STATEMENT BY H.E. THE RT HON PRIME MINISTER

MR. AMBROSE MANDVULO DLAMINI

AT THE CRIME WORKSHOP & DIALOGUE

MAVUSO TRADE CENTRE, MANZINI

THURSDAY 12 MARCH 2020

Programme Moderators

All Participants here present

 May I begin by thanking all participants who are drawn from a broad and diverse spectrum of Eswatini Society, for heeding to the call to partake at today’s important Crime Workshop and Dialogue.

I am encouraged by your commitment to dialogue, which aligns with our key ethos as a Nation. All of you gathered here today have truly shown your patriotism and devotion to Eswatini by setting aside all your planned engagements for the day to make your contributions to this forum.

I wish to thank His Majesty King MSwati III and Ingwenyama for leading from the front in ensuring that the culture of dialogue is firmly entrenched and inculcated in the national psyche of Emaswati. This culture facilitates the spirit of unity whereby as a Nation, we discuss about everything impacting on the development, social welfare and stability of our country.

Indeed, sharing ideas in a harmonious spirit is highly recommended instead of resorting to finger pointing and the blame game which inevitably leads to confrontation and anarchy.

This is one Forum which should stand as a catalyst towards creating a crime free society. My optimistic projection is derived from the diversity of minds that are taking part in what will help us define the discourse going forward. We have an array of thought leaders in various spheres and strategic sectors of the Eswatini society hence I have no doubt that the objectives of this Workshop and Dialogue will be adequately realised.

The key rationale for hosting this event is the recognition that no meaningful development or attainment of our socio-economic growth targets as a Nation will be realised if we continue being confronted by crime and its related social ills. It is clear that we have reached a point where we can no longer turn a blind eye to crime when it makes communities live in constant fear for their safety and well-being.

The various crimes that are the subject of deliberations at this Workshop and Dialogue today such as Murders, Violence perpetrated against women and children, Stock Theft, House Burglaries and Robberies, are a real menace and require a new crime fighting momentum. The same sentiments apply to those crimes that affect business growth and stability such as Cybercrime and the Theft of Copper Wire, which is a scourge that also impairs the smooth delivery of essential services to communities. Another disturbing phenomenon is that of Suicides whose rate of occurrence is now a cause for concern.

As we deliberate today, we have the opportunity of addressing the spate of road accidents, given their cost in terms of loss of productive human capital, as well as being a potential threat to the country’s positive profile as a safe haven for foreign investment.

Given the pressing nature of all these safety and security matters, Government saw it fitting that this Forum be convened to facilitate the contribution of different stakeholders on the most prudent turnaround strategy. I am confident that, after today’s engagement we will see increased community centred thrust in the fight against crime and the other safety concerns that have been plaguing us.

Forums such as this are aimed at stimulating the renewal of the safety and security landscape for an effective and refreshed onslaught on anti-social behaviours that may in the long-term undermine the peace and stability we enjoy as a Nation. 

As Emaswati, the onus lies with each and every one of us to jealously guard the peace and stability that is a characteristic feature of our Nation. It is a trait that has become our competitive advantage in the global business arena - attracting the investment capital necessary to transform our economy and create much needed jobs for our youth.

If we fail to deal robustly and decisively with crime, we may be heading for a breakdown of law and order, consequently resulting in the flourishing of globally connected organized crime syndicates who are known sponsors of anarchy, money laundering and acts of terrorism.

We expect emaSwati to adopt a zero tolerance stance to crime, and to ensure that those linked to any form of criminality, including the abuse that take place within the family setting, are duly exposed for the law to take its course. The practice of minding one’s own business is against the ethos of patriotism and active citizenship. Police continue to heavily rely on the support and assistance of the community in order to win the war against crime.

I am therefore looking forward to your input and contributions from all of you today, with a clear comprehension of the fact that active community participation and ownership is the cornerstone of any effective crime and road safety intervention, including the utilization of a multi-sectoral approach.

The multi-sectoral approach is valuable in identifying the root causes of crime and road safety challenges, so that the problem is addressed at its core as opposed to tackling its symptoms.

