Times Of Swaziland: TOWNS, MUNICIPALITIES DIRECTED TO ERECT ‘HALLELUJAH’ BILLBOARDS

TOWNS, MUNICIPALITIES DIRECTED TO ERECT ‘HALLELUJAH’ BILLBOARDS
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BY SIBONGILE SUKATI on 16/09/2021 08:55:00


MBABANE – All towns and municipalities have been directed to ensure that
billboards illuminating ‘Hallelujah’ as the prominent praise word within
their jurisdictional areas are erected.
The directive was issued by Prince Simelane, who is the Minister of Housing and
Urban Development. Through the directive dated September 14, 2021, written to
all chairpersons of councils and Boards, the minister said pursuant to His
Majesty King Mswati III’s call and command, that the country should flight
signs and boards whose face must illuminate the praise word Hallelujah, he was
directing all towns and municipalities to do likewise. “All erected billboards
and signs including postings on advertisement digital platforms must be at
conspicuous places within the jurisdictional area of the town or
municipality,” stated the minister.
Prince Simelane said such places could include intersections of major road entry
or exit points within the urban boundary.  “This directive further states that
the plighted ‘Hallelujah’ message should stay for a period of at least a
month from the date of His Majesty’s speech of September 6, 2021,” said the
minister. He further advised councils and Boards to be creative in the design
and aesthetics of the billboards and signs. On September 6, 2021, which was also
the country’s 53rd Independence Day, which coincided with the Reconstruction
Fund Launch, during his speech, the King said Hallelujah must be sung and
written everywhere in the country.
While delivering this message, the King broke into the song Hallelujah with the
assistance of a choir and invited the attendees of the launch to join him in
song. He said the message was from God and that spreading of the Hallelujah
message should be done for a period of not less than a month, which meant it
should continue until October 6, 2021. He said the Hallelujah should be written
and shouted in all corners of the country from royal residences, chiefdoms,
homes, Parliament, churches, streets and all roads. His Majesty said like the
children of Israel who were instructed to have signs of blood on their doors,
emaSwati would be protected from all the demons. He encouraged others to even go
beyond the month in using the word Hallelujah and said even with COVID-19, God
would assist the country.
The King said in this regard, God would continue to bless the nation. He said
this was the message from God following the three-day fast, which he had called
him last month, worked for the country as God would answer the prayers. He said
he had a message from God for emaSwati especially since God heard their cries
from Heaven. “The fasting was for peace in the country, COVID-19 and HIV/AIDS
and the lack of employment in the country,” he said. The King said after the
Holy Communion had been taken it was clear that God had heard the prayers
because it begun to rain and that was a clear sign that God had heard the
prayers. He informed the about 200 attendees that when he last addressed the
nation at the Mandvulo Grand Hall in 2019, he said his message to the nation was
to keep it moving.
Meanwhile, a majority of the councils and Boards received the communication
yesterday and said they were already looking for quotations in order to set up
some of the signs and billboards. “Yes, we are running around looking for
quotations,” said one of the council members from one of the towns.
Communications Officer in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development Lungelo
Nkambule confirmed that the communication was from the ministry. Other
institutions which have already heeded the King’s call include some
magistrates courts, police stations, Eswatini TV and some parastatals that have
put up the message on their websites and social media pages.