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What has the CEO of Swazi Inc. been up to?

Women Leadership in Business Business Woman of the Year Sikhuphe Business Opportunities COMESA Review

EDITOR’s NOTES

EDITOR: sicelo tshabalala

Business goes through cycles, determined, like most things by time, for instance, the different financial year periods that different entities choose to adopt. For example the Government of the Kingdom’s financial year is April to March. My cousin’s corner shop, however, has the calendar year as its guide, January to December. The proverbial calendar year end is nigh and the almost indented, “reflections, introspections” and all ancillary emotions, thoughts, feelings and perceptions are evoked as though they were programmed, well maybe that is an article on its own, perhaps for another day. The point prime is that we conclude yet another calendar year and it is apt that we audit and reconcile that which has passed to that we anticipate. 2010 has been a mixed bag of greatness, controversy and recovery. Globally, not in the preceding order, we have witnessed the after effects of a financial crisis that still has certain economies reeling in the form of protest strikes against “austerity” measures, deadly environmental disasters like volcanic eruptions, floods and the all too familiar suspects not wanting to be left out of the identification parade; corruption, crime, disease and poverty.

The Kingdom, which is by no means immune to the preceding harsh dynamics mentioned, has a lot of things to celebrate, that inspire hope which gives rise to the much needed impetus for us to strive to gain more good pounds to outweigh the negative. For us to establish the highly vaunted solution of a huge middle class that consists of selfdriven upward mobile entrepreneurs, who co-exist with professionals that view the Swazi market as an indeed lucrative and sustainable one, with all it’s possibilities and thereby attracting the much needed Foreign Direct Trade Partners and indeed Investment, there needs to be great commitment, sincerity and understanding of where we’ve been and where can be. There are enumerate sources of how we as a nation can eventually foster a likeness of true self sustenance, be it in the spheres of agriculture, manufacturing, financial services as well as infrastructural and developmental improvement, just to mention a few.

In this issue we highlight developments, events and pearls of wisdom; giving a glimpse of what is truly possible, attainable and forms the foundation from which we need to rally towards the great nation that we can and should be! In the same vain we celebrate the spirit of Gwamile that permeates through the strides our women continue to make, hosting of high profile regional development summits that further accentuate our role on the continent, and the recognition of the various talents we have and are more than ready to share with the rest of the world, indeed.......Silungele!

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CONTRIBUTORS Publishing Director: Poppy Khoza Managing Editor:

Sicelo Tshabalala

Editor at Large:

Derrick Dlamini

Traffic:

Gugu Zulu

Advertising & Sales: Phila Nkwanyana Business Development: Sakhile Khoza Circulation:

Flotsam

Creative Consultants: Ovaqado Creative Production: Endabah Marcomm Contributors: Musa Nhlangamandhla; Prophet Joy Ndwandwe; Sipa; COMESA, Photography: Endabah Marcomm; Swazi Observer, Dups, Inyatsi Group, Central Bank, Cover Photo:

Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson

Publisher: Silungele LLP (Emporium (PTY) LTD & Buka Buhle (PTY) LTD Editorial Enquiries: Email: Silungele@gmail.com; Tel: +268 7653 1711 Address: Oribi Court, Gwamile Street, Mbabane. P.O. Box 6188, Mbabane, Swaziland Website: www.issuu.com/silungele ; www. Facebook.com/silungele DISCLAIMER: Silungele reserves the copyright of it content. Articles, reports or portions thereof may not be reproduced without express permission of Silungele. View and opinions expressed by contributors may not necessarily be those of the publisher and Silungele may not be held liable for such. All information was correct at the time of going in to press.

COVER PHOTO: President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama pose for a photo during a reception at the Metropolitan Museum in New York with, His Majesty Mswati III King of the Kingdom Swaziland, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

INSIDE 2010 UNGA SPEECH:

Countries Official Address

ECONOMIC STATUS Central Bank Governor’s Statement PROFILE: Inyatsi GM NELISIWE BULUNGA DOING BUSINESS IN SWAZILAND: Sikhuphe Business Opportunities CAREER ACHIEVEMENT

Derrick Carrington

CORPORATE PROFILE: BUSINESSWOMEN AWARDS:

SPTC’s Lindiwe Dlamini BWYA 2010 Awards

BWYA 2010 Winner BWYA: 2009 WINNER: CSR: 60/10 Dups Celebrates COMESA INTEL: Comesa Summit: communique COMESA 2010 HIGHLIGHTS Production Intergration SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE: ARTS & CULTURE

