BY MBONO MDLULI
MBABANE – In order for this country to develop, uncompromising leadership is a must.
This was said by Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini today when delivering his speech during the Global Leadership Summit, which was held at Potters Wheel Church in Mafini, along Malagwane Hill. Dlamini said the uncompromising leadership was also going to help protect the resources that the country, as well as the African continent, had.
Dlamini said there were bad elements that were out to deplete the African resources at the expense of the natural inhabitants of the continents – the Africans themselves. The PM was of the view that the future belonged to Africa, which he described as the future.
According to the Premier, all indicators pointed to this fact that Africa had the largest land mass and huge reservoirs of untapped natural resources. He described Africa as a youthful continent, with brilliant and resilient human resource, naturally endowed with physical, emotional and spiritual strength. In 2022 the Premier said it was estimated that 40 percent of Africa’s population was 15 years old or younger, compared to the global average of 25 percent.
“The people of Africa are full of love and forgiveness and tolerance. Ladies and gentlemen, Africa is the future,” Dlamini said. “The African sun is shining brighter and brighter that even the darkest shadow and the vilest of evil shall not dim this light. Our mother land needs strong Leaders to take us to the future.”
He said the leaders needed were those that realised the worth of this continent. Leaders that would not allow Africa’s difficult past to be repeated. He said it was important for Africans to be aware that there were those who were benefactors and thrived from the wealth of this rich continent. He pleaded with African leaders not to allow Africa and its people to be impoverished and enslaved in any form again.
“We need leaders, not people pleasers. We need leaders who are firm and are willing to take unpopular decisions and appropriately reward good and evil,” he said.
He further highlighted that Africa needed leaders who did not conform to old systems and norms that added no value, but leaders who would seek to understand the purpose of things rather than being focused on the means to fulfilling the purpose. He said the kind of leaders needed were those that would be disruptive to the norm and would be innovative rather than conforming.
“We need Leaders who are not afraid of failure, but are willing to pursue a vision that brings positive change and win for their people,” he said. He implored the African leaders to unleash the potential of the young leaders and allow their creative spirit to bring positive growth among the youth. He said young African women and men who believed in the potential of this country and continent and those who believed in themselves needed to be raised.
“This will require an education system that is not only dependent on schools and teachers, but one that is based on respect for family values, one that makes the family the right institution in which to raise a child,” he said.
He said it was for this reason why any attempts to remove faith from the country’s school system and curriculum would not be accepted. “We must also carefully and jealously guard against the introduction of values that are contrary to our faith and traditional values to our children in the name of globalization,” he said.
“We must not be apologetic about who we are and what we stand for. Many who lead before us were blind-sided and we have seen that in some instances conforming to what is against our culture and tradition has led to more problems.” He said African leaders who ruled many years ago emphasised on using good components of foreign culture, while disregarding the bad ones. He told the attendants that it was good to follow on the footsteps of those leaders.
He pleaded with the attendants of the summit to always remember that the words of a wise King (Ecclesiastes 9:11) who saw that “under the sun, the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happens to them all.” On a parting shot, the Prime Minister left the leaders (attendants) with a question: What is your blue print to be part of the great future that is Africa?
