BY KWANELE TSABEDZE
MBABANE – “You cannot buy respect from a supermarket.”
These were the words of Deputy Prime Minister Themba Masuku when praising the values of the elderly in the Kingdom of Eswatini.
The Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) was speaking at Nkwene today, where he commemorated the International Day of Older Persons together with elderly from Nkwene, Ebuseleni and Ekuphumuleni. The overall umbrella theme for the United Nations International Day of Older Persons in 2022 is ‘Resilience of Older Persons in a Changing World’.
“What I want to say to you elderly, as well as those among you who are about to enter that stage, is that the elderly carry pillars. They carry pillars of improving the nation, improving civility, improving communities, as well as improving families. These pillars I speak of are values,” said Deputy Prime Minister Masuku when speaking at the event.
“These values are foundations which are important to the nation. To name just a few, there is respect for one. Respect cannot be purchased in a supermarket, it is in the home. It does not originate from anywhere,” added the Deputy Prime Minister.
The DPM added that the spirit of giving is another value which is best learned from the elderly. He encouraged emaSwati to have humanity and compassion for one another, citing that these are some of our most important values as a country.
Deputy Prime Minister Masuku also promised that his office will continue with strengthening programs which cater for the elderly in the country.