SWAZI INC IN NEW YORK KING’S CUP 2010: HIGHLIGHTS

Legacy Of Peace And Stability 2010 Tihlabani Awards

Kirsh Credits SD for giving him a base

Review Match day photos Gala photos

SWAZI INC TOUR: Pictures EXPERIENCE AFRICA: Gugulam winter 2011 Fashion Collection CREATIVE LICENSE: A Mosaic of Talent Bholoja Scoops international Award

View on the internet: www.issuu.com/silungele www.facebook.com/silungele

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2010 UNGA SPEECH

HIS MAJESTY KING MSWATI III His Majesty King Mswati III recently travelled to New York for the 65th United Nations General Assembly. We hereby share with you His Majesty’s full address to the General Assembly, an address that touched on pertinent global issues such as international governance, the economic meltdown and climate change. His Majesty further accentuated the Kingdom’s Foreign and Domestic policy whose cornerstone is peace.

PEACE FOR AFRICA: We, in the African continent are committed to resolving all conflicts through peaceful dialogue. The co-ordination and co-operation between the African Union and its various regional blocs is beginning to pay handsome dividends. We now approach issues as a collective for better results. We are happy that the UN continues to work and co-operate with us in effecting our programmes for peace-building and peace-keeping. The General Assembly will know that the African Union declared 2010 to be our year of peace. We have made it clear that all perpetrators of coups, civil wars and all forms of conflict should be dealt with squarely and decisively. Indeed, we are committed to the promotion of lasting peace because it is a pre-requisite for achieving sustainable development. We appreciate the support of the United Nations in our resolve to ensure that peace prevails in the continent and, indeed the whole world. I am happy to say that I have personally had the honour of lighting and hoisting the AU flame of peace two times this year. The Swazi nation prides itself in this because we are a peaceful nation which is telling the world that peace is the best formula for development.

65th United Nations General Assembly Address Mr. President, Your highnesses, Your excellencies, Distinguished Delegates INTRODUCTION: It is a pleasure for me to address this august body - the 65th UN General Assembly. We meet at the end of a historical high level plenary summit on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This gave us the opportunity to review progress, share experiences and ideas on how best to achieve our set goals and objectives for 2015. As we go back to our respective countries we go with renewed commitment to keep working harder to meet the MDGs.

MOROCCO ISSUE: Another issue that touches upon global governance is that of the Kingdom of Morocco. It is our considered view that the UN, working with relevant regional organisations, should work on the issue and find a lasting solution to this matter.

THANK UNITED NATIONS FOR GOOD WORK: Mr. President, I would like from the onset to extend our thanks and appreciation to the UN Secretary General and the agencies for its presence around the world. We commend the UN’s active participation in various missions such as efforts to restore peace in conflict areas, its role in disaster relief and in various exercises to fight hunger and poverty. We pledge ourselves to continue to support the UN in its primary role of ensuring that all the nations of the world live peacefully with each other whilst supporting nation building through development projects.

CONFLICTS IN THE WORLD: Mr. President, We note with concern the continued conflicts in Madagascar, Somalia, Darfur, the Middle-East and Afghanistan to mention just a few. We call for the restoration of peace in all these areas as it is always disturbing to see people undergo so much suffering due to conflicts.

AFGHANISTAN: Whilst Afghanistan is still undergoing its process of reconciliation and reconstruction of its institutions, it is depressing to note that there are at times pockets that seem to disturb the peace process in that country. We must continue to work hard to find lasting solutions because such instability affects peace and prosperity not only in Afghanistan, but also in neighbouring states and the region.

THEME FOR THE UN 65TH SESSION: The theme for this 65th session, “reaffirming the central role of the United Nations in global governance” came at a most opportune time in the life of the United Nations since we have been calling for all our voices to be heard. I must hasten to state that all the wars and conflicts that we see around the world can only be resolved through peaceful dialogue and negotiations. The UN is the only organization that is best positioned for this task. There is no place for unilateralism. It is on this basis that the Kingdom of eSwatini re-affirms our call for the finalization of the reforms of the UN with particular reference to the Security Council. It should be appreciated that the world today faces a new set of challenges than it did when our organization was founded in 1949. Thus, the urgent need for the UN to remain dynamic and transform itself to meet today’s challenges.

