STATEMENT BY THE RT HON PRIME MINISTER

 

DR B.SIBUSISO DLAMINI

 

IN RECOGNITION OF SERVICE BY TWO PUBLIC OFFICERS

 

AT PIGGS PEAK HOTEL, PIGGS PEAK

 

FRIDAY 12 DECEMBER 2014

 

Honourable Ministers

Babe Simon Kunene and Team

Babe Vuyile Dlamini

Representatives of the Media

Ladies and Gentlemen

 

It is always a proud moment when a Swazi brings recognition and respect for our country in the eyes of our fellow nations.

 

Today, I am very pleased to be asked to recognize the efforts, and the international acknowledgement of the work, of Babe Simon Kunene and Babe Vuyile Dlamini.

 

Simon Kunene is Malaria Programme Manager in our Public Service.  He and his team – and I do emphasise that this has been a team effort -  have done excellent work in the programme to eradicate malaria in Southern Africa.  Malaria, as we all know, has claimed millions of lives over decades, possibly centuries.  Babe Kunene has led the national programme to the level at which we are ranked among the four leading countries in the region in terms of performance.  Swaziland is now rated at the “elimination” stage with one further level to attain – the “eradication” level – before we can say we have completely removed the disease from the Kingdom.

 

In recognition of our country’s efforts and the extent to which this reflects on the leadership of His Majesty King Mswati III, two awards were recently made to our Head of State by the African Leaders Malaria Alliance, which is affiliated to the African Union.

 

Mr Kunene has been in the field of fighting malaria for many years and our recognition of the contribution he has made to eliminating malaria from Swaziland is shared with countries all over the continent of Africa.  Indeed, his services as technical adviser is sought after by numerous countries.

 

Our congratulations to Simon Kunene and his team.

The second public officer to be recognized today is Vuyile Dlamini, Legal Adviser at the Ministry of Health.  Babe Dlamini’s good work in the area of the control of tobacco consumption is being acknowledged today by an award, to be made on this very day, from the World Health Organisation (WHO).  Babe Dlamini is currently Chairman of the Expert Group on Article 14 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.  He is also a temporary Adviser to the WHO Africa Regional Office on the issue of tobacco, and trade in tobacco, in Africa as well serving on the Technical Committee which developed the Protocol on Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we are all acutely aware of the direct link between tobacco consumption and the quite dreadful and invariably terminal disease that is lung cancer.  In his work in tobacco control Babe Dlamini is delivering a valuable service to his fellow Africans. 

It is my pleasure to give recognition to the work of these two public officers.

 

Thank you.