BY DELISA THWALA
MBABANE – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has, on behalf of the Government of Eswatini, signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOU) with the Embassy of the United States of America (USA) to Eswatini on the employment of dependents of Official Employees.
Minister Thulisile Dladla said this was going to be a mutually beneficial agreement that will allow the families of emaSwati diplomats to apply for jobs in the USA and vice-versa.
“The MoU demonstrates the commitment to cooperation & the strong diplomatic relations that exist between the two countries,” said Dladla.
Meanwhile the internet describes that a dependent is someone who relies on another individual for support, usually a child or other relative who is unable to take care of themselves.
“For tax purposes, dependents must meet certain qualifying tests: the dependent taxpayer test, the joint return test, and the citizen or resident test,”
“Dependants of employees mean the employee’s spouse, dependent children and anyone who is financially dependent on the employee,” read the website in part.
Worth noting is that Eswatini and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization. Eswatini maintains an embassy in the United States.
The United States and Eswatini have enjoyed good bilateral relations since Eswatini’s independence from the United Kingdom in 1968 and its initial establishment as a constitutional monarchy.
The U.S. Government brings an average of three emaSwati students or professionals to the United States each year through the Fulbright Foreign Student Program, from both the public and private sectors, to pursue their master’s degrees, and another three to five people each year for three–to four-week International Visitor Leadership programs.
Each year, the Mandela Washington Fellowship supports up to 10 emaSwati to attend six-week leadership and professional development programs at U.S. universities. The Pan African Youth Leadership Program sends three emaSwati high school students and one mentor/teacher to the United States for leadership training, community service exchanges, and host-family stays.