IRAQ: The Kingdom of eSwatini draws hope from the promising developments in Iraq as that country continues on the road to peace through restoration of its important institutions for self determination. Furthermore, we are also following with keen interest efforts to ensure peace between Israel and Palestine.

We are pleased to note the concerted mediation efforts led by the United States of America in bringing the parties together in pursuit of peace in the Middle-East. We support this process and remain optimistic that it will reach its desired conclusion so that the Israelis and Palestinians could live together in harmony. In order to concentrate all their efforts towards development and peaceful co-existence. We call upon them to reach a compromise and place the best interest of peace and security above everything else.

UN REFORM: Mr. President, One of the major organs that require immediate reform is the Security Council which has seen a number of regions expressing a desire to gain membership to ensure wider representation. The Kingdom of eSwatini stands by the African position, as clearly stated in the eZulwini consensus - that Africa should get two permanent and five non-permanent seats. We hope that during this session this matter will be finalised.

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2010 UNGA SPEECH REPUBLIC OF CHINA ON TAIWAN: Mr. President, Developments in the cross-straits relations continue to be a source of inspiration to us all. We note with appreciation that the Republic of China on Taiwan and COMESA Summit Heads of State meeting held in Swaziland the People’s Republic of China have made impressive strides to promote mutual understanding leading to more trade and interaction, among themselves. I am happy to say Taiwan highly appreciates being allowed to participate as observers in the World Health Organization. Hopefully, this will also lead to Taiwan participating in a similar manner in all other UN Agencies. Of particular interest is the UN convention on climate change.

NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROLIFERATION: Mr President, Our world today continues to be concerned with nuclear proliferation and the threat that weapons of mass destruction pose on human existence, world peace, economic development and the environment. The spread of nuclear weapons makes a mockery of our efforts for world peace and protection of the environment. It is a disheartening fact that currently efforts to ensure accountability and compliance with UN resolutions are hindered by apparent lack of impartiality in the processes meant to completely rid the world of deadly nuclear weapons. I call upon the United Nations to strengthen the capacity of the international Atomic Energy Agency to enable the inspectors to do their work more effectively – with involvement of all the countries with nuclear capability. The UN must never compromise the execution of the treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons by ensuring that all countries, without exception, comply. Countries must be made to comply and be accountable within clear timeframes. Mr. President, it is my suggestion that we eliminate all weapons of mass destruction because they present an uncertain future. Indeed, we need a fresh start so that we may regain the high moral ground in deterring whoever may have ambitions of nuclear capability in the future. For example, if we compel everyone to dismantle their nuclear capacity we will be able to reign in on other countries which may still be developing their arsenal, without being accused of unfairness or bias. A world free of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction will allow us to concentrate on issues of sustainable development.

CLIMATE CHANGE: Mr. President, as a developing nation the Kingdom of eSwatini is following with keen interest the issues surrounding the effects of climate change. As an agriculture based economy the kingdom is also a victim of environmental degradation. We therefore, look forward to the conference on climate change in Mexico later this year. I trust that the ongoing negotiations will result in agreements that are acceptable to all parties. What is of paramount importance is for the developed world to honour pledges made towards assisting developing countries in their mitigation and adaptation efforts.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY PHOTOS: Top: General Assembly President thanks the King for his address.

Above: Swazi delegation

MARKETS AND DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT: Mr. President, It is a known fact that access to international markets for our products is one of the ways to grow our economies in our quest to eradicate poverty. We are encouraged that the developed nations have opened their markets for some products coming from developing countries. We look forward with optimism to the amicable conclusion of the Doha round of talks whose outcome is essential to boost global trade and economic recovery for the developing world. As part of our development and poverty alleviation strategy, the kingdom is ready to explore and exploit existing and emerging markets. Our focus is on limiting exportation of raw material by emphasizing the production of finished goods.

Left: His Majesty shares light moment with Indian Delegation.

Bottom: His Majesty at a reception in New York

GENDER EQUITY: The kingdom continues to promote equality in all sectors of our development spheres. We therefore welcome the recent establishment of the new United Nations gender entity, namely UN-women. Women, the world over, continue to play key roles in contributing to the socio-economic and political development of our nations.

CONCLUSION: Mr. President, We are meeting as the family of nations that seeks to promote peace and co-existence amongst all nations of the world and bring hope for the future. As leaders our people look upon us to take the lead in promoting peace as enshrined in the UN Charter. We must find lasting solutions to all the challenges which include poverty, unemployment, disease and global warming. The major challenge is to make peace within and among all nations happen. By doing this, we shall indeed guarantee a clear road towards the achievement of sustainable development by all the nations of the world. Your Excellencies, we shall achieve this noble goal if we all reaffirm and adhere to the central role of the United Nations in global governance.

