KING DECLARES NATIONAL EMERGENCY

MBABANE – Eswatini has declared a national emergency following the relentless spread of the coronavirus across the world.
It was at around 2:30pm yesterday that Prime Minister Ambrose Dlamini informed the nation that he had been commanded by His Majesty King Mswati III to invoke Section 29 of the Disaster Management Act of 2006 to declare a national emergency.

“Having assessed the magnitude and severity of the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic the world over, I have been commanded to declare a national emergency in the Kingdom of Eswatini with immediate effect for a period not exceeding two months,” said Dlamini.

Declaration

The PM said as a result of the declaration, the King had further commanded government to cancel the celebration of His Majesty’s Birthday celebration, which was expected to take place on April 19, 2020 in Nhlangano.

The King will be turning 52 years old. 
“The budget set aside for the King’s Birthday celebration will be redirected to the fight against the coronavirus pandemic,” said Dlamini.
During the press briefing, Dlamini, who was surrounded by Cabinet ministers, said the King had further commanded that Good Friday and Easter services, which were expected to take place from April 10-12, 2020 be suspended.  The premier said the King had also commanded that the Army Day, which was scheduled to take place on Friday, must also suspended.

Dlamini said the Kingdom of Eswatini, like the rest of the world, was confronted by a stubborn pandemic that threatened the health and wellbeing of the nation as it relentlessly spread across the globe at an alarming rate.

“While Eswatini has one confirmed COVID-19 case at this moment, we are seized with the responsibility to protect our citizens from a scourge which knows no boundaries and continues to unfold in an unprecedented manner and speed,” said Dlamini.
Worry
The premier’s statement came a day after Members of Parliament (MPs) had expressed worry at government’s silence, particularly because other countries like South Africa had pronounced themselves on the matter by declaring it a disaster.
The MPs’ questions have indeed been answered as they had questioned if events like the King’s Birthday celebration, Good Friday and Easter services and the closing of schools was going to take place in order to prevent the spread of the virus.
The premier said the Head of State had further commanded that government and Parliament were to ensure that sufficient funds were made available specifically for the fight against COVID-19. 
“Government is tasked to work in collaboration with regional administrators, chiefs, traditional authorities and all relevant sectors to upscale the preparedness and response plan in communities and that security forces will be part of the COVID-19 national emergency response,” said Dlamini.
He further stated that a socio-economic analysis on the impact of this pandemic on business would be undertaken.

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