The innovative and creative interventions to be raised by participants here today will also assist Government in setting priorities and directing resources to address all the safety and security concerns raised. This would also include, ensuring the proper capacitation of the Police with working tools and supporting the processes of enacting enabling legislation, some of which will be flagged during the dialogue. Government’s support will not only be limited to the Police, but will also be focused on ensuring that the whole Criminal Justice value chain operates at optimum levels.

The input to be received here today will also be the basis of a comprehensive Crime Fighting Strategy that will be a blue-print for a robust policing framework from State agency level down to the grassroots community stage, eTinkhundleni naseMiphakatsi.

Allow me to convey my hearty gratitude, on behalf of His Majesty’s Government, to two entities that have made generous donations of vehicles and related equipment to the Police Service to support its core operations.

These entities who are true exponents of the Business Against Crime Concept are; The Bankers Association who have donated a brand new double cab vehicle to support Cash-In-Transit escort operations - and the Eswatini Royal Insurance Corporation that has provided a Caravan that will serve as a Mobile Police Post facility to bring policing services closer to communities as well as assist during traffic policing operations.

I have already viewed these operational facilities and I am convinced that they are fit for purpose and will be a tremendous boost to the Police Service.

I take this opportunity to also recognise and thank most sincerely, the many other companies and individuals who also contributed financially and in kind, towards the hosting of today’s deliberations. We immensely cherish the benevolence of these entities and individuals, which has so profoundly contributed to strengthening the country’s safety and security architecture.

May I conclude by once again, thanking all of you for attending today’s session thus making it a resounding success in enhancing safety and security. You are all making a telling contribution to the peace and stability of the country which will be enjoyed by even future generations.

 I can assure you that your input is valuable and will be utilised accordingly since conquering crime remains a key Government deliverable.

As I conclude let me assure you that Government is working round the clock in the intervention and preparedness processes for coronavirus. His Majesty King Mswati III has led the way in urging EmaSwati to be vigilant and we need to take heed. While we remain with no confirmed case in the Kingdom we are still at risk.

Our senior citizens who are 60 and above and those with chronic illnesses are encouraged to visit their health centres regularly to ensure they are in optimum health. Shaking hands should also be avoided and we need to regularly wash our hands with running water and soap. EmaSwati are encouraged to observe all the precautions we continuously receive from the Health Ministry to prevent infection. Government will continue to update the Nation on the current status of the coronavirus.

Thank you. May God bless us all.

GOVERNMENT PRESS STATEMENT

NO: 02/2020

BUSINESS PEOPLE TO REGISTER MAINLAND CHINA TRADE CONCERNS WITH RESPECTIVE FEDERATIONS

Mbabane, Eswatini – In light of the ongoing concerns regarding trade with Mainland China, the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini wishes to advise business people in the Kingdom to register their concerns with their respective business federations in the country.

Government is having consultative engagements with the two major business federations, Business Eswatini and the Federation of Eswatini Business Community (FESBC). Both federations are well positioned to advise government on the issues that their members will register with respect to trade with Mainland China.

It is in this regard, therefore, that we encourage members of these two Federations to register their concerns with their respective organisations on the matter, who in turn will engage Government with the view to find solutions.

For business persons who may not be belonging to any association or federation, we would like to urge them to register their concerns with the Ministry of Commerce, through the SME Unit at 2404 3201/2/3/4/5/6 or Sibonginkosi Mavuso at 7614 0485.

The Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini remains committed to providing all the necessary support to business in line with its mandate of creating a conducive environment for business growth.

Sabelo Dlamini

Deputy Government Spokesperson

28 January 2020

STATEMENT BY H.E THE RT HON PRIME MINISTER

MR AMBROSE MANDVULO DLAMINI

AT THE CLOSING OF THE CABINET RETREAT

AT THE PIGGS PEAK HOTEL

FRIDAY 24 JANUARY 2020

Honourable Deputy Prime Minister

Cabinet Ministers

Principal Secretaries

Members of the media

Good afternoon

Today marks the end of the five-day Cabinet retreat that helped to trigger our collective responsibility towards creating and cementing a path of sustainable growth for the Kingdom. Our intense focus in the past five days reflected on the performance of the previous year and strategizing for the opportunities and challenges to be tackled in the new year.

Cabinet was joined by Principal Secretaries to review the Strategic Roadmap with the view to ensure that all development plans are geared towards addressing the specific growth pillars of both the Roadmap and the National Development Plan.

