By Bahle Gama
Prime Minister Russell Dlamini says the dominant form of democracy promoted globally has not entirely favoured Africa or her people and called for Africans to reject foreign values that destabilise cultural and moral fibre.
He said the continent’s core values, such as those of Ubuntu, faith, family and respect for human life and dignity, must be preserved and taught from generation to generation to safeguard the African identity.
The PM was addressing the 3rd Ordinary Session of the 6th Legislature of the Pan-African Parliament in South Africa on Monday, July 1, 2024.
His remarks were on the Tinkhundla System of governance during a plenary session on “unpacking the issue of Pan-Africanism” and the role of the Pan-African Parliament.
Dlamini noted that the topic has been thrust on Africa as a time when the continent is confounded with multiple crises requiring all to work hard and together to anchor development aspirations on a strong foundation.
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According to the PM, the dominant form of democracy promoted globally has also not necessarily brought peace, stability or prosperity to Africans.
“While progress must be acknowledged under this dominant system, it has brought frequent and unnecessary changes in leadership, instilled partisanship leading into new lines of division in the Nation States and many instances creating instability rather than transforming societies,” he said.
In the PM’s view, democracy refers to a participatory action by the people and for the people, further referring to what obtains in Eswatini.
He highlighted that Eswatini has merged the Western style of democracy with her traditional democratic system. Having been once governed by a constitution given by the British, in the long run, the country realised that such a system caused division amongst the populace of a country with one people, speaking one language.
Hence the quest to establish the Tinkhundla system of democracy.
The system is based on the county system, which we also choose to refer to as Monarchial democracy.
Guided by traditional councils and through an act of parliament, our legendary His Majesty King Sobhuza II repealed this system in favour of our unique Tinkhundla system of governance in 1978,” he said.
This system led to the creation of the current Constitution in 2005 after broad consultations spanning 15 years.
In the period since then, there have been several improvements that reflected the sentiments of the people, and the system has expanded and continues to grow, organically, at the behest of, and reflecting the will of the people.
The PM further explained that in the Tinkhundla system, candidates are elected individually and on individual merit at the county level, and in Parliament at the national level, there is no partisanship.
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The elected representatives work collectively for the nation under the leadership of the Head of State, who provides stability and continuity.
This stability he said has been beneficial not only for Eswatini but also for the region.
“Our system of democracy has respect for human rights, empowers women and has the tenets of Western democracy.
Like many other democracies, it is being strengthened by the people.
Pan African Parliament, you are invited to understudy our system to debunk any public misperceptions that it has attracted merely by being an African-grown system,” said the PM.
