BY MBONO MDLULI
MBABANE – It is important for Emaswati to celebrate their own starts, as that is more fulfilling than to celebrate those from outside the borders of Eswatini.
These sentiments were uttered by Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini yesterday during the National Sports Awards, organised by the Ministry of Sports, Culture, and Youth Affairs. Dlamini was represented by Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Thulisile Dladla.
The Prime Minister said as a nation and as a people, Emaswati have, for the longest time, neglected celebrating what was good about and among them and sought to celebrate what was foreign to them. “There can never be any fulfilment in celebrating and honouring people and projects from beyond our borders over what is ours,” Dlamini said.
According to the PM, there was much to celebrate among Emaswati, and they just had to dedicate ourselves to noticing it. He told the gathering that he had learnt with delight that the Ministry was working on establishing a National Sports Hall of Fame.
He described this move as a commendable, and urged the Ministry to move with urgency in getting this up and running. He viewed Hall of Fame as an important platform to celebrate sporting excellence, but also preserve and pass down knowledge on the country’s sporting history across generations.
Dlamini described sport as a key driver of patriotism and national identity. According to the PM, few things had the power to unite the country and even the world in the way that sport could do. “His Majesty’s Government recognises the huge role sport can play in boosting our economy, creating sustainable jobs, and thus alleviating poverty among our people,” he said.
The Prime Minister pointed out that Government’s actions as an administration over the next five years would focus on upscaling the provision of adequate sporting infrastructure across Eswatini, the setting up of relevant and well-researched policies, pieces of legislation and programmes to support the development of sport in Eswatini.
In that same spirit, the Premier wished to encourage the private sector to partner with Government and invest in local sport. He was reliably informed that the country’s athletes won 28 medals in international competitions over the 2023/2024 financial year, with 16 of them gold.
“This is a clear indication that there is a case for stronger investment into our sport and huge potential for development and returns for all partners,” he said. He further encouraged parents and guardians to encourage and support their children’s participation in sport.
“For us to develop world class athletes, we need to identify and nurture them from a young age, thus we must not demonise sport in the family setting but instead support our children to pursue their passions,” Dlamini concluded.
