to challenge those in power will soon cost them their lives. 

It should be noted that a low-minded person is the most vulnerable who risk even death to demonstrate loyalty to another person or government that doesn’t value human life. 

It would fair to also say ‘rest in peace’ to those parents who doesn’t value the lives of their children, in fact their situation could be equates to a lamb tied with rope for sacrifice as government seeks to test the situation with their lives.

I wrote series of articles warning the Nation when this virus started but the unfortunate part is that we have a government that responds by sending brutal police officers to anyone who criticize those in power, however the reality is beginning to strike.

It is very unfortunate that a government that forced over 700 000 citizens into poverty is now imposing a death sentence to the Nation, let’s prepare for mass funerals in the coming months once schools open.