Living in our country, lately, continues to be a frustrating experience.
The recent, political unrests which culminated into a never-seen, anarchy situation in a country which used to be viewed as a haven of peace, and tranquility.
Without any shadow of doubt, we've lost all credibility as a peaceful country - thanks to our leadership's haughty attitude of refusing to accept imminent change.
People are tired of the system of governance which strives on corruption, nepotism, cronyism, brutality, lack of accountability.. and brutally.
eSwatini might have appeared peaceful to the outside world, previously, yes. But scratch deeper beneath the veneer of peace, you will find a people silent out of fear. Many rights enshrined in the country's constitution, are now, and again, violated with impunity by the ruling class. Freedom of expression is taboo. You cannot openly criticize the king and easily get away with it. According to the country's constitution, he is above the law. You dare do so, and you risk being thrown behind bars.
The silence of the people over many years of subtle oppression, finally blew off the fuse to a simmering cauldron of silence, in late June. Total pandemonium erupted. The pent-up anger of the people could not be contained any longer. Unprecedented protests, which ended in total anarchy never seen before, spread across the country. In a bid to quell the people's anger, the army was deployed to calm the volatile situation - a deadly mistake.
It is a globally known fact that deploying an army to do policing work, is a very grave mistake. They are trained to - search, and destroy.
Scores of mostly the youth were mowed down, allegedly by security agencies comprising of the police, and the army. The massacre of the people went viral in social media platforms. Videos, and graphics of people being brutalized by alleged security agencies, were too horrific to watch. Bloody pictures of young men lying in pools of blood, dead, will remain indelible in the minds of many of us
The political face of the country has been changed for good. Pressure even mounts from the international community. Give the people what they want, is the clarion call.
The winds of change are fiercely blowing. Our authorities are holding out, stubbornly, hoping that the people's anger will run its course - and die out. Seemingly, this is a suicidal stance taken by government.
A showdown between forces of change, and those resisting change, is on the cards, looming....
