By Zweli Martin Dlamini

I once had a meeting with a Principal Secretary(PS) as per a request from the then Prime Minister(PM)Mandvulo Dlamini who wanted to compile his economic development strategy supplementary on this Swaziland News.

The PM asked me to meet the PS in one of the restaurants in Mbabane to discuss an approach to the supplement but during our meeting with the PS, she told me that “lentfo leyo yaMandvulo angati kutsi ungifakelani mine, yikhulumeni nobabili,ngatsi yintfo yakhe”.

We closed that topic with the PS and started to talk about other things as she is a close friend of mine and immediately the Prime Minister(PM) called and she responded;

“Yebo Nkhosi, yebo Mlangeni” before continuing with the conversation and worth-noting, she was speaking ill of the Prime Minister a few minutes ago.

What I noted with the conduct of the PS was that, she was a hypocrite, pretending to be disrespectful to the PM but on the other hand, sabotaging his economic development agenda.

Maybe the PM made a mistake or committed a blunder not to discuss his ideas with subordinates who were expected to implement but rushed to the media to promote the economic development or recovery strategy.

The new Prime Minister(PM) Russell ‘Mashayitafula’ Dlamini will learn that, he has an opposition inside Cabinet and the entire Government system, there are people who will pretend to be supporting him yet, they are working very hard to sabotage him.

But Information Minister Savannah Maziya is not an opposition to the PM but an independent minded straight talker who is not afraid to express her dissatisfaction about political decisions that might tarnish her reputation.

Of course, she is right because the Minister has worked so hard to be where she is in terms of business and to her,being in politics is not about earning a salary.

Then there are those who will pretend to be siding with Prime Minister ‘Mashayitafula’ Russell Dlamini but sabotage him behind the scenes,that’s the nature of eSwatini politics.

Even in the attempt to regulate the media, we know that Government has approached and convinced certain State controlled editors, the Prime Minister decided to work with Mbabane East Member of Parliament(MP) Welcome Dlamini without consulting and seeking approval from the relevant Minister of Information.

In all this, PM ‘Mashayitafula’ Dlamini was seeking to introduce a decision that will reflect the leadership of Savannah Maziya, the Minister of Information, Communication and Technology(ICT) as if she “is the one regulating the media” without consulting her.

But let me warn the PM to refrain from his dictatorship tendencies,Government policies and positions on certain matters are discussed,approved and implemented collectively.

As mentioned,the late PM Mandvulo Dlamini introduced an economic development or recovery strategy that never saw the light of the day because other senior Government officials were not involved.

This PM is yet to bang more tables(kushaya ematafula) because of frustration,more Government officials will defy him either directly or systematically because he is a political novice who doesn’t believe in engagement.

UmtfwaneNkhosi ‘Mashayitafula’ must learn to engage and refrain from his dictatorship tendencies.