ZAKHELE – Principal Secretary (PS) Mthunzi Shabangu has urged aspiring leaders to reject limitations inorder to transform Eswatini into a first-world nation.
Shabangu was addressing participants during the Leaders Mindset Conference and Camp held at the International Youth Fellowship (IYF) College chapel at TwoSticks, Zakhele, on Sunday.
Adopts
Drawing from the book of Numbers 13:30, he challenged participants to adopt the attitude of biblical figures Joshua and Caleb, who believed the Israelites could conquer Canaan despite the challenges posed by its inhabitants.
He recounted how Moses had sent 12 spies to explore the promised land before the Israelites entered it. Although all 12 confirmed that the land was fertile and flowing with milk and honey, 10 returned with a discouraging report, focusing on the strength of the people inhabiting it.
The 10 spies compared themselves with the inhabitants and concluded that they were too small to overcome them.
However, Joshua and Caleb maintained that the Israelites were capable of taking possession of the land.
Limitations
Therefore, Shabangu said Eswatini needed people who would similarly look beyond the country’s limitations and recognise its potential.
“Eswatini may not have minerals. Eswatini may be a small country when compared to many countries in the world. Eswatini may not look rich, but it is well able to be a first-world country,” he said.
He challenged the participants to stop viewing the country’s size, resources and other limitations as obstacles to development, saying citizens had the capacity to improve their living conditions and contribute towards national progress.
The PS further urged the aspiring leaders to reject the notion that poverty and suffering were inevitable, arguing that everyone had the potential to create a better life for themselves and their families.
“No one out of all the people that were born in this kingdom were born to be poor. No one out of all the people that were born in this country were born to live a miserable life,” Shabangu said.
In another note, he encouraged participants to become agents of positive change in their workplaces, churches and communities, emphasising that the country’s transformation required people who were prepared to inspire others.
Quoting Caleb’s declaration that the Israelites should immediately go and take possession of the land because they were well able to conquer it, Shabangu challenged the participants to translate their beliefs into action.
“Let us go out and make a turnaround. Let us go out there and inspire positivity out of the people,” he said.
Challenged
Meanwhile, South Korean guest speaker Pastor Gang challenged participants to stop allowing fear, personal judgement and self-reliance to influence their decisions, saying these could prevent people from recognising God’s direction.
Cautioned
Preaching from *2 Corinthians 10:12*, he cautioned against measuring oneself against others or relying on personal standards to judge circumstances.
He illustrated his message through three biblical accounts, beginning with the 12 spies who explored Canaan.
He said although they accurately observed the challenges in the promised land, most failed to recognise the God who had sustained the Israelites throughout their journey from Egypt.
He also referred to Joseph and his brothers, who feared retaliation despite having been forgiven for selling him into slavery. Joseph’s response that his brothers intended evil but God intended it for good demonstrated how God could work through difficult circumstances, he said.
His third example was King Jeroboam, who, despite having been appointed king through God’s intervention, allowed fear of losing his subjects to Jerusalem to lead him into establishing golden calves for worship.
Gang said these accounts demonstrated how fear and reliance on personal understanding could lead people away from God’s direction.
Testimony
The conference also featured a testimony by IYF College student Nothando Khumalo, who shared how her encounter with the Good News Mission Church had transformed her understanding of faith and fellowship.
Khumalo, who enrolled for the institution’s Microsoft Office course during its fifth intake in 2025, said she decided to make the church her spiritual home after attending her first mind lecture.
She said she had previously believed she was responsible for managing every aspect of her life, including her problems, dreams and employment prospects, without depending on others.
However, through the church’s teachings, she said she came to understand her spiritual condition and the importance of fellowship and sharing her struggles.
The conference, which began on Friday and concluded on Sunday, was organised by the Good News Mission Church, which operates under the IYF, for the spiritual development and mindset upliftment of the college community.
It was attended by Shabangu, members of the college administration, students and members of the public.
The programme was also punctuated by gospel music, Christmas carols and cultural performances by Ubuntu, the college’s African dance group, which recently returned from South Korea after representing the institution and Eswatini at an IYF cultural event.
