Your Majesty,
My Claim Against Lonrho plc and
Others
We are once again, like in the case of the South African Constitutional Crisis, called upon to chart the dangerous grounds to enable the Kings to walk more safely, regardless of the fact that we are directly involved in the above serious matter. Even more so, i do not want His Majesty to say “I did not know”. I was appalled to learn that Senior Princes, Princesses and Chiefs did not tell you and the Queen Mother the do’s and don’t do’s as King and Queen Mother of the Swazi nation. The most important of these is “absolute truth” (Umlomo Longacali Manga), and a stand against partiality either a bride or to please somebody. Your duty is to please everyone. How?
How can you not please anybody yet please everybody at the same time? That is the difficult task for you. What this means that you must of necessity carry the people with you all the time. And you cannot do that without forever sensing and attempting to sense their fears and worries not and for their future. So far His Majesty has not succeeded in doing just that but has, instead, set the nation reeling and thus open to depression. The basic reasons for that are:
a) The
appointment of personal friends of the King to very senior Civil Service
(Government) and national positions ahead of senior people already on the
ground or working. The case in point is Sir George Mamba’s children, and his
cousin in
b) The arrest and detention without trial of senior Princes and Princesses instead of trying them and fining them according to Swazi laws and custom was another big mistake. The difference is that Swazi Law and custom is dignified and just, Detention Without Trial is not. It is the law of colonial oppressors whose main purpose is to humiliate and psychologically torture people e.g., their constant worry about their date of release. At that range you are literally attacking and battering the person against you and inwardly hold you in contempt. He/She may not tell you, but you have left them with no alternative.
c) The chiefs equally feel unsafe and insecure because of all the above and generally lack of consultation on major issues.
d) The fourth devastating factor against the King (and therefore, the Swazi Monarchy) was the apparent public consumption of wealth, examples of sports cars, watches, a big farm for Sir George Mamba are given. Here Mamba’s becomes mixed-up with the King in the eyes of the nation.
e) Subsequently, even highly qualified and experienced Civil Servants like the present Rev. Percy Mngomezulu become sucked-in into this built-in bias of “favoritism” as seen by the nation. But because people do not want to lose their jobs, or worse still, go to prison (Detention Without Trial or trumped-up charges) nobody wants to tell you like it is. They and those who advise the King forget that without constructive self-criticism in order to improve the socio-economic and political system, the country is condemned to wander in the wilderness without self improving direction. Long term investors remain worried that following the Liqoqo constitutional fiasco of 1982-86, there is still no demonstrable constitutional for Swaziland which the King, all the arms of Government and every citizen is assured upon to respect now and always. As things are not, the Liqoqo can return at any time, should His Majesty depart. We cannot go on like that without danger in today’s world.
f) Then there is the university students and educated young (the King’s age group) who tend to be even more demanding because of this. Clashes between the police and university students during and after the Liqoqo has not helped. They see themselves as outsiders looking in without any future “because you cannot get a job unless you are a friend of the King”.
The direct result of all this that there is a general depression in the land. Low morale among the Civil Servants and a feeling of strikes in the air for the workers. They feel this is the only way they can protect themselves.
Now it is in all this, my own case and how the King has behaved so far and sensitive are of out ancestors (Emakhosi) that I said I did not want the King to say “I did not know”, and some spokesman going about telling people “Oh! The King knows nothing about this matter”.
So here it is the draw-down:
1) Political and Constitutional Matters:
It is politically accepted that His Majesty’s needs must
attempt to carry the whole nation with him without having to rely on certain
arms of government like the police and army to suppress and/or threaten the use
of force. In the first place you cannot rely on the police and the army without
automatically surrendering political power and initiative to them. This
political route has been over-tested throughout the history of man and has
always failed in the long run. That price is being paid as of not in the former
The fact that His Majesty has been through four (4) Prime
Ministers in the eight (8) years since 1986 means you have very serious
problems. If his Majesty does not listen and act accordingly, these problems
shall tend to be compounded. Whosoever advised you drop Obed Dlamini like a hot cake completely misled you.
