People who don’t show up on time to meetings and appointments are really starting to bother me. Ten to fifteen minutes delay is sometimes understandable, but half an hour? Especially ridiculous is when the guilty party lives less than 400 meters away from the meeting place. At first, I didn’t care too much because its not like I had things planned for after the meeting (people said that getting one or two things a day accomplished was normal. What I’m griping about is probably part of the reason for that). Now, besides than my own schedule, I’m starting to think that personal tardiness delays the Swazi agenda, developmental and otherwise. When key people don’t show up meetings, we wait until they do. Then the meetings run overtime, and people who had other commitments either have to cancel or else leave and miss out on the latter half of the meeting. I’ve seen this happen during almost EVERY meeting I’ve been to here – it has a big effect on productivity. It is said that, “oh, it’s a rural development, tardiness and procrastination are to be expected.” Not everyone here is like that though, and these people understand that if Swazis are serious about bringing more business and wealth here like they keep telling me, this has to change.
I tell the people I work with in my community, ad nauseum, about the first youth group meeting I called in the neighboring community. I thought I was clever by telling all the kids to come half an hour EARLIER than when I actually wanted to start. They ended up one-upping me because the first person showed up ONE HOUR late. So we were still 30 minutes late despite my best-laid plans. When people hear this story, they just give an embarrased smile and say, “Aish, you know, we work on ‘Swazi Time’”.
Yesterday in the Swazi Times, there was a “National News” article dedicated to the Prime Minister chiding his cabinet for being late. I thought it was amusing how some of this space and time for public discourse is not about “big” issues like child abuse, HIV, or lack of economic growth, but remains stuck at the level of defining professional behavior. It’s interesting to see that he has to deal with the same issues even in the urban, supposedly more progressive setting. He is right though – there is no sense in calling it “Swazi Time” or “African Time” – it’s just plain late, and no euphemism using culture as an excuse will change that fact.
Even more frustrating is when people say they will do something and don’t do it at all. They’re not even late, but don’t even show up! Again, people at all levels write checks with their mouths that their bodies can’t cash – youth, my bhutis, NGO representatives, World Health Organisation. That last one really surprised me. WHO bothered me the most, because they are supposed to be setting the high standards – medical and professional. This kind of thing makes me doubt people’s level of seriousness despite their lip service to “fighting HIV”.
In training, the Culture Coordinator tried to prepare us for these frustrations by saying how Swazis like to please, and that they never want to say ‘no’. Like “Swazi Time”, I bought it then but I don’t buy it now. When a verbal promise to someone, it should be kept. These are simple issues of reliabilty and consideration for others. Geez, I’m starting to sound like an old man.
Jenny was right. Peace Corps Volunteers need a break from the country every few months to prevent burnout. I figured that it’s a low-key job, and I try to keep a low-key personality, but it’s true that the little things after a long period start to wear you down (Or, it could be that I need to eat more protein).
Otherwise, things are going fine. The Social Centre committee continues to meet and are getting good work done (incidentally, after all that I’ve said here, I must confess that I was the one late for one of those meetings). I’ve been handing out condoms and siSwati HIV-books like a fiend. Well, relatively.
Today, I’m in the capital because the new Group 5 Trainees have finished their 9-week training and are having their Swear-In ceremony tomorrow. I think that will be a good break for me.
-mw
