BRING BACK HONOURS SYSTEM

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.

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