YOUR MAJESTY THE INDLOVUKAZI,

EMAKHOSIKATI,

YOUR ROYAL HIGHNESSES,

PRIME MINISTER,

COUNCILLORS,

CHIEFS,

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER,

CHIEF JUSTICE,

MINISTERS,

MEMBERS OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS,

PRESIDING OFFICERS AND MEMBERS OF BOTH HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT,

REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR,

ADMINISTRATION OF NGWANE COLLEGE, LECTURERS AND STUDENTS,

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN;

SIYANIVUSELA NONKHE BEKUNENE LAPHA ENGWANE TEACHER TRAINING COLLEGE

 

INTRODUCTION

IT IS MY PLEASURE TO BE HERE AT NGWANE TEACHER TRAINING COLLEGE ONCE AGAIN, WHERE QUALITY TEACHERS ARE PRODUCED FOR OUR SCHOOLS.

I AM DELIGHTED TO HAVE COME BACK WITH THE SPECIAL GIFT THAT WAS REQUESTED BY THE COLLEGE BACK IN 2012.

WE WELCOME ALL OF YOU FOR HAVING TRAVELLED FROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COUNTRY AND BEYOND TO JOIN THIS MOMENTOUS OCCASION AND BEAR WITNESS TO THE OFFICIAL BLESSING OF THIS BEAUTIFUL ROAD WHICH LEADS TO THE COLLEGE.

OVER THE WEEKEND WE WERE ALL GATHERED AT MBANGWENI ESIGODLWENI TO WITNESS UMKHOSI WEMHLANGA FOR THE SHISELWENI REGION.

 

WE WERE PLEASED TO SEE THOUSANDS OF IMBALI CONVERGED AT ESIGODLWENI FOR THIS CULTURAL CEREMONY, WHICH HAS BECOME ONE OF THE MAJOR ATTRACTIONS FOR TOURISTS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE.

IT WAS ALSO A GREAT JOY THAT THE CEREMONY PROCEEDED SMOOTHLY AND WE WISH TO THANK CHIEFS, PARENTS, TEACHERS AND EVERYONE WHO CONTRIBUTED TO MAKING THIS CEREMONY THE SUCCESS THAT IT WAS. AS EMASWATI WE SHOULD PRIDE OURSELVES IN PRESERVING AND LOVING OUR CULTURAL ACTIVITIES.

 

ENCOURAGE NGWANE TEACHER TRAINING STAFF

OUR VISIT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXTEND WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT TO ALL THOSE WHO ARE PART OF THIS COLLEGE TO ALWAYS STRIVE TO RAISE THE STANDARD IN ALL YOU EMBARK UPON, WHETHER AS A STUDENT OR PART OF THE TEACHING AND SUPPORT STAFF OF THE COLLEGE.

THE NATION LOOKS UPON YOU TO MAKE GOOD USE OF THE OPPORTUNITY THAT YOU HAVE BEEN AFFORDED, BEARING IN MIND THAT OTHER STUDENTS MAY NOT HAVE HAD ACCESS TO THE COLLEGE FOR VARIOUS REASONS, INCLUDING SPACE LIMITATIONS.

IT IS IN THIS REGARD THAT WE FIND IT IMPORTANT TO CHECK ON YOU FROM TIME TO TIME TO HEAR HOW YOU CAN BE SUPPORTED TO MAKE THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT CONDUCIVE.

 

REQUEST FOR THE TARRED ROAD –E5 MILLION

IT WAS PART OF GIVING SUCH SUPPORT THAT IN THE YEAR 2012, WHILST VISITING THE COLLEGE FOR THE GRADUATION CEREMONY WHICH I WAS ATTENDING FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE NOTED THAT THE ROAD LEADING TO THIS INSTITUTION WAS NOT OF AN ACCEPTABLE STANDARD AND HAD TO BE UPGRADED.

WE ARE HAPPY TODAY TO FIND THAT THE ROAD HAS INDEED BEEN UPGRADED AND TARRED.

THE HIGH STANDARD OF THE ROAD MATCHES THE PROFILE OF THIS IMPORTANT INSTITUTION.

WE ALSO WISH TO ENCOURAGE GOVERNMENT TO CONTINUE USING THE IN HOUSE SKILLS TO CONSTRUCT SOME OF OUR NATIONAL ROADS. WE ARE PLEASED THAT THIS ROAD WAS DESIGNED AND CONSTRUCTED IN-HOUSE AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR WAS ONLY ENGAGED FOR TARRING THE ROAD.

 

INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT

AS A COUNTRY IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE PUT INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT AT THE TOP OF THE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENDA. ROADS INFRASTRUCTURE IS VISIBLE DEVELOPMENT THAT CATCHES THE EYE OF INVESTORS WHO ARE ALWAYS INTERESTED IN INVESTMENT LOCATIONS WHERE THEY CAN TRANSPORT THEIR EXPORTS WITH EASE.

 

 

GOOD ROADS ARE ALSO IMPORTANT FOR OUR PEOPLE TO FACILITATE ACCESS TO HEALTH FACILITIES, TRANSPORTATION OF FARM INPUTS AND PRODUCE BY FARMERS, AS WELL AS ACCESS TO SCHOOLS FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN.

