STATEMENT BY THE RT HON PRIME MINISTER
DR B.SIBUSISO DLAMINI
AT THE KING’S CUP 2016 MEDIA LAUNCH
AT ROYAL SWAZI SUN CONVENTION CENTRE
TUESDAY 16 AUGUST 2016
Honourable Ministers
Sponsors
Other representatives of the private and public sectors
Representatives of the Media
Ladies and Gentlemen
It is my honour to officiate at this Media Launch of the King’s Cup 2016 on behalf of His Majesty King Mswati III who has travelled to Malaysia for the international conference on Blue Ocean Strategy.
The King’s Cup has become a quite spectacular event in our calendar. It is celebrating its 12th year of existence, having teed off, so to speak, in 2004. It is not only a hugely popular golfing competition but, in its extended format, doubles up as a significant and widely supported tourism promotion event.
Golf is one of the great player and spectator sports, often attracting a near fanatical engagement. Presidents and pop stars, accountants and high school students alike – golf does not define its own fan base. All it asks is that you keep your eye on the ball, hit straight and enjoy the magnificent scenery. The devotion of millions to the game contains many stories of the obsession with golf distracting the individual from higher priorities in life. Thus emerged one of the earliest golfing jokes – if golf interferes with business, er, well, give up business.
Ironically, from the days when that saying was coined, social and professional behavior have evolved to the extent that, nowadays, golf and business are in a unique partnership. One of the most understated characteristics of this marvellous game is that it builds business links and personal friendships in a manner that no other sport appears to match.
We, in Swaziland, do use golf as one of our vehicles to promote business – specifically, tourism. By bringing together individuals from different walks of life, both domestically and from outside Swaziland, we see golf as a valuable mechanism for promoting dialogue. We encourage our visitors to not only enjoy the beauty of our golf courses, and the thrill of the pro-am competition of the King’s Cup golf tournament, but also to go beyond and see more of our countryside, our people and our way of life. And, especially for those in the tourism industry, we hope that their visit will spark an enthusiasm for investing in tourism and bringing tourists to Swaziland.
Swaziland has so much to offer the tourist, from picturesque scenery to colourful, musically rich, cultural events, and flora and fauna in an unspoiled setting. And we do need tourists. At present, the average stay of a visitor to Swaziland is barely one night. Visitors see our country as a transit stop on the way to South Africa and Mozambique, rather than a must stay for at least a week tourist destination.
In golf alone we have two wonderful courses at Nkonyeni and Royal Swazi, that match any in the world for quality and beauty. There you already have two days holiday for the millions of keen golfers around the world, before they even step outside the golf courses.
Attracting more tourists to our country will, in the first instance, contribute to economic growth through the increased revenue from tourism services – hotels, guest houses, car rental, as well as the sale of locally produced handcraft and other commodities. The increased economic activity, in turn, causes more jobs to be created. The private sector gains from this growth and domestically sourced Government revenue increases from taxation, helping us to reduce our reliance on the income from the Southern African Customs Union (SACU). There you have some serious win-wins.
The King’s Cup programme will start on 31 August for the professional golfers who are members of the Big Easy Tour and Sunshine Tour. They will play 54 holes – that is three rounds - over a period of three days. Then, the main event itself will be preceded by the tee-off by His Majesty the King on 2 September 2016, in the event with the main sponsors. The following day, 3 September, will be the main day for the Pro-Am tournament, and this will be followed by the gala night.
We expect participants to come from most SADC countries – that is South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Zambia, among others. There will also be participants from the Middle East and the rest of Africa.
In all, we expect around 400 golfers – professionals and amateurs – for the golf tournament. The prize money, for which the professional golfers will compete, is E350 000 which reflects a dramatic increase of E150 000 from the 2015 tournament. There will be many spectators at the event and it will also be televised live through Supersport.
The King’s Cup as a brand has been significantly enhanced by the donation, by Royal Command, to three Swazi charitable organizations: Cheshire Homes, Hospice at Home and Swaziland Red Cross. Many top professional golfers participate, as well as distinguished visitors that have included former President of Malawi Bakili Muluzi and South African Ministers and members of their parliament.
The event would not of course be possible without the generous sponsorship from many organisations, the key sponsors being MTN Swaziland, Swaziland Posts and Telecommunications, Nedbank Swaziland and Sun International (Swazi Spa Holdings). This year, we welcome Swaziland Royal Insurance Corporation (SRIC) to that group.
The King’s Cup is the brainchild of His Majesty in his wish to not only promote Swaziland as a tourism destination but also to raise funds to support worthy charities. I speak for His Majesty in saying that he welcomes additional sponsorships from all walks of life, no matter how big or small the sponsorship might be. It is important that we assist His Majesty in his quest to promote the country and the further development of our tourism sector.
It is now my privilege, on behalf of His Majesty, to launch the King’s Golf Cup 2016.
Thank you.