BY PHUMZILE NDLOVU
MBABANE – It was all God’s plan!
These words were echoed by reigning Mr Eswatini Sive Aidan Mawelela (23), as he reflected on his big dreams and journey before he was crowned Mr Eswatini on December 16, 2023.
Mawelela is from Ngculwini, under Mafutseni Constituency, in the Manzini Region. He attended Evelyn Baring High School and is a proud product of William Pitcher College, where he received a Diploma in Education, specialising in Mathematics and Science.
He shared with this publication that after being announced the winner, he was so happy and proud of himself. He said, “After I was announced the winner, my heart was at peace because I knew that the crown was in good hands.”
He went on to add, “I remember back in 2014, when I was in Form Two, I used to tell my peers that one day, I would become Mr Eswatini, and I wanted my parents to be proud of me as a young man. Well, at that time, everyone thought I was just bored, and they felt like I was just wasting their time. It is very impossible for me to become Mr Eswatini.”
According to Mawelela, back in high school, he had to settle for less because he had less. The people around him came from backgrounds that were well off, and some of them, including him, had to be strong in order to survive. That alone made him feel like his dream was bigger than he could achieve.
When he was in Form 4, he lost his dad, and things went from bad to worse. He and his little brother had to fight for survival, but, through God, they survived. But things were not easy.
“I thank God for all these experiences because they taught me how to survive and be the person I am today. I hope all young people will understand that in this life we live in, we always fight for what we want. Life will always give us what is contrary to what we want, but we will always push, hard work and determination will lead to success. Look at me today. I am a qualified teacher, a model, and the reigning Mr Eswatini. It hasn’t been easy, but we fought, worked hard, and at the end of the day, it all paid off.”
When asked what advice would he give an aspiring model hoping for the title one day, the reigning Mr Eswatini said, “To any young person who wishes to hold this title one day, you must understand that nothing comes easy in this life, but hard work pays, and remember that it does not matter where you come from; what matters is where you are going.”
He concluded by saying, “What’s important is where you want to be as a person, and you must work towards what you want. Nothing is impossible. It is just you fighting for what you want and being determined. One thing you need to understand is that everyone, including me, has a story to tell about the past, but that is just the past. All we need to focus on is the future and what we want to achieve, so young people should start fighting for their dreams no matter the circumstances.”
