THREATS TO HIJACK FESBC PRAYER MEET

MANZINI – Due to clandestine moves by certain individuals to hijack a prayer meeting that was to be hosted by FESBC, the organisation postponed the event.

The Federation of Eswatini Business Community (FESBC) prayer meeting was scheduled to be held at Tum’s Water World, Sidvokodvo, yesterday. The prayer service was dubbed FESBC Vusumnotfo Service. Mavela Sigwane, the FESBC Head of Transformation, explained that the postponement was necessary, due to threats aimed at sabotaging the prayer meeting, posing a risk to State security. In an audio message inviting the business community to the prayer meeting, Sigwane, speaking on behalf of FESBC President, Tum Du Pont, mentioned that the meeting was to start at 10am. The FESBC Vusumnotfo Service was scheduled to last approximately two to three hours.

Prayer

The prayer was for the realisation of August business resolutions, a change in the business climate and improved fortunes, among other topics.Sigwane also noted that attendees were supposed to fast for half of the day and not eat breakfast before coming to the event. Each member was asked to bring E100 for breakfast, which was to be provided by the business community. In the audio, Sigwane said they believed that a favourable business environment required a connection with Jesus Christ. He stated: “The business environment is not conducive if you do not have Jesus Christ. There are certain people who are anti-Christ, who fight tooth and nail, and even physically, to create laws against the success of businesspeople.”

This reporter travelled to Sidvokodvo to cover the event. Police vehicles were parked at various points and officers were redirecting incoming traffic. An officer informed this reporter that the meeting had been cancelled and referred her to Sigwane for further details.Meanwhile, when drawn for comment, Sigwane confirmed that the decision to postpone the prayer meeting was reached on Saturday evening.  He said the decision was taken following a risk assessment by State intelligence. He disclosed that law enforcement agencies indicated that they would provide further details in a formal meeting later this week.

Sigwane clarified that the postponement was due to a new threat linked to the meeting. He stated that the decision to halt the meeting was taken to avoid potential danger and disruption.
The FESBC head of transformation highlighted that their primary concern was to ensure the safety of all involved and to avoid a repeat of past disruptions, such as the civil unrest the COVID-19 pandemic. When asked about the identity of the individuals behind the threats, Sigwane said they were not yet known, but law enforcement agents would provide this information in the upcoming meeting with the business community.

Sigwane reiterated their commitment to hold the prayer meeting, stating that if necessary, they would consider booking a larger venue, such as Mandvulo Hall or Mavuso Trade and Exhibition Centre, based on advice from State security. Senior Superintendent Phindile Vilakati, Chief Police Information and Communications Officer, could neither confirm nor deny whether the police service advised FESBC against hosting the prayer meeting, due to threats to State security. However, Vilakati did confirm that a meeting took place between the police and FESBC regarding the event.

Discussions

“I cannot disclose the details of the discussions, because the police service does not publicly discuss security matters. I can, however, confirm that the discussions led to the decision to cancel the meeting,” the senior superintendent said. She reiterated that she could not provide specific reasons for the decision. Recently, a breakaway faction from FESBC established a new federation known as the Business Federation of Eswatini (BUFE). This publication reported that BUFE had been officially registered and recently received its trading licence from the Commissioner of Labour, Mthunzi Shabangu.

Served

Jobe Mashwama, a former FESBC member, is the President of the newly-formed federation. His assistant is prominent Attorney, Mzwandile Dlamini, who previously served as FESBC’s Legal Advisor. Mangaliso Maseko, also a former executive member of FESBC, is the Chief Operations Officer of BUFE. Maseko confirmed to this publication that BUFE was indeed established and noted that a significant portion of its executive team comprises former FESBC members. He explained that BUFE is a non-profit organisation, dedicated to advocating for the interests of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the country. The federation’s mandate includes negotiating on behalf of its members on issues related to taxation, access to finance and working capital management within SMEs.

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