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KENYA PRESIDENT, ANC, USA MOURN PM

15/12/2020 01:26:00 BY NTOMBI MHLONGO

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MBABANE - “The Prime Minister Ambrose Dlamini was an industrious and devoted leader.”

These were the words of the President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, in a message of condolences to the Kingdom of Eswatini following the passing of the PM.

Kenyatta is among several African leaders, organisations and individuals who have mourned the demise of the late PM through messages and press statements.

In his message of encouragement, Kenyatta said Kenya stood with the people of Eswatini as they mourned their departed leader.

“He was a devoted leader who was committed to improving the well-being of his fellow countrymen. It is unfortunate that we have lost such a great leader at a time like this. May the Almighty God comfort the PM’s family and the people of Eswatini as they mourn their kin and leader,” the Kenya president said.

Elaborating, Kenyatta said his country would forever cherish Dlamini’s contribution to human development, especially in the banking and telecommunications sectors where he served successfully for many years before he was appointed PM.

Difficult

President Kenyatta assured His Majesty King Mswati III and the people of Eswatini that Kenya was with them during this difficult time.

The African National Congress (ANC), led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, also issued a message of comfort to Eswatini and the family of the late PM.

In a statement issued through the Department of Information and Publicity, the ANC said it was joining the people and Government of Eswatini as well as the entire continent in mourning the demise of the PM.

Ramaphosa also issued another statement on behalf of the Government of South Africa.

The president offered his sincere condolences to the family and friends of the late PM, the royal family, Government of Eswatini and the nation at large.

“Today all South Africans and compatriots across our continent bow our heads in sadness at the passing of a leader who took pride in leading and representing his nation. His untimely passing is also a tragic reminder of the indiscriminate harm that is in our midst in the form of COVID-19,” Ramaphosa said.

Not to be left out, President of the Republic of Somaliland Muse Bihi Abdi also conveyed his deepest condolences to the Government of Eswatini and its citizens on the loss of the head of government.

Also passing condolences was the US Embassy Eswatini, which issued a statement on its Twitter page.

“He will be remembered as a committed and thoughtful leader and an individual of upstanding character. His passing is a great loss to us all,” the embassy said.

Remembered

Meanwhile, the Coordinating Assembly of Non-Governmental Organisations (CANGO) described the late PM as someone who would be remembered as a champion in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

The organisation, which released a statement through its Chairperson Reverend Zwanini Shabalala, said Dlamini led the nation in response to the pandemic by declaring a national emergency and establishing response mechanisms.

“He led the government’s policy on national development with the purpose of addressing the economic challenges and budgetary constraints facing the country. Among other things, he launched two key strategic documents detailing a plan to addressing the challenges,” reads part of the statement issued by the organisation. It mentioned that with 2022 just two years away, there was hope that Dlamini would lead the country to Vision 2022 in spite of the COVID-19 setbacks. “We appreciate his leadership during this time. As a nation, death has robbed us of the opportunity to benefit from the immense knowledge and experience of the fallen PM,” CANGO mentioned.

Other organisations which posted condolences included the European Union (EU) Eswatini and the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO). The latter reminded the people of Eswatini that the COVID-19 pandemic was not over as many countries were recording an increase in the number of news cases. “This, therefore, calls for us to exercise the precautions that health experts advise,” the proscribed entity emphasised.