All user posts Alex Lucky Nxumalo . Manzini , Eswatini

War is evil..

I wake up this morning thinking deeply about war..I ask myself what drives men like Putin to take a civilized world back to the days of medieval times, where barbarians like the Visigoths, the Vandals ransacked cities like Rome, during ancient times.

War is devastating. It has so many serious side effects - hunger, disease, is devastating, and very stressful.. Above all, it brings hatred to the invaded, that will last for generations. Putin is taking us back to barbaric times.

I'm glad the world is in solidarity, condemning, and taking action against Russia. It is sanctions, left, right and centre.

Coming closer home in Swaziland, there are deranged people who want to take us down to barbaric times, where disputes were solved through throttling each other. We are on the road to war, unless some people use their brains instead of thinking violence solved political conflict.

War is deadly. It creates refugees. I don't want my children to live as refugees in neighboring countries, because one clique refuses to embrace change, and the will of the masses.

Let's pray and resist this evil perpetrated by Putin and leaders in autocratic regimes like Swaziland and Zimbabwe..

Leaders are mandated to lead with intergrity.

Abuse of power has led to conflicts which have divided a nation's people..Human greed has brought enmity and hatred between leaders and the grassroot people in my country. Violence now reigns supreme.

Our people have crossed the Rubicon of tolerance. Corruption has divided our people into two camps. Only wholesale changes in leadership and the ushering of democratic changes can save my country from anarchy and civil war.

Swaziland, my country, beg the world to pray for us!

DENOUNCE..TAKE ACTION!

Every decent human being, living in this country has an obligation to denounce, and condemn Evil.

We all have to take action against evil and its accessories. Failure to contribute in whatever way in the quest by others to eradicate evil, and/or look the other way as evil men violate the rights of our fellowmen, is the greatest travesty of human decency.

In our midst, we have people who are as good as condoning evil by their failure to partake in the efforts of moral men who sacrificed their freedom in order to make our country a safe place to live in, free from the influences, clutches, and tentacles of a system of government headed by a warlord who believes he is God-ordained to lead a people, cause then to buckle under his cruel leadership.

None of us, was born with hatred in his heart - including the very leaders who use evil force to oppress, jail and kill those who stand up against their evil. We are now consumed by hatred. It is manifesting itself in many ways - anger, violence, intolerance, killing our partners in cold blood, etc. We have become an angry Nation..

Thinking deeply during moments of solitude, about the evil that is taking place in this country, tears my heart into shreds. Standing on the fence while ungodly men destroy whatever semblance of sanity left, is not moral.

Let us all stand up against evil. God will give us the power to triumph over evil...because He hates evil. Let us all join hands, contribute morally to the fight against evil...We are living dangerously in this country. None of us is safe from the evils of the system. If we allow evil to run rampant and have free reign, the Lord help us!

Good morning, a blessed Monday and safe week.

A Nation in Turmoil...

No one had ever thought that our country, Eswatini (formerly, Swaziland), would ever experience the recent, unprecedented turmoil of last year, June/July, which culminated in scores of death of our people, allegedly at the hands of security agencies, most notably, the army. The chaos also resulted in serious injuries to some protesters, burning of, and vandalism, as well as looting of property belonging to businesses.

The superficial atmosphere of “peace” we had become to be globally known for as kingdom, had all these past decades, hidden a simmering cauldron of anger, dissatisfaction, and mounting disillusionment at the manner our government had ruled her citizens for many decades.

At the core of many of our problems, had been immoral acts like corruption, subtle oppression of the people by the leadership, blatant violation of numerous, fundamental human rights, e.g., freedom of expression, and assembly, police brutality, nepotism, a skewed distribution of the country's economy, and many other ills.

In spite of a growing call by the populace for our leadership to be accountable to the people, this had been largely ignored. Gross wastage of taxpayers money had seen our government embarking on numerous projects which ended up being white elephants, bringing no tangible benefits to the people.

Flaunting of wealth by some members of royalty, and those privileged to be connected to the royal institution, had been another issue invoking the ire of the people. This had been taking place for as long as one could remember. Because of the inherent fear of criticizing immoral acts commítted by this institution in fear of reprisals, many had come to accept this, albeit, reluctantly.