The over aching objective is to improve the well-being of all EmaSwati and achieve sustained economic growth. Our actions are in tandem with the national goal of tackling poverty, unemployment and attaining financial stability and development.

A synopsis of the previous year indicated that 2019 was a tough year globally recording the lowest global economic growth of the decade. The Southern Africa region recorded the slowest economic growth in Africa.

However, the rapid growth of the digital economy globally presented new opportunities to all economies especially those in developing markets such as Eswatini. The rise of the 4th industrial revolution points to the fact that ICT adoption and promoting technology integration is crucial in the new year and going forward. We are called upon to intensify our efforts of teaching our youth ICT skills to enhance their potential to harness the benefits of the digital economy. The growth of the digital economy is a constant and is here to stay.

The Kingdom strengthened and expanded its bilateral relations with our stakeholders and trade partners led by His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Indlovukazi. We improved relations with major trade partners such as South Africa, India, Taiwan and signed a cooperation agreement with Singapore.

Eswatini’s real GDP growth in 2019 was projected at 1.3%, and in 2020 the projections show a 100% increase to 2.6%.

The unemployment rate stood at 23% and it is projected to reduce slightly to 22.10% in 2020.

Cabinet identified climate change as the main threat facing the world, including Eswatini, as the effects permeate through all our growth interventions. As a result, a decision was taken to infuse it into the five key growth sectors of the Strategic Roadmap under the pillar of Tourism, now to be referred to as Tourism and Environment.

The year 2020 is themed the year of SMEs. Focus is on SME development, especially creating business access to finance and markets, and empowering the youth and women with entrepreneurial skills. Government will intently build strong relations with the private sector, providing the enabling environment to ensure its sustained growth to enhance job creation and innovation. In the course of the retreat we hosted Business Eswatini and the Federation of Eswatini Business Community to share ideas on how to strengthen our cooperation and work together as partners in stimulating economic growth.

This year we will be launching a new State and Business model known as State Business Relations (SBR) to ensure regular, open, structured, timely and detailed information exchange between the State and Business. We expect the business sector to commit to this model for it to be effective. There shouldn’t be a difference between the private and public sector because we are all working towards a similar goal of improving the lives of EmaSwati, and we believe the SBR will remove clutter and any vacuum between State and Business.

We also welcome constructive feedback from the business sector and we will do the same. Government renews its commitment to simplifying the environment for businesses to thrive, ensuring policy certainty and removing barriers and bottlenecks that impede private sector growth. As a result we are setting up a Delivery Unit whose mandate will be to identify and remove all barriers and obstacles that may hamper the attraction of both Foreign Direct and local investments, including the execution of committed Government projects. The objective is to increase chances of all government and investment projects to succeed.

Agriculture remains a key priority for sustained economic growth for the Kingdom in the year 2020. Emphasis is on the adoption of smart and modernized agriculture to mitigate the effects of climate change. A tunnel drip irrigation project is being earmarked for the area around the King Mswati III International Airport to increase vegetable production. 

Government is also intentionally boosting milk production for self sufficiency and export purposes to boost business growth and job creation. The construction of a milk processing plant has been completed and an operator engaged. This has also triggered other local milk producing companies to expand their facilities. Dairy production is expected to create 5000 jobs at full implementation.

ICT is also a key focus area for Government as it provides a viable vehicle to drive economic transformation. In 2019 we rolled-out internet connectivity to 116 peri urban and rural Secondary and High Schools. Through the Ministry of ICT we also delivered connectivity to 14 Tinkhundla centres and 40 health facilities. In 2020, Government will start rolling out the one laptop per child project. A total of 20 rural schools have already been identified and will receive 45 laptops each.

We will be leveraging on our selection as the top five destination to visit in the world by Lonely Planet through an intensified programme of marketing for tourist attraction. In October, Eswatini will participate in the Dubai Expo that will bring together millions of people from around the world to sample tourism products from the over a 100 countries that will participate.  As this is the year of the SMEs, we will collaborate with the private sector to enhance tourism products.

Over the year, Government will heighten the provision of potable water by accelerating national water coverage through investing in bulk water storage and rural water supply.

