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 LET US DEMAND MORE TRANSPARENT ENGAGEMENT ON THE UNESWA CRISIS

When I first heard that the Minister of education, Mr. Owen Nxumalo, had initiated another probe into the UNESWA crisis I tried very hard to make my constructive views heard by the task team mandated to investigate this crisis.

It was hard to get to them and the Times of Eswatini refused to publish my letter to the editor. I subsequently wrote to the Chair-person of the task team through their work email. This is how difficult it is for citizens to convey their well thought out views in our country.

I believe that the task team should engage the nation publicly, the same way in which the Eswatini Energy Regulator recently engaged the public on the tariff increase that was proposed by the Eswatini Electricity Company. We deserve to know what people are thinking.

Emaswati have a right to know how their taxes are wasted and how their children are exposed to a highly compromised education institution. Moreover, they have a right to have a say in that institution’s future.

The task team has now created an email address: uneswatask@gmail.com. While I have concerns about the lack of transparency in sending email to this address, I believe we can at least send emails asking for a more public engagement on this issue. This is what I want to plead with Emaswati to do.

Please send emails to that address asking for more transparent discussions where we will be presented with the state of the institution and given an opportunity to share our own informed views.

Picture - UNESWA chancellor King Mswati III.