Behind the facade of “peace” from the general populace, there had been an increasing, and mounting, clarion call for change - any change that would result in the people's lives taking a turn for the better. Sadly, such hopes were continually dashed, most notably with the perennial excuse ‘“song” sung by our authorities that “government is broke” being relentlessly sung, rendering it a scratched song.

The gap between the poor, and the rich continues to widen, alarmingly. Many of our people wallow in a cesspool of poverty, living on less than $2 per day. Cost of basic, crucial commodities like food, electricity, escalate every year, in spite of cries from the masses for s respite.

Shortage of drugs in government-owned hospitals, has grossly affected the health of many patients, most notably, the elderly, who are living from hand to mouth. Patients are prescribed non available meds, which they have to purchase in expensive pharmacies.

Peace, prosperity, and many other aspirations of the people remain elusive, and as slippery as an eel. The pious nature of the Swazi people - something the authorities had always insidiously taken advantage of, over the years - render the people comatose, unable to realize even basic prosperity in their lives, and fearing to openly criticize authority, because such could land one behind bars.

Talking about fear… The ruling, status quo had been experts at using fear as a tool to whip into submission any dissenting voices, for a very long time, now. It is one of the most potent weapons the system of governance had mastered to perfection over the years. Any dissenting voices are often brutally crushed by branches of the security agencies, like the paramilitary police, who had more often than not, been unleashed on protesters toyi-toying over labour related issues, or demanding legitimate political changes. The results had often been horrific….The only language our leadership understand is brutality.

As media, we had persistently warned our authorities about failure to take into consideration the wishes of the people, as well as potential consequences of doing so, but in vain. We are the people on the ground, and know about many of the aggrieved sentiments of the people. This has caused a simmering cauldron of anger, and dissatisfaction in a majority of the populace. People want a better life for themselves, and their offspring. They pay taxes, and want value for their hard-earned money.

The disgruntlement has now reached boiling point, erupted, and exploded into what the country is currently going through. A point of not return has now been reached. The Rubicon of tolerance has been crossed… The people have had enough.

It all began with the death of one, Mr. Thabani Nkomeni, a law student who studied in one of the country's universities. He died a tragic and mysterious death, allegedly at the hands of the police. Our police force had always been infamous for acts of brutality against citizens of the country for many years. In spite of calls for the government to address this, it had continued to take place, unabated, to this day. It's been a ticking time bomb, bound to explode one day, blowing everyone, and everything to smithereens.

The youth demonstrated in the streets, demanding justice for the late Thabani. The death of their colleague became a rallying point… calls for sweeping, political and socioeconomic changes. This culminated in the delivery of petitions in various tinkhundla constituencies, imploring the government to address a lot of contentious issues. The petition deliveries were conducted peacefully, with security forces refraining from using force to disperse gatherings. Such tolerant attitude would, sadly, not last.long, though.

Chaos erupted after the then Acting Prime Minister, Themba Masuku - a leader many loved to hate because of his haughty attitude - decreed a stop to the delivery of petitions in all remaining Tinkhundla centres. All hell broke loose…

Chaotic situations ensued. One of the three Members of Parliament (MPs) (dubbed, Change MPs) who led the call for an elected Prime Minister, as opposed to an appointed one, was stopped by uncompromising police officers from going to receive a petition by the youth in his constituency. He was blatantly told in the face by uncompromising cops that his right to freedom of movement was being denied. Such act was a gross violation of the Constitution. Local cops are infamous for not respecting the country's Constitution, and are on record as having utterd such words violating the constitutional rights of the people.

What was the main catalyst to this, which basically pulled the trigger on such unprecedented, chaotic situations? Unemployment, nepotism, lack of scholarships, and lack of political will in addressing these, and other issues, had not gone down very well with a majority of the people, especially the youth. Coupled with many other negative acts like, poor service delivery in many sectors by a nonchalant government, a chaotic, collision course was in the making..It was only a matter of time before the fuse was lit, and things went out of control.

Social ills like the healthcare sector had been hard-hit for many years, with a perennial non-availment of optimum health services to the people. It was pitifully, lacking. A shortage of crucial drugs in government owned hospitals had been going on for years. Brutal treatment of patients, and other ill treatment of patients by medical staff personnel in some government-owned hospitals had been incessantly reported by the media, with little or no action taken.

It is imperative here that I mention that two key sectors - health and education - had relentlessly failed to attract a reasonable, yearly Budget allocation from the government. The lion's share of the Budget, had persistently been allocated to none-crucial, ministries like the Ministry of Defence. The school of thought coming from many people had been that the country was not a war; why then allocate such huge chunks of the budget to an army that was idling, with no wars to fight?

