BY MBONO MDLULI
MBABANE – Chiefs in the Manzini Region are central to the King’s 56th Birthday celebration that is set to take place next week Friday.
This was said by Ministry of Home Affairs Communications Officer Mlandvo Dlamini today (April 12, 2024) during his interview on Eswatini TV’s Kusile Breakfast Show. Dlamini said chiefs were central in that when a king was born, he was born for chiefs to be able to function in their chiefdoms.
In terms of Eswatini Law and Customs, a king rules a country through the chiefs, who act as the king’s footstools or representatives in their respective chiefdoms. That means the presence of a king means the chiefs have a person they can report to when they need guidance on certain matters. Therefore, such events like the King’s Birthday mean chiefs are celebrating a day in which a king is born for them.
Regarding Manzini Region chiefs, Dlamini said they were central because this year’s function would be in Mankayane, under Manzini Region. Therefore, they were the ones who would provide guidance on how things should be done for the event to be successful. Dlamini said Government was supposed to only be an implementing partner of the Manzini Region chiefs in preparation for this event.
Government, according to Dlamini, took guidance from the chiefs in this regard. He also pointed out that chiefs also knew how people should address the king and they acted as advisors on matters related to culture. He said the king’s powers vested with chiefs in their respective chiefdoms. Therefore, it was proper for Government to take advice from them regarding such events.
Dlamini also said chiefs represented the people in the chiefdoms. The chiefs, in this case, advise Government on what Emaswati in the chiefdoms expect, now that the King’s Birthday is around the corner. The chiefs can also mobilise their communities in order for them to play a role in ensuring the success of such an event.