I thank you. May God almighty bless us all!

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EMNTSHOLI

SW AZILAND

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CENTRAL BANK: ECONOMIC STATUS

CENTRAL BANK GOVERNOR Martin Dlamini

THE STATE OF THE SWAZI ECONOMY On a regular basis the Governor of the Central Bank of Swaziland presents, on behalf the banker’s bank, a state of the economy in a bid to create the necessary awareness and corrective action from all in the economy. In these here tough economic times this review carries pointers that seek to guide the economy towards efforts to bring a better light for the Kingdom’s sustainable economic recovery and growth. Henceforth, Silungele endeavours to articulate these efforts and foster various fora of constructive engagement.

REAL SECTOR : The global economic slowdown had a negative impact on the country’s economic performance in 2009. However, the preliminary GDP estimate came out better-than initial forecasts but was lower than the growth observed in 2008. Official figures put real GDP growth at 1.2 percent, a slowdown from the 2.4 percent growth realized in 2008. The downward trend in economic performance in 2009 can be attributable to a combination of factors that include: The slowdown in foreign direct investment inflows.

The closure of some major companies and/or slowdown in production in some major companies, particularly in the manufacturing sector, due to the impact of the recent economic recession.

The reduced Emalangeni value of exports destined to markets outside the Common Monetary Area (CMA) due to the real appreciation of the lilangeni exchange rate against the US dollar and other trading partners’ currencies.

The weak economic activity in South Africa, which accounts for more than half of Swaziland’s exports.

The closure of Sappi Usuthu due to the combined effects of forest fires and the effects of the global economic downturn.

In line with the emerging signs of the global recovery, the domestic economy has begun to show signs of resurgence; though growth is projected to remain below potential. The economy is projected to improve to 2 percent in 2010, mainly due to an improvement in the agricultural, manufacturing and tourism sectors.

The agriculture sector will benefit from the Lower Usuthu basin; which will help farmers access water for irrigation purposes through the SWADE Initiative.

At the same time, the manufacturing and tourism sectors will benefit from the positive turn around in global demand.

On the inflation front, prices averaged 7.5 percent in 2009; this was 5.1 percentage points lower than the 12.6 percent inflation rate reached in 2008. Lower food and transport prices were responsible for curtailing inflationary pressures during 2009.

Recent figures show that the inflation rate has continued to decline during the first eight months of 2010, reaching a low of 3.7 in August 2010.

Central Bank of Swaziland introduces new series of banknotes with upgraded security features The Central Bank of Swaziland takes pride in its responsibility to provide high-quality banknotes and to ensure public confidence by minimizing the counterfeiting of money. Over the years, banknotes durability and security features have advanced significantly, and in line with international best practice, the Bank has therefore undertaken to upgrade its entire series of notes.

We are delighted to present to you our newly upgraded banknotes with effect from the 1st November 2010, starting with the Hundred Emalangeni. Other denominations of the banknotes will be introduced at intervals of six months.

It is important to note that the current notes will continue to be in use together with the new series of banknotes.

The Central Bank of Swaziland has the responsibility and mandate to provide banknotes and coins to meet the needs of the Swazi economy. An integral part of this function is ensuring public confidence in the currency by minimising counterfeiting. In this regard, the Bank ensures the issuance of high quality banknotes and coins with security features of highest international standards by

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GROSS OFFICIAL RESERVES : The country’s gross official reserves amounted to E5.3 billion as at end of August 2010. The reserves are enough to cover 3.3 months of imports of goods and services, remaining slightly above the internationally acceptable level of 3 months. Prospects for the country’s official reserves remain bleak on account of the relative strength of the local currency and the projected 2010/11 budget deficit at 13 percent of GDP. Current government efforts to broaden its revenue base may limit the adverse effects on the reserves in the medium term.

