MBABANE:Velaphi Mamba, a highly regarded human rights defender and Harvard University Scholar says, King Mswati must surrender eSwatini Nation Land(ENL) ownership to Government.
Speaking on Sunday evening,during his Visionary Perspective Program hosted on this Swaziland News independent online publication, the human rights defender expressed serious concerns regarding the eSwatini land being held by Mswati in trust for the Swazi Nation.
“Why must someone hold the country for us as a Trustee, why must that be the case?. Why must we be beneficiaries?. Why must the economy of the country be held hostage by one man and his family instead of Government?”, said the human rights defender.
Responding to this Swaziland News on Monday evening,King Mswati’s Spokesperson Percy Simelane said Velaphi Mamba, as a highly educated person ought to have known that, a country is run on its Constitution not on individual opinions.
“The status quo is constitutional; his opinion is not in conformity with the constitution and therefore null and void as it were.The powers that the King has are vested on him by the Constitution. Mr Mamba's lone- wolf opinion on land in Eswatini is a projection of his personal thinking, not rested on the sands of popular demand”, said the King’s Spokesperson when responding to editor Zweli Martin Dlamini.
Eswatini is ruled by King Mswati as an absolute Monarch, the King holds Executive, Judicial and Legislative powers in that, he appoints Judges, a majority of Parliament Senators in the senior House-Senate, the Prime Minister, Cabinet Ministers and all members of the various Governing Councils.
The King also holds the eSwatini Nation Land in trust for the Swazi Nation, human rights defender Velaphi Mamba said, this “is one of the reasons why emaSwati demand democracy”.
Human Rights Defender and Harvard Scholar Velaphi Mamba.