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LOBAMBA – Government will soon provide maize meal, beans, cooking oil and other basic commodities to poor families across the country if a bill passed by Parliament yesterday has its way.
The motion was moved by Lobamba Lomdzala MP Marwick Khumalo who advised Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla to ensure that the government provides food items such as maize meal, beans, cooking oil and other basic commodities. Kumalo said the need for the motion was due to the fact that many citizens in the country were mired in abject poverty, an issue that was widely discussed in Parliament during the budget speech early this year.
Kumalo proposed that the Deputy Prime Minister must submit a report to the House of Representatives within seven days on how the government plans to implement or enforce the resolution of the House of Representatives on the matter within seven days. While moving the motion, MP Kumalo said the fact that the issue of poverty had been discussed before in Parliament showed that it was a national issue as it affected almost all constituencies in the country. Furthermore, Kumalo said he had already approached the Deputy Prime Minister who shared what she was willing to do. Kumalo said the reality in the country was that poverty still existed and affected many families.
hunger
In the vernacular, he said: “Live lilambile. Sive silambile,” which means “the country is starving, the citizens are starving.” He said if he asked all MPs to share their experiences with vulnerable citizens, a lot could come out of it. He also said he was sure no MP would come forward and claim they had never been in a situation where they had to use the little money they had to help poor families. “I have to applaud that councillor because it means they are lucky. Where I come from, you see poverty when you get up in the morning and at the end of the day. Now, as councillors, there is only so much we can do but the government is in place and has to play its part,” he said.
Kumalo further explained that in previous years, when faced with the same challenge, the government stepped up and distributed 1,000 bags of 50kg maize meal to each constituency. He said there were about 55 constituencies in the country at that time but the government managed to meet the needs of all constituencies. In addition to maize meal, the MP said the government also distributed 500 bags of beans to each constituency. “Communities come together to share government aid. But not everyone gets it because in each constituency, the elders know which families are in dire straits. People know each other and there are people who deal with the problems of poor families,” he said.
Councillor Lobamba Lomdzala said although the money was not much, it helped and saved emaSwati’s life. He said the situation in many communities was dire and those affected included the elderly. “We’re eating the leaves outside,” he said. He said that this issue was discussed as early as the budget debate in February. Now it is the second half of the year and there is still no progress, which is not good. He said those Emaswati who were living in abject poverty were the ones who promised to perform their obligations when the authorities were carrying out state duties or activities. “If we don’t take care of these people, I don’t think we are on the side of God. Therefore, I request the support of the House to pass this bill so that the life of emaSwati can be saved”.
trust
He mentioned that he was encouraged by his conversation with the Deputy Prime Minister, who revealed that the country has allocated about 120 million Egyptian pounds to fight poverty. According to Kumalo, the deputy prime minister said that according to the motion, about 40 million Egyptian pounds would be needed to provide food. The MP said that as long as the country had a finance minister and a prime minister, there would be no obstacles to obtaining the 40 million euros. “It doesn’t matter how long these foods help people, what matters is that they make a difference.
“We don’t have to be pessimistic. People are starving,” Kumalo said. Kumalo’s comments were seconded by MP Mduduzi Mantunta Dlamini, who reiterated that MPs have indeed spent a lot of money on buying food hampers for their constituents and that this happened before they were elected. As expected, almost all MPs stood up to make their submissions, however, Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs Jane Simelane, who was standing for the Deputy Prime Minister, stood up to say that the motion was accepted.
Important
“We are asking for this motion to be tabled and for a report to be submitted within the stipulated seven days. This is an important issue that needs to be prioritised because people out there are going hungry and that is a fact. As MPs we see this every day in the constituency we represent,” she said. The minister said it was distressing to see community members outside their homes in the morning, asking for food assistance, only to return home to see the same situation. She said the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office, under the leadership of the Prime Minister, was handling the issue and would take action as soon as possible as expected.
After her submission, the debate ended with MP Kumalo thanking her colleagues for their support. However, Kumalo said the adjournment had deprived them of the opportunity to hear MPs detail the challenges faced in other constituencies. “I thank the Minister for taking up the motion smoothly and I thank the Members for their enthusiastic support for it. “We are lucky to have a prime minister by our side who is very aware of the issues of the vulnerable and I am sure he will not take it lightly,” Kumalo said.
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