NEW PARLIAMENT CRITICIZED FOR LACK OF PUBLIC INTEREST AS MPs TO POCKET R240 MILLION IN FIVE YEARS
Sivumelwano Nyembe, Spokesperson for the pro-democracy MultiStakeholder Forum (MSF), has dismissed the new Parliament as ineffective and unlikely to serve the public interest, accusing its members of prioritizing personal gain over meaningful governance. Speaking to Swaziland News on Wednesday, Nyembe criticized the legislative body for its role in perpetuating oppression by endorsing laws that suppress citizens.
Eswatini remains under an absolute monarchy where political parties are banned from participating in elections. With about 70% of the population living below the poverty line, MPs, including Speaker Jabulani ‘Buy Cash’ Mabuza, are collectively expected to earn over R240 million in salaries over the next five years. This disparity has fueled widespread frustration among citizens who view the Parliament as complicit in their economic struggles.
“We are not expecting anything from this Parliament,” Nyembe said. “In fact, we rejected the election process from the beginning on the basis that the process was not democratic. Hence, there’s no way we could expect it to act in the public interest.”
Efforts to obtain a comment from Speaker Mabuza were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.
Nyembe also pointed to systemic issues within the parliamentary structure, describing it as ineffective and lacking the capacity to address the nation’s pressing problems. He criticized poor governance, mismanagement of resources, and the lack of oversight over the executive branch as critical failures that have perpetuated inequality and corruption.
“The same conditions and issues persist, such as poor governance, inefficient resource allocation, and a lack of effective supervision of the executive branch. National resources are being accessed without proper accountability, and this status quo cannot continue,” Nyembe said.
The MSF Spokesperson emphasized the need for a comprehensive political dialogue to address these issues, calling for a parliamentary system grounded in multiparty democracy. He argued that the current structure does not provide genuine representation for citizens and instead enables a select few to benefit from public resources at the expense of the majority.
“Our nation urgently requires a comprehensive political dialogue that will pave the way for a new parliament based on the principles of multiparty democracy. The people are in dire need of genuine representation to safeguard our national resources and to ensure that taxes are directed toward the collective benefit of our society, rather than benefiting only a selected few individuals,” Nyembe said.
The critique of Parliament reflects broader dissatisfaction with Eswatini’s governance system, where the monarchy holds ultimate power, and elected representatives are often seen as mere extensions of royal influence. As calls for reform grow louder, the push for a democratic and accountable parliamentary system remains a central demand of the pro-democracy movement.
For many citizens, the contrast between the wealth of MPs and the poverty faced by the majority highlights the urgent need for systemic change. The new Parliament, as Nyembe suggested, represents continuity of the status quo rather than a step toward addressing the nation’s critical challenges.