By Zweli Martin Dlamini

Perhaps let me first declare that while employed by one of the local newspapers fifteen(15) years ago, I once worked with Nsindiso Tsabedze, the now Spokesperson of the Ministry of Health, he is a journalist and of course, one of the best writers capable of producing an article or press statement within a few minutes.

But the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Health whom I hold in high regard based on his previous experience as a journalist, released a press statement on Tuesday afternoon, announcing the temporal closure of the Mbabane Government Hospital.

As expected, the statement was well-written, produced by a journalist who knows how to play around with words to communicate a political narrative.

But beneath the well-written press statement, the souls of innocent emaSwati are crying, some due to their unfortunate poverty situation died after struggling to buy their own medication.

Indeed, this cruel, oppressive and undemocratic Tinkhundla system of Government is responsible for collapsing the health system and protecting the alleged thieves like SwaziPharm Director Kareem Ashraff.

Closing a hospital even if it’s for five(5) minutes is a decision likely to result to an undisclosed number of deaths because, in every minute or second, there’s a patient within the Intensive Care Unit(ICU) fighting for his/her life.

Well, my colleague Nsindiso Tsabedze tried to do damage control, he was within his duties as a Spokesperson and I don’t blame him for doing his job of managing the reputation of the troubled Ministry of Health.

But my job is to dig deeper and uncover what is hidden beneath the press statement and endless political excuses by this oppressive regime regarding the health crisis while emaSwati die amid shortage of drugs in public hospitals.

So this regime wants us to just understand that, it’s normal to close a public hospitals and there would be no casualties?.

I had, on numerous occasions stated categorically that, no ‘political make-up’ will ever clean of restore the credibility of the Tinkhundla system, this a corrupt and oppressive regime with absolutely no regard for human life.

Closing a hospital, even if you can employ a very brilliant Spokesperson like Nsindiso Tsabedze can never be justified, a hospital is a very sensitive institution dealing with people’s lives and, in ten seconds(10), emaSwati receiving treatment within the ICU will be gone.

The secretive eSwatini Government will not come back to tell us how many people died within that short period of time.

In conclusion and in light of the aforementioned, let me emphasize that, the current ruling Tinkhundla regime has failed the citizens of this country and, it’s very unfortunate to note that, there are people who still believe life will be better under this oppressive regime.

Now we are made to understand that it’s normal to close a public hospitals temporarily, what a shame!.