The year 2020 will be a year of action and we will closely monitor and follow up on the implementation of the Strategic Roadmap. Through the assistance of the European Union we now have an implementation framework for the Strategic Roadmap. It aims to improve the implementation process and achieve Roadmap outcomes. Performance agreements will be drawn with Ministers and Principal Secretaries and a balanced scorecard will be introduced in April to measure the performance of Ministers and Principal Secretaries. The Balanced scorecards will give the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister an oversight of what Ministries are reporting to Parliament and synchronise with quarterly reports.

As we venture into the activities of the new year, may I appreciate the cooperation enjoyed by the three arms of Government over the past year. We are looking forward to another year of working in harmony in the execution of our duties.

We live in a world where perceptions, more often than not, override reality. As we embark on a national building exercise, it is important that we develop a positive profile for the country and close the gap between the pervasive negative perceptions and the reality on the ground. Government is establishing a reputation management process that seeks to position Eswatini as the destination for peace and stability growth and innovation.

At the beginning of the retreat on Monday, I did inform Cabinet and Principal Secretaries that we owe it to our families and all emaSwati to deliver the transformation that even we ourselves so desire to see in the Kingdom. That includes having an efficient public service, improving access to affordable quality healthcare and providing predictable and consistent energy supply to the investor community and to all emaSwati.  

But most importantly, it is to ensure that we build an environment in which Emaswati can be healthy, happy and inspired.

We are all waiting in anticipation and excitement for the direction we will get from His Majesty King Mswati III when delivering the Speech from the Throne on January 31. For the Bible tells us in the book of Proverbs 29 verse 1, “when the righteous are in authority the people rejoice.”

May I seize this opportunity to address the current misinformation about visa applications to enter the territory of the People’s Republic of China, which is unfortunate, even after Government had issued a statement through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. I want to put across the following;

1. I reiterate the position of the Government of Eswatini contained in the aforementioned statement that there is no cause for alarm and there is irrefutable information that only application procedures for visa to travel to China have been altered for EmaSwati. As a result, the only visa centre where EmaSwati should apply is indicated to be the Chinese Embassy in Pretoria only and not Sandton or elsewhere.
2. I discourage all speculative positions that have been adopted and floated as the reasons that have caused this change in procedure, as each sovereign nation reserves the right to execute its public mandate the way it sees fit without fear or favour or prejudice.

The Government remains committed to serve the citizens of Eswatini and maintain an active interest in the matter.

Thank you.

CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR STATEMENT

BY

THE RT HON PRIME MINISTER,

H.E. AMBROSE MANDVULO DLAMINI

CABINET OFFICES, MBABANE

Monday 23 December 2019

It is my honour to extend to everyone in the Kingdom of Eswatini, His Majesty’s Government’s very best wishes for a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Christmas is essentially a time for profound and joyous celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.  Within the strong Christian faith that is so prominent in our society, the annual commemoration will again be filled with melodious gospel music and prayer in churches across the Kingdom. 

Christmas provides the ideal moment to reflect on how truly wonderful it is that we live in a global society that, whilst not without its problems, is broadly at peace. And such a prevailing peace is entirely dependent on the contribution that each country makes.

None can be as proud and admired, for its history of peaceful collaboration, love and respect for its culture and leadership, as the Kingdom of Eswatini. 

As we move into the new year, let us pray that the global commitment to peace and stability extends to a devoted and credible pledge to slow down global warming to the target levels. Human development realised across the country and the world cannot be reassuring when it is being replaced by the very real risk of global destruction through climate change.  That requires all signatories to the 2015 Paris Climate Accord to take the necessary steps to strengthen their respective national climate plans.  Our voice and influence in the global arena matters, as well as the steps we take to move steadily into renewable energy generation in the coming months and years. 

As we review our place in the world, let us also remind ourselves of who we are as emaSwati, and to what we should commit ourselves in this festive season and the year to come. We are a nation widely respected for the internal stability and harmony that we so greatly value, and hugely appreciated for the friendliness with which we treat each other and the thousands of visitors attracted to our country by the beauty and variety of climate and landscape. 

