31 August 1990
Prince
Sulumlomo
c/o
Foreign Affairs
Mbabane
Swaziland
Your Highness
RE: The illness of my mother and my return to Swaziland
see her.
- Thank
you for your letter of the 16th
August 1990 regarding this matter of grave importance to me, my
friends and relatives.
- If my
mother is no longer your mother, that is the end of kinship. And if you
cannot take this very serious matter to the King, according to Swazi law
and custom and on that element of kinship, that
is the end of kingship and the monarchy in Swaziland.
- We
understand that the ruling principle in Swaziland
today is that of “everybody for himself and God for us all,” and that the
King does not care whether you, any prince or princess or any inkhosikati
is hungry, sick, dead or alive. What then should I be different? We also
understand that the present King’s in-laws as well as his personal friends
are more highly placed than either you, me or any
“ordinary” prince, princess or inkhosikati. Example for this given plain
and simple in that whereas we were all wronged by the Gang of Four in the
name of the King (the then Queen Regent) in the period 1982-1986, only Mr.
Percy Mugometulu, the father-in-law of the King, was compensated with
payment back-dated to 1984 when he was fired by the Gang of Four from the
civil service. Other examples can be quoted.
- After
reporting the serious matter of my mother’s sickness through the right
channels of state of the Kingdom
of Swaziland i.e:
a) The
Swaziland High
Commissioner Prince M’boni Dlamini in London;
b) The
Foreign Minister, Mr. George Mamba who, in turn, reported it direct to the
King, who said he was going to “report it to the council”;
c) The
King’s Private Secretary through whom I wrote a direct letter to the King dated
25th July 1990;
I see no reason why I should telephone either Mr. Mphumalanga Fakudze or Prince
Gubhaphansi Dlamini in that regard. I would be engaging myself in an
unwholesome exercise in futility.
- Nobody
can change the policy of a government or a ruling monarch at a stroke of a
pen. The question is whether that policy is leading to heaven or to hell,
both for the King and the people of Swaziland.
What I do know is this, should my mother die before seeing me as she, or
any mother would wish under similar circumstances, do not call me your
brother again; nor should you tell me that there is a King in Swaziland.
For kingship is a political, economic and social
contract and not a one-sided dictatorship. Some analysts have said nobody
knows who rules Swaziland.
After this drama, they may be right, after all.
We greet you in humble spirit, do
greet those who love us.
Yours Sincerely
Dumisa