Three progressive Members of Parliament who kick-started a serious campaign for change, were joined by other political formations, who had for years, called for democratic changes. Prominent political formations like the People's United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) were proscribed, “terrorists”. Cadres affiliated to these formations, had been harrassed, brutalized, with some incarcerated, and a few dying suspicious deaths, whilst in custody.

As the protests grew in momentum, the brutality of the security agencies, grew.. Deranged security agencies members, most notably the army, in their quest to stop the protests, began using live ammunition on protesters.. Young people brutally lost their lives. Those who survived the systematic shooting of protesters, ended up with some limbs amputated. Reports about children, some as young as 9 to 16 years, surfaced that they had been shot dead in coldblood.

What was going on, the people asked? Who had given the order to kill? Speculations were rife…Was it the king, as Commander-in-Chief of the army?

As I write this article, a pervading atmosphere of fear engulfs the country. One even fears stepping outside the four walls of his, or her place of abode. People live in fear of our cops, and the army. We cannot live like this… Something has to give. Hatred for our leadership has reached alarming levels. Social media platforms, the ordinary man on the street are up in arms, and condemning our leadership. The buzzword is, “We want change…now!”

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) had been roped in to try and bring sanity to prevail in a nation torn apart by violence and hatred.

My take? Our leadership has to stop being stubborn. They need to sit down and negotiate with the people in order for lasting peace to be achieved. Change cannot be prevented. No immovable force of whatever strength can prevent change. It is about time our leaders listened to the people. Winds of change cannot be prevented by use of brutality, guns, and rubber bullets…Shalom!

One of the most ignored and underrated, biblical admonitions is the "you reap what you sow" caution from God. Sow violence..you will invariably, sooner or later, reap the fruits of violence.

As parents, it is important that we exhibit moral values to our children. Children copy what we do as parents. If we constantly have marital problems for example, which culminate in violent confrontations, it doesn't escape the attention of our offsprings. In their adult life, somehow what we sowed will manifest itself in our children's behaviours.

Even with our spiritual proclivity, it is important that we behave in a manner that will rub off our children. Worshipping God in truth and in spirit attracts blessings for our families. The opposite attracts curses, which God puts in no uncertain terms that, He will visit the sins of the father to the children up to certain generations.

We need to take an introspective stance as parents, and honestly weigh our behaviours to see if they are still in sync with biblical statutes.

Our children are exposed to many evil spiritual influences. These should not come from within the family. Teach your child in the way he should go because you practice it - true, Godly principles. Yes..were not perfect..but we can try. Don't fool yourself, the devil hates with a passion the family structure. He will use every weapon in his arsenal to disrupt it. Happy Thursday!

Don't despair..!!

Each day comes with its own bouts of joys and/or disappointments. One minute you're happy, the next minute, who knows? Life is very unpredictable. It constantly throws a lot of sh..t at us and it depends how street savvy, positive-minded, and thick skinned you're, to avoid throwing in the towel.

I've walked through numerous valleys full of shadows of death.. We've all faced problems of mammoth proportions such that giving up was the only available option.

But somehow, we summoned those remnants of resilience...and made it. I always never fail to give glory to the Living God for always coming to my rescue in the nick of time..To Him, it is never too late. He controls time, chance, space, our destined futures, All He requires is FAITH...the rest, He takes over. On second thoughts, he tells Paul that His power "is manifested during our weakness".

We may be facing insurmountable problems right now, during this infamous, January month. No light might be flickering at the end of the tunnel. Friends may disappear when we need them most..the cat might be *sleeping on the oven*...no help might forthcoming..we trust in men, when the One who controls the future is only a prayer away.

Let's give glory to God, trust in the Son He sent as atonement for our sins. To the oppressed by life's problems and those who want to give up, including me. DON'T. Let's look up to the heavens..He is forever ready to help. Happy Sabbath!

An angry Swazis nation.. ticking time bomb..

The oppressive nature of our system of government in Swaziland, has just gone too far. I'm a columnist and the communication I receive from a motley group of people who read my articles which are critical of the injustices of the system, is very saddening.

