REMAIN TRUE TO YOUR IDENTITY - KING

LOBAMBA – “There is no culture or ideology that is supreme which has to be imposed on other nations of the world.”

These were the words of His Majesty King Mswati III, who said God gave each nation its unique culture to practise and pass on to future generations.
“Likewise, democracy is tailored towards the cultural norms and beliefs of each nation,” he said.

The King made these remarks yesterday when he delivered his Speech from the Throne during the official State opening of the Second Session of the 11th Parliament.

His Majesty called upon all emaSwati, including those living abroad, to remain true to their identity.
“They should place the interest of our nation above their own,” the head of State said.
He said there was no culture or ideology that was supreme.

Embraced

The King said since time immemorial, emaSwati were globally known as a nation that embraced dialogue, peace and unity, which were the key tenets that distinguished them from the rest of mankind.

He said founders of the kingdom had an amicable way of addressing national differences through the traditional forums which allowed all citizens, irrespective of age, religion or gender, to voice their ideas on how best the country could be taken forward.

“EmaSwati have always respected those entrusted with leadership positions in all the spheres of our nation,” he said.
He said this began from family level, community, chiefdom up to national leadership.

“MaSwati, asibeke embili inhlonipho nekuthula eveni,” he said, which was a call on all emaSwati to promote respect and peace in the country at all times.

Challenges

The King mentioned that the country’s social and economic challenges were not unique to Eswatini as they were driven by the global phenomenon that currently prevailed.
“This has a negative effect on many sectors of our society because economies of the world are intertwined,” he said.

He said emaSwati should cherish the unity and family relationship that had existed since the country’s predecessors founded this great nation many years ago.
He said these values were enshrined in the country’s ethos and had been passed from generation to generation and therefore everyone needed to protect them and guard them for the future generations.

“As the nation is aware, our unity as emaSwati remains critical because it yields handsome dividends in terms of sustainable development initiatives and economic growth,” he said.

Philosophy

On international relations and cooperation, the King said the local philosophy of ‘a friend to all and enemy to none’ had been the political ethos of Eswatini since the time of King Sobhuza II.

He said King Sobhuza II placed great emphasis on a world anchored on peace, dialogue, respect and common shared values.
He stated that guided by these, the kingdom would continue to work towards maintaining good international relations with current and new bilateral and multilateral partners.      

                   
 In conclusion, the King invited every citizen to rise up and draw from the rich reserves of buntfu and rediscover inhlonipho (respect). He said both these were essential for them to take on the enormous task which lay ahead.

Revive

“We have a nation to build, an economy to revive and social obligations to fulfil,” he said.   
He said emaSwati needed to tap into the enormous potential that the collective attributes provided to mould an impenetrable circle of trust in the capabilities to create a society of visionaries, optimists, entrepreneurs and active citizens with First World mindsets.
“Let us not be stalled in our journey towards 2022 by non-developmental issues as this would surrender ourselves to poverty, hunger and disease,” he said.
He said this was not the Eswatini we wanted.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: