BY MBONO MDLULI
MBABANE – His Majesty King Mswati III has ordered soldiers not to be the enemies of the nation.
The King, who is also the Commander-In-Chief of the Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF) issued this order today when delivering his speech during the Army Day, which was held at UEDF Headquarters in Nokwane. The UEDF was celebrating 51 years of its existence, as it was formed in 1973.
“In your work, you must ensure that you consistently demonstrate that you are not enemies of the nation, but you are there to defend and serve the country. It is pleasing to see the numerous programmes you have developed that ensure your engagement with the nation,” the King said.
The King also commended the involvement of soldiers in peacekeeping mission around the African continent. “We are indeed grateful of the continued bravery of the UEDF members deployed in these peacekeeping and support missions, especially in Somalia under the auspices of the African Union. Therefore, resources will be mobilised to capacitate and equip a UEDF contingent for deployment within the auspices of the SADC peacekeeping missions as well in the spirit of collective security for the region,” said His Majesty the King.
He said the deployment to SADC and that of deploying Defence Attachés to the UN and other international and regional blocs was long overdue. Therefore he ordered Government and the UEDF leadership to see to it that it was urgently done through provision of relevant resources.
He ordered soldiers to continue with their selfless service to the country, as it was the supreme and ultimate calling of their profession. “Let the oath of allegiance be your guiding light wherever you go and whatever you utter with your mouth. Soldiers, Government will do all she can to meet your needs and address your issues accordingly. Government is making every effort to meet the needs of Emasotja (soldiers),” he said.
He also emphasised the importance of collaborating with other soldiers from the world in ensuring that there was peace in the international community. The King told the soldiers that they needed to collaborate with the soldiers.
He further commended the soldiers who were studying in various countries across the world, saying it was important to collaborate with those countries in order to gain the valuable knowledge they needed to do their work. He reminded the soldiers that the world was now one because of globalization, which made the people to be one big family.
The King further ordered soldiers to collaborate with other law enforcing agents in the country, such as the police and the correctional services officers. This would be done to ensure that their work in keeping peace within the country was professionally complemented.