Swazis are not silent. The silence is induced...sometimes brutally.They need an outlet where they cannot only cough out their frustration, but need bold, grassroot leadership that can push their frustration into a juggernaut of a democratic movement that would give the status quo sleepless nights, and induce them to come to the people and engage them in dialogue.

Today, a reader who called me, sounding very emotional, after reading yesterday's article, implored every oppressed Swazi to stand up for their rights, not only for the present generation, but for the future generations, as well.. He said something that triggered a deep introspection, mentioning that if as the oppressed, we could not position ourselves, but hope and wait for a Miracle to come from God..then we might as well applaud the enemy for oppressing us. Position ourselves... act..that gave me food for thought.

The people out there are at the precipice of their tolerance. They are an angry lot..ranting with sheer frustration. The stagnant economy is wreaking havoc on their lives. They are living from hand to mouth. Prices of basic food commodities have doubled..even tripled. The wages they receive are enough to buy bread. What irks many is that they pay taxes, and receive nada in return.

Poor service delivery has become normal. Families of the oligarchs, who have never toiled for a living in their whole life, are beneficiaries of their taxes. The poverty-stricken live on less than a dollar per day, while those who loot public funds with impunity, live filthy opulent lifestyles. It calls for a charismatic voice..a Movement.. An organization..or whatever, to properly channel the divergent frustrations of the people, making the people s united, and one formidable force - remember the Sudan and Arab Spring protest?

As a columnist, I sometimes fear for my well-being for identifying with the suffering of the people, and putting into paper their sheer frustration.

May the progressives find success in their quest to turn things around.

Or else, I fear..if the simmering anger boils over..

Haughtiness is described as blatantly, and disdainfully being proud - having or showing an attitude of superiority, and contempt for people or things perceived to be inferior.

This is what best describes our leadership in this country.. the Kingdom of Eswatini.

Pride comes before a fall..history tells us. What recently took place in the country - the unrests which swept across the country, beginning late June - was by no means a fluke or ar chance happening. The signs had long been brewing. We had lived, on the surface, lived a lie of peaceful silence - forced peace. Beneath the veneer of socalled, "peace", there existed a simmering cauldron of anger, resentment, and frustration. Our leadership had for too long failed the masses in many aspects. While they relentlessly looted, and distributed the countries resources among themselves, only leaving out crumbs for the masses, the latter leashed their frustration. It only needed one spark to light the primed fuse.

Like all despotic hegemonies, our situation was bound, sooner or later, to explode, and blow everything in its way, to smithereens.

We, or rather, our leaders, can deceive themselves, respectively, that calm has returned in the country. They can brag, beat their chests, toasting, and congratulating each other in celebration that they have successfully crushed the insurrection or revolt by the people... Sadly, it is only the beginning.

The masses have toiled and lived under an unholy system of governance whose modus operandi had been to cater largely for the needs of those in its inner circle, blatantly flaunting ill-begotten wealth, deviously sponsored by masses hard-earned taxes.

The masses are, and had not been blindly oblivious of how the system of governance had used them to perpetuate its opulent lifestyles. Seeds of resentment and hatred, had long been incessantly planted all these past years. Unethical acts like the veneration of corruption by those in leadership positions had not gone down well with the masses.

The calls for democracy did not just happen overnight. Our leaders made the fatal mistake of thinking that, "silence means consent" Yes, emaSwati are a respecting people, but as the misdemeanors of our leaders grew in boldness by the day, so did the people's resentment.

• One spark lit the whole fuse. The stopping of the petitions delivery, was... fatal. Haughty calls for "fighting fire with fire", and declaring war", by haughty leaders, fanned the volatile situation. It's not over.

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....

As humans, we love power. It is appealing, but very addictive. Those in the know, never falter to caution that "power corrupts, but absolute power corrupts absolutely.."

Power gets into your head, makes you heady, and you rarely listen to voices of reason, or take advice from those in the lower rungs of power, when you stray, and abuse those powers vested in you. In numerous, cases those who abuse power, and allow it to corrupt them absolutely, began their stint in power as sheep, but the trappings, and allurement of power, changed them into ravenous wolves.

History is bloated with records of leaders who failed to contain themselves, allowed the tentacles of power to strangle, and corrupt their consciences, turning them into power-hungry oligarchs, who became a nemesis to those under their authority.

As the governed, we at times create the Frankenstein monster in leaders, regarding, hailing them as gods.

Lesson: Never venerate, elevate leaders into godly status...lest they turn into dangerous autocrats..