EXPORT SECTOR & FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT: With the depressed global markets and the United States, in particular, it was anticipated that a number of textile companies will close down in 2009. On the contrary, most of the textiles manufacturers were able to secure export markets and survived the difficult global environment. Swaziland’s major export commodities which include sugar, citrus and other food items performed betterthan expected during 2009 in spite of the global challenges. Despite the tight competition for new FDI in the region and globally, Swaziland continues to receive inflows of FDI. Though fresh FDI inflows have been low in recent years, existing foreign direct investors have demonstrated confidence in the country by reinvesting a large proportion of their profits. This has resulted in reasonable levels of FDI inflows over the years. Government, through its arm, the Swaziland Investment Authority (SIPA), is also making efforts to attract fresh FDI whilst improving the conditions for already existing investors. The country has realized and accepted that its growth is highly dependent on FDI attraction and is making FDI attraction a priority.

MONETARY SECTOR : Since 2001, the discount rate has been set at par with the South African repo-rate until June 2008, when the Bank started deviating from the parity by keeping the discount rate 50 basis points below the SA repo rate. However, in its March 2010 monetary policy meeting, the Bank kept the discount rate unchanged at 6.5 percent and therefore closing the differential that existed between local interest rates with those prevailing in South Africa. In an effort to stimulate economic activity, the Bank pursued an accommodative monetary policy stance beginning in December 2008 to August 2009. Consequently, the discount rate was reduced on six consecutive occasions by a cumulative 500 basis points from 11.5 percent in December 2008 to 6.5 percent in August 2009 and was maintained at that level until September 2010 where it was further reduced to 6.0 percent. Commensurately, commercial banks reduced their prime lending rates by the same margin, to 9.5 percent. The policy direction was underpinned by receding inflationary pressures due to lower food and oil prices.

FISCAL SECTOR: The fiscal outlook has taken a dramatic turn for the worse since 2009/10, reflecting largely a sharp drop in SACU revenue coupled with continued growth in total expenditure, underpinned by unsustainable growth in the wages and salaries component. With the reduction in SACU receipts in 2009/10 and in the 2010/11 budget of 5 percent and 11 percent of GDP, respectively, the overall deficit is projected expanded to 7 percent and is projected to reach 13 percent of GDP, respectively. In an effort to address the above mentioned problems, Government is implementing fiscal reforms that are aimed at controlling expenditures and strengthening revenue collection. Expenditure reforms include the freezing of vacant posts, reductions in external travel, implementation of a computerized commitment and procurement system and a reduction in unproductive capital projects and programmes. The establishment of the Revenue Authority in 2010 will introduce tax administration reforms that will improve tax administration and collection. It will further broaden the tax base whilst not excessively taxing the poor. In addition, government will implement a VAT system aimed at increasing revenues as well as eliminating instances of tax evasion. At the end of June 2010, total external debt stock including private sector non-guaranteed debt stood at E3.10 billion, denoting a decrease of 1.8 percent from the E3.16 billion recorded in March 2010.

The ratio of total external debt stock to GDP was 13.9 percent at the end of June 2010, comparatively lower when compared to the ratios of other African countries. dealing with reputable manufacturers.

We have gone to great lengths to ensure that our new banknotes are as secure as possible and are of a world-class standard. In addition to that, the notes are a creative expression of our heritage as a nation. As such, great importance was attached to designing the new notes so that they represent our country and its people.

Everyone is encouraged to embrace this new initiative and take pride in it as it belongs to all of us. It goes, almost without saying therefore, that the success of this initiative depends entirely on our collective effort to familiarise ourselves with the new notes by paying close attention to the security features. In doing so, we will not only inculcate a sense of security for our currency, but also for that which represents and unifies us as a nation. Our money, our nation, our pride.

An intensive communication and media campaign has been on the roll-out since the announcement of the new notes in September 2010. This has been done to get the public acquainted with the security features incorporated in the new banknotes.

We encourage you to know and understand your money so that you can trust it.

Yetsembe Imali Yakho, Trust Your Money.

Mr. M. Dlamini: Central Bank of Swaziland Governor

Work Hard!

Play Hard!

INYATSI SWAZILAND DIVISION GM: Mrs NelisIwE BULUNGA

WHAT’S THE FUSS?

“I can’t understand what all the fuss is about” says Mrs. Nelisiwe Bulunga, with regards to her being General Manager of the Swaziland Division in the home-grown multinational corporation: Inyatsi Construction Group.

The company has just moved into their new international headquarters, Inyatsi House, which enjoys a panoramic view of the Hub. In a business climate which has been dominated by lacklustre growth or is dominated by external multinationals entering the local economy, the Inyatsi story is a refreshing exception. However it isn’t just a story about a company surviving against a tide, but instead it has enjoyed stellar growth, which has seen it branch out into the SADC region and win lucrative contracts there