Obed Dlamini had helped to project the correct openly challenging policy
towards the opposition political parties, and the young, without being hostile
towards them. For the first time they felt listened to, recognised and accepted
or welcomed to open debate. That is all what the people want. Before Obed
Dlamini the King (and therefore the Swazi Monarchy) had succeeded only in inviting
the nation to watch him perform e.g., appointing and dismissing Prime Ministers
every two (2) years on average. By comparison
2. My
Case
The question of my own case is a very sad one. For eight (8) years the King has sought to play a car and mouse fame at my expense, together with the lives of my dependents. My own mother died calling fore me in October 1990, the King did and said nothing. The people who attempted to do something about it were instantly fired e.g., former Attorney General Mr. Dladla. Several letters have been written to no avail.
1) 1987 direct to the King
2) 1987-88 through Sir George Mamba who told Joshua Nkomo that I had quarrelled with the Swazi Royal Family, I need to be reminded.
3) Through former Prime Minister Sotja Dlamini
No answer.
4) Through Obed Dlamini who passed
through
No answer, Obed Dlamini was then fired.
5) The King had earlier assured my family through Lonhlanahla Dlamini and Musa Ndzimandze that he would action my return though the then Prime Minister Obed Dlamini who had later assured me that the King wanted me to return after the November 1993 election. Musa had also confirmed that information.
No answer.
6) I wanted the King to take initiative and show care and concern before telling him the complete sad story about Mr. Tiny Rowald, Lonrho plc and Dr. Simon Nxumalo.
No such care and concern was shown by the King. In the absence of that care and concern, both Mr. Rowland and Dr. Nxumalo have not answered my letters. Why should they?
They feel safe and covered by the King. I wonder if His
Majesty can afford to play “Dribbling Wizard” games with me without making a
fool of himself e.g., 1) Police power has been growing from time of Sobhuza II
when Detention Without Trial was introduced after the
1973 democratic elections. When I was detained in 1977 the police went and told
the King that a) I was a danger to the security of the State. This was false,
of course. B) Using sexual entrapment. They also alleged that I had dated or
went to bed with a diplomats wife. This was also false. The trap had misfired
when I had, on principle, refused to do so and, instead, it was Makhosonkhe Dlamini, Regional
Commander for the Hhohho District and stationed at
Who is it?
1) Once the Imbokodvo senior officials had become cabinet ministers, one after another, they became involved in ritual murders and theft of government and public funds.
Mr. Mhambi Mnisi who was directly involved in sending me out of the country, was heard to say (publicly) that the Zamqolo Fund been eaten by the rats. Laughter among the nation!
2) Much as I admire some of the few former ministers who did not join the Liqoqo, like Zonke Khumalo, it is wrong for them to advise the King that the tactics of twenty five (25) years ago like the message of the elections and Sedition (as proposed) can be successfully used in the Swaziland of today. So please do not go in circles, go forward.
Turning the Swazi Monarchy into a presidential executive office merely succeeds in confusing the political situation even further.
More so, His Majesty cannot afford to play “Dribbling Wizard” games with the ancestors. If I am a liar and Sobhuza II was a fool to believe me, then Mswati III must be very clever indeed. I shall leave the matter here:
a) I told Prince Sozisa and those who were opposing Mfanasibili what to do and what would happen if they did not act. They ignored me at their peril.
b) I told some people here what would happen to Margaret Thatcher two years before it happened. Nobody believed me at the time. It happened exactly to tune.
c) I told your Majesty what would happen in
d) This is your turn, you had believe it Your Majesty. For the country and Kingship or Kingdom is not yours, it is theirs. Sobhuza II wanted to know why they had deserted him. When they desert you, you will come looking for me, but it will be too late.
Kindest regards
Clement Dumisa Dlamini