LOBAMBA: King Mswati who has been promising citizens a better life for all by 2022 saying the country would reach First World Status has finally withdrawn his sentiments as socio-economic challenges within this tiny Kingdom intensify.
Speaking during the State of the Nation Address(SONA) on Friday, the King said it was clear now that the country will not reach the target to attain First World Status by 2022 adding that he hoped it won’t take long before the country gets back on track and attain it.
“We are now in 2021 and there are no clear signs, as yet, that we are going to make much progress without eliminating COVID-19. There are, however, positive signs that it is being brought under control. Since we earmarked the year 2022 as the year to attain first world status, it is clear that we are not going to reach this target. We hope it will not take us too long to get back on track and attain it” ,said the King.
Speaking to this Swaziland News, Wandile Dludlu, the Secretary General of the People’s United Democratic Movement(PUDEMO) said King Mswati never had a vision to develop this country, instead, he ‘stole’ collective ideas of Emaswati through political parties, the civil society and other groups who held a meeting after the 1996 strike to formulate the National Development Strategy(NDS).
He said Swazis who had an interest of the country presented ideas in about 20 years ago on how the country could be developed, however, the King later claimed it was his vision.
“We wanted to decrease unemployment by half, build dams and introduce new industries in all the towns among others as part of the development strategy. We agreed that every five(5) years, the government would be examined if it was still following the National Development Strategy. But the way this country is governed was identified as a major obstacle”,said the PUDEMO Secretary General.
King Mswati