Times Of Swaziland: BRING BACK HONOURS SYSTEM

BRING BACK HONOURS SYSTEM
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Editor on 17/05/2023 07:41:00


Sir,
With a population of approximately one million in a world of seven billion,
there is a 0.01 per cent chance of being a successful Eswatini-born
sportsperson. Whether that is good or bad or something to be proud of, I will
leave to you. What it does mean, however, is that the chances of a liSwati
excelling on the global stage are just as slim given how few of us are there in
the world. What it also means is that if a liSwati has achieved something
extraordinary, and is lauded for their achievements outside the country, that
liSwati has done exceptionally well and ought to be celebrated.
Excellence
What better way to celebrate our exceptional, high achieving citizens, who,
through their excellence, shine a global light on this tiny land, than bestowing
upon them our country’s national honours. The civil honours system is an
indication of a country’s belief in top performance, professionalism and
excellence. Nobuhle Dlamini, a superstar golfer who plays on the Ladies European
PGA Tour and the Sunshine Ladies Tour and was crowned Jo’burg Open champion in
2019, is easily one of the kingdom’s greatest exports.
Erika Seyama, another star athlete, won gold in the high jump at the All Africa
Games in 2017, has competed in the IAAF Diamond League and continues to hoist
the country’s flag high. At the 2006 Commonwealth Games, Simanga Shiba won
bronze in the men’s light flyweight boxing division. In 2016, Fanele Mashwama
and his teammate won the World Universities Debating Championships. That is the
largest such competition in the English-speaking world and a liSwati won it! All
the aforementioned feats are honour-worthy and the fact that none of the
abovementioned people have received national honours is egregious and is an
indication that excellence is, clearly, not a priority in this country.
Honours
The failure of the State to honour these men and women, who put the country on
the map, means that the country loses the opportunity to use them as leverage to
show the world what emaSwati are capable of. The national honours in this
country have remained a preserve of members of the royal family, foreign heads
of State and government and, occasionally, members of the diplomatic corps. The
honours system must be brought back to life, and used to honour and celebrate
exceptional emaSwati who have made this country proud.