WE THEREFORE URGE GOVERNMENT TO CONTINUE THE GOOD WORK BY EMBARKING ON A VIGOROUS PROGRAMME OF INCREASING THE LENGTH OF KILOMETRES OF ROADS THAT ARE UPGRADED SO AS TO IMPROVE ACCESS FOR OUR PEOPLE.

 

FEASIBILITY STUDIES

WE HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT IN THE CURRENT YEAR FEASIBILITY STUDIES ARE BEING UNDERTAKEN FOR A NUMBER OF ROADS AROUND THE COUNTRY, THE MAJORITY OF WHICH ARE IN THE SHISELWENI REGION.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONSTRUCTION OF THESE ROADS. GOVERNMENT SHOULD MAKE SURE THAT THE PRIORITY IS GIVEN TO THE MAJOR ROADS WITHOUT ANY FURTHER DELAY.

LITTLE TIME SHOULD BE SPENT ON FEASIBILITY STUDIES AS THE NATION WANTS TO SEE ACTION AND DELIVERY OF GOOD ROADS WITHOUT ANY FURTHER DELAY.

WE HAVE ALSO HEARD THE CONDITIONS OF THESE GRAVEL ROADS ALSO AFFECTS THE TRANSPORT INDUSTRY BECAUSE BUSES FAIL TO SERVE THE NATION.

 

GOOD ROADS FACILITATES TRADE

GOOD ROADS ARE ALSO IMPORTANT AS THEY IMPROVE CONNECTIVITY WITH NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES TO FACILITATE TRADE. THIS IS ALSO IMPORTANT IN THE REGIONAL CONTEXT OF SADC, AS IT DEMONSTRATES THAT THE COUNTRY PARTICIPATES AND PROMOTES REGIONAL INTEGRATION.

WE ALSO NOTE THAT THE ROAD WE ARE TALKING ABOUT TODAY STOPS ABRUPTLY AND UNCEREMONIOUSLY.

THERE IS A NEED TO ADD A SECOND PHASE SO THAT IT BENEFITS EVEN MORE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AROUND THIS AREA.

IN THIS REGARD, WE URGE GOVERNMENT TO INCLUDE IT IN HER FUTURE PLANS TO EXTEND THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ROAD TO SERVE THE COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE VALLEY AND BEYOND IN THE COMING YEAR.

REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND PROJECTS

BEFORE COMING HERE WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT PROJECTS FOR THE REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND. WE WERE PLEASED THAT THERE ARE SEVEN TRACTORS READY TO BE USED BY THE COMMUNITIES WHICH WERE PURCHASED AT A COST OF E4 MILLION.

THIS IS HIGHLY APPRECIATED BECAUSE THE FUND IS MEANT TO EMPOWER THE PEOPLE AT THE GRASSROOTS LEVEL AND ALSO FOCUS ON REGIONAL PROJECTS.

PARLIAMENT SHOULD, THEREFORE, SPEED UP THE FORMULATION OF THE NEW REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE OPERATIONS OF THE RURAL DEVELOPMENT FUND SO THAT THE MINISTRY IS ABLE TO RELEASE AND DISBURSE THE FUNDS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

WE DISCOURAGE THE SCOURGE OF ABUSING THE FUND. THOSE WHO USE THE REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO ENRICH THEMSELVES ARE DOING A DISSERVICE TO THE NATION. WE ALSO ENCOURAGE SERVICE PROVIDERS TO ASSIST THE COMMUNITIES IN PROVIDING THEM WITH QUALITY GOODS AT AFFORDABLE PRICES.

DEVELOPMENT IN NHLANGANO TOWN

THE TOWN CONTINUES TO DEVELOP IN LEAPS AND BOUNDS AND THIS IS HIGHLY ENCOURAGING. NHLANGANO HAS A LOT OF HISTORY.

WE THEREFORE URGE THOSE THAT ARE IN CHARGE OF THIS TOWN TO MAKE SURE IT DEVELOPS TO APPROPRIATE STATUS IN LINE WITH CITIES THAT ARE FOUND IN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES – TO BE IN LINE WITH OUR NATIONAL VISION OF ATTAINING FIRST WORLD STATUS BY 2022.

YOU NEED TO PUT IN PLACE PROPER AMENITIES THAT WILL BE USED BY THE PEOPLE. INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT SHOULD BE AT THE TOP OF YOUR AGENDA.

YOU NEED TO DEVELOP PROPER HOUSING FACILITIES SINCE THERE ARE INDUSTRIES WHICH HAVE ATTRACTED PEOPLE TO MIGRATE TO LIVE IN THIS TOWN. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TOWN SHOULD BE PROPERLY PLANNED AND THAT SHOULD BE DONE NOW.

DECLARATION

IT IS NOW MY SINGULAR HONOUR AND PRIVILEGE TO DECLARE THIS ROAD OFFICIALLY OPENED.

WE WISH TO THANK EVERYONE WHO HAS CONTRIBUTED TOWARDS THE PREPARATIONS OF THIS GREAT EVENT.

THANK YOU - MAY ALMIGHTY GOD BLESS US ALL.