By Zweli Martin Dlamini

It is often said that, emaSwati easily forget and the Tinkhundla undemocratic regime has been capitalization on this, fooling the Nation by depositing some few coins in the pockets of civil servants through a salary increment and then, grab the money by increasing the costs of water, electricity and other basic commodities.

The recent application by the Eswatini Electricity Company (EEC) comes shortly after the Eswatini Government implemented a salary review and it seems now, the next project is grab all the monies from the pockets of the civil servants and poor citizens to fund the extravagant lifestyle of the King and the royal family including corruption in the public administration.

What is happening in this country is not only painful but grossly unfair to the poor citizens, the Tinkhundla undemocratic regime has nothing to offer except to steal from the pockets of the poor and vulnerable.

Electricity in this country is fast becoming a luxury, only the rich, powerful and politically connected will enjoy the services that come with electric power.

It should be noted that, electricity enhances power in cellphones and these gadgets are now used for communication, banking, news dissemination, navigation and other basic services fundamental in the lives of human beings in this digital era, increasing the costs of electricity is undermining access to other basic services thus worsening the lives of the poor.

Members of Parliament (MPs) must vigorously oppose the proposed electricity increase, it is not in the best interest of the poor citizens to increase electricity and if need be, Government must use our taxes to subsidize electricity.

Prince Lonkhokhela, the Minister of Natural Resources and Energy addressed a press conference last year, pretending to stop electricity increase, he claimed to be acting in the interests of emaSwati.

But some of us warned that, the royal family and the current Eswatini Government will never act in the interest of the poor, this is a regime that holds meetings, plotting and developing strategies to oppress emaSwati so that those in power could steal from the pockets of the poor and vulnerable without being held accountable and/or without any resistance from the vulnerable and economically oppressed citizens.