PM LEADS IN AFCFTA LOBBYING

 MBABANE – The Kingdom of Eswatini’s bid to host the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat continues to gain momentum.

With barely two months before the bid team arrives in the kingdom to assess readiness to host the AfCFTA, the country’s political leaders have already taken a leading role in enlisting support from neighbouring countries.

Prime Minister Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini last week engaged some of Eswatini’s counterparts within the Southern African Development Community (SADC). This was during the 32nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on February 10-11, 2019.

Support

Eswatini has previously lobbied during different forums such as the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) Summit, held in Gaborone, Botswana in June 2018 as well as the 7th meeting of Ministers of Trade (AMOT) held in Cairo, Egypt in December 2018.

“The prospects of hosting an African secretariat in the country are very exciting for the Kingdom of Eswatini. It is very encouraging that most of the SADC countries are already beginning to openly support the country’s bid. It is such kind of support that emboldens my ministry to step up our efforts to achieve this important national objective,” said Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade Manqoba Khumalo. 

The minister reiterated that a directive to the AfCFTA National Steering Committee headed by E. Nathi Dlamini was to multiply their efforts to ensure that Eswatini wins this bid.

Competition

“We are aware that we are competing against big countries, but competition breeds excellence and as a country we need to embrace it. The days when countries were freely given projects on a platter just for the asking are now long gone as every project now entails fierce competition among peer countries,” Khumalo explained.

Other members of the steering committee are Principal Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry Siboniso Nkambule, Deputy Attorney General Zandile Dlamini, CEO of the Federation of Eswatini Business Community Dudu Nhlengetfwa and CEO of Eswatini Tourism Authority Linda Nxumalo. Also, Head of Human Resources at MTN Eswatini Mncedzi Ngomane, Under Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Jennifer Neves and Director for International Trade in the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade Sizwe Ntshangase is Secretary.

The minister clarified that the benefits of hosting the AfCFTA Secretariat at the Public Service Pensions Fund (PSPF) office building which has recently been vacated by the Eswatini Revenue Authority (SRA) were many and varied – from job creation to economic spin-offs.

Khumalo disclosed that PSPF has agreed in principle to host the Secretariat at the building located at their office park opposite the Ministry of Home Affairs offices.  

The Secretariat is expected to employ local and international professionals in the hundreds; and these professionals will live in Eswatini, rent their executive homes from emaSwati, send their children to local schools, shop in local supermarkets; use local clinics as well as fly in and out using our new international airport. “I am particularly excited about the job creation aspect of this project and hope the labour movement will support government in this bid,” added Khumalo. 

What is AfCFTA?

African heads of government agreed to establish a continental free trade area in 2012 and started negotiations in 2015.
The agreement is set to be signed by all 55 member states of the African Union, bringing together 1.2 billion people with a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of more than US$2 trillion.

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