BY DELISA THWALA
MANZINI – In a quest to enlighten emaSwati about the positive impact that His Majesty King Mswati III has made on the nation since he began his reign; a young man has penned a manuscript for generations to come.
Wandile Nkambule, a liSwati who is a qualified teacher, has compiled a book titled; ‘King Mswati III: A Symbol of Unity and the Eternity of emaSwati since 1986’. The book is meant to shed light on the strides of the King and how he developed the kingdom since he assumed kingship.
According to Nkambule, he had been doing research at the National Archives, using information obtained from the national newspaper Times of Eswatini, the Constitution, as well as other sources of information, to compile the manuscript. He shared his wish for it to be authorised by the King’s Office so that it could be disseminated in schools and constituency centres.
He expressed that the manuscript would be available free of charge. When sharing how it was produced, the author revealed that he used his allowance to fund its production. He further shared how he wished to get the King’s blessing on the book.
“I have a strong sense of patriarchy, I love the King and the rich history of the kingdom so much. As a nation, we are the only remaining kingdom with unique history and culture. We still need the King’s leadership and guidance, and I am hoping this manuscript will shed light on this,” he quipped.
He noted that social media was being used by certain people to push negative narratives about the King. In penning the manuscript, Nkambule said he was hoping it would be a tool to spread good news about the King and the rich history of the country.
He also shared that he hoped it would not be used as propaganda for the Tinkhundla System.
“I focused on social, economic and political development since 1986 when the King assumed his reign. It also touches on the footsteps that the King has followed of King Sobhuza II, such as maintaining culture and traditions, as well as traditional institutions such as Sibaya,” he said.
The author went on to state that the manuscript included the King’s praise names and how he met one of his wives, Inkhosikati LaMbikiza, in 1985. According to Nkambule, he was motivated by the events that occurred on June 29, which marked the beginning of the political unrest in the country.
“From the look of things, there is a narrative that the King has misdealings and has done a lot of wrong, when this is not the case. So, I decided to write the manuscript to enlighten emaSwati and this information is readily available, even to tourists, about the rich history of our King and how he got to develop the nation,” Nkambule said.
