By Zweli Martin Dlamini

Mavela Sigwane,the Head of Business Transformation within the Federation of Eswatini Business Community(FESBC) is beginning to lose the battle against capitalists by simultaneously taking on giant companies.

The concerns raised by FESBC are genuine but it seems the federation is failing to implement the program gradually by taking on one giant company at a time and produce results.

Firstly, FESBC through the federation’s Head of Transformation Mavela Sigwane reported Inyatsi Group to the Eswatini Competition Commission(ECC) and even before the institution tasked with ensuring fair competition in the country, officially responded to the letter of complaint,FESBC was already going after Montingy Investments, a forestry company with alleged links to Finance Minister Neal Rijikernberg.

But on Wednesday(27th December 2023),FESBC wrote a letter reporting the Royal Eswatini Sugar Corporation(RESC) to the Competition Commission, the third letter to the Commission that came after that of Inyatsi Group Holdings and Montigny,has literally turned into a mockery of these genuine issues affecting local businesspeople and it’s very unfortunate.

FESBC should have developed a strategy and targeted one ‘buffalo’ at a time, you cannot ‘single-handed’ challenge giant companies simultaneously because what will happen now, the capitalists whose businesses are under threat will form an alliance and collectively develop a defense mechanism against one ‘common enemy’, FESBC.

Now that FESBC is taking on the sugar company, it means the focus is no longer on Inyatsi and Montigny Investments, at the end,and if the strategy is not changed, FESBC will lose these battles against capitalists.

FESBC must understand that these are investors protected by the laws of this country, some of the complaints by indigenous businesspeople might be genuine but straying(kunhlanhlatseka) by Sigwane undermines the credibility of these grievances.

As the media we have a duty to protect both domestic and foreign investments in the interest of the economy, we don’t want to be seen promoting an agenda that seeks to create confusion in the country and discourage Foreign Direct Investments(FDIs).

FESBC must go back to the drawing board and come-up with a clear plan how the federation wants these genuine grievances to be addressed, these are sensitive issues impacting the economy and must be handled in a professional manner.

Sigwane is acting like a hungry lion chasing a herd of buffalo,he wants to catch the herd simultaneously and I’m afraid to say, he won’t succeed unless he changes the strategy.

FESBC must remember that multibillion investments are at stake here,if local businessespeople are serious about raising these grievances, they must adopt another strategy and be professional in their approach.

Mavela Sigwane is acting like a person who is flooded with too much information or complaints from local businesspeople and he wants to be seen providing a quick solution to all the problems affecting the business sector,NO!, one step at time.

Capitalists are a powerful and well-connected network, you must be strong and ‘know you story’ if you want to challenge them.

FESBC Head of Business Transformation Mavela Sigwane was lucky to introduce this program of seeking justice for local businesspeople at the time when the country has the independent media,hence the matter reached was able to influence the public discourse.

But seemingly,FESBC is busy writing letters to the Competition Commission with no subsequent practical actions.