By Zweli Martin Dlamini

Constitutionally,Prime Minister(PM) Russell Mmiso Dlamini does not have powers to impose decision but as the Chairman of Cabinet,he must preside over meetings and subject himself to Cabinet collective decisions.

Ministers must read the Constitution because the powers of the PM are regulated, the reports suggesting that, the Prime Minister(PM) sometimes tells Ministers that he is the PM and therefore, his word is final amounts to dictatorship.

The problem with allowing a political novice like Russell Dlamini to mess-up is that, once the mess backfires, all Cabinet Ministers including the King as the appointing authority,will shoulder the blame.

But there’s another silent corrupt ‘dictator’ by the name of Sifiso Mashampu MafeleNkhosini Khumalo,the Attorney General(AG) who manipulates the law claiming to be providing legal advice to Cabinet and the King, knowing very well that, he is abusing his office to push his corrupt interests. 

The Attorney General(AG)dragged a whole a Head of State to fight an online publication just because he wanted a cash-cow project so he can steal public funds claiming to be paying foreign lawyers, he literally enjoys seeing Mswati making headlines for the wrong reasons internationally, as long as he accumulates more wealth.

So in Cabinet,it’s a battle of personal interests among the powerful and politically connected,some of us fully understands the modus operandi of this regime, it’s about looting.

What would be public benefit in the intended spending of about R50million to purchase Lexus cars for Ministers at the time when public hospitals are struggling without working equipment?.

Information Minister Savannah Maziya is doing well to speak her mind in Cabinet,there’s no future in being a puppet, she has an international reputation to protect.

Previously,we had King’s appointees who were independent minded and this include the likes of former Members of Parliament(MP) Sandlane Zwane and Mfomfo Nkambule, the purchasing of a jet for the King was once stopped by Parliament in the public interest and Mswati did not fire his appointed MPs for opposing his project.

Speaker Prince Guduza,as he then was,once led one of the most vibrant Parliament that passed a vote of no confidence against the late Prime Minister Barnabas Dlamini for stopping the Eswatini Telecoms affordable mobile phones, incarcerated MP Bacede Mabuza was part of that Parliament in his second term.

So even though the democratic principles governing this regime remain questionable, it’s possible to be vibrant and independent minded under the Tinkhundla system.

In Cabinet meetings, Ministers vote to take a resolution and agree,it’s not a crime to be the only one who disagree.

I used to do that during Eswatini Editors Forum(EEF) Executive meetings until some journalists took a decision to fight and try and destroy me but I’m still standing with huge international recognition.

Being independent minded is very important because politics is about interests,some might use you to push their interests if you don’t analyze decisions and have an independent political view.

Ministers must therefore be vibrant and challenge the Prime Minister(PM) if he demonstrates dictatorship tendencies, Russell Dlamini is not the appointing authority,ngumfana wemaKhosi lobuke Hulumende and he might be removed anytime should the King decides to do so.

It’s not like the King is not aware that Russell Mmiso Dlamini is a stupid political novice with no ability to control his emotions.

King Mswati takes time to analyze things, it is not his modus operandi to just fire a Prime Minister because that would backfire on his reputation that,he appointed an incompetent person, he will give Mmiso more time to hang himself with a political rope and then use or hide behind public interest to fire him.