His Majesty King Mswati III addresses Sibaya -- The People's Parliament

Thousands of citizens from all walks of Swazi life filled Ludzidzini Royal Kraal on Saturday, which marked  the last day of  “The People’s Parliament,” where His Majesty King Mswati III officially brought to a close a week of vibrant national self-introspection. .

The King thanked the Nation for heeding the call to Sibaya and expressed gratitude for their contribution towards making Swaziland a better country. He said Sibaya had been convened for the Nation to air their opinions and offer solutions to the challenges the country was facing. His Majesty assured the Nation that he has heard all the submissions that had been made at Sibaya and stated that their consideration was the next step on the agenda.

Addressing the issue of Circular No. 1 of 2010, which was raised by numerous speakers, the King said  experts would be sought to investigate the matter, and provide recommendations. He added that it was important that despite the fiscal crisis the nation was going through, all matters still needed to be scrutinized in an orderly fashion in order to reach balanced views. On submissions of alleged corruption, he noted that it was important for culprits to be brought to book and their cases tried to finality with strong punishment being meted out. The King said this would act as a deterrent to anybody who considered corruption as a way to enrich themselves.

His Majesty said he was pleased that Cabinet Ministers had had an opportunity to educate the Nation about the different charters that needed ratification. He said ratification was important because Swaziland was a member of different organizations and as such, needed to comply. He further noted the submissions by the Nation on a series of charters and conventions.

The King added that Swaziland had not fully escaped the economic crisis and as such, available resources needed to be managed diligently. “We need to avoid encountering the difficulties we faced in the last year because we are not completely in the clear,” he cautioned. His Majesty said it was for this reason that the Swaziland National Association of Teachers and Government needed to go back to the negotiation table and follow the laid down procedure when addressing the issue of the cost of living adjustment. He re-iterated that the Kingdom was still in the red and appealed for patience from the Nation at large. He urged all parties to consider the future of the children who were affected by strikes, and urged teachers to go back to school. His Majesty said the Nation would reap the rewards of the patience when the economy stabilized.