I take this opportunity to welcome all our visitors to the Kingdom and encourage you to explore our wide variety of attractions, enjoy the ambience of a vibrant, safe and fun environment and marvel at the warmth and cordial welcome you will receive from emaSwati from all corners of the country. Welcome to the best destination to visit in Africa in 2020, as nominated by Lonely Planet, and to the 5^th best country to visit in the World.

In common with every country of the world we, in Eswatini, have individuals who choose to flout the rules and codes of behaviour. My appeal is that let us do away with unacceptable incidents of violence against women and children. Let us also be sensible and respectful on the roads. We have laws and penalties in place to prevent disregard for the safety of others, and to punish those who disregard road rules or drive under the influence of alcohol or other similar harmful substances.  There will be a very high level of police vigilance and zero tolerance to crime. 

Christmas for so many is a joyous time – one of giving and receiving, of sharing happy moments with family and friends. For the needy and vulnerable, however, this period of the year will merely be a continuation of tough living conditions.  May I ask all of you to make a truly caring effort to give one or more of such people some relief from their difficulties over this festive season. In the words of scripture capturing the Christmas spirit, “blessed is the hand that gives than the one that takes.”

Christmas and the crossover into the New Year will not erase the challenges of the present day but it will allow, and indeed demand, the time to make resolutions. 

One in the broader sense is the commitment to harmonious consultation and collaboration. No country in the world is without disagreement among its population. But the winners are those that sit together and resolve misunderstanding.  Emaswati are a team, and a team that works together prospers together. The empirical evidence for that is clearly visible in the profile of every stable and prosperous nation of the world. 

As we reflect on the progress achieved in 2019, we can be assured of Government’s commitment to accelerating efforts of national development and stability. We have made remarkable strides as a nation during the year in the midst of fiscal challenges that have not just affected Eswatini but the region and the world as well.

Through growth focussed measures taken from the National Development Plan, the austerity measures announced at the end of last year and in our Strategic Roadmap launched in May, we have been able to reduce and stabilise government expenditure, reduce the accumulation of arrears, moderated the inflation rate to below 2 percent, attracted big investments into our country creating about 7000 direct jobs, revived the Youth Revolving Fund to allow our youth to have access to business finance, among others.

Eswatini has also improved in five indicators of the Ease of Doing Business which include the period of starting a business, getting electricity, registering property, dealing with contractors and resolving insolvency.

Our gross national reserves have been stabilised and Free Primary Education (FPE) support was successfully disbursed for all deserving learners. This includes payment of grants, stationery and text books to all learners in public schools.

We continue to see harmony between the three arms of Government and going forward we hope it will be sustained and improved. Parliament has worked very well in the current year, passing a number of bills.

Government is acutely aware that despite these gains, we have a lot of ground to cover to reduce poverty and unemployment and set this country on a trajectory of sustained economic growth and stability.  And yes, despite the improvement in some indicators of the Ease of Doing Business the country regressed slightly in the overall index. This leaves us with no option but to redouble of efforts to ensure we remain a preferred destination for investment. While our economy is slowly showing signs of recovery, we continue to experience financial challenges that have strained some of our budgetary obligations and made it impossible to award Civil Servants a Cost of Living Adjustment.

Government commits to the pledge of making the crossover into the third decade of this century a time of acceleration in achieving greater prosperity for all emaSwati. We will forge ahead with the implementation of the Strategic Roadmap and the National Development Strategy.

That will mean taking the achievements of the first year of office to a heightened pace of delivery in a renewed climate of results-based management.  What will be launched very early in the new year is a programme of high level leadership interaction to monitor the effectiveness of the new culture of being judged by achievement.

I will personally hold high-level implementation meetings, focusing primarily, though not exclusively, on our 2019 pledge to the Nation in the form of the Government Strategic Roadmap.  Part of the performance monitoring toolkit will be the Balanced Scorecard, a high-level performance oversight technique that is widely utilised across the world. 

The primary objective will be faster economic growth in the form of expansion of production of goods and services of value, and a continued strengthening of public sector finances.  More jobs, less poverty, combined with a dedication to improved and efficient public service delivery.

As I conclude, may I once again, on behalf of His Majesty the King and iNgwenyama, Her Majesty the Queen Mother Mhlekazi, and His Majesty’s Government, wish all emaSwati and residents of Eswatini a merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year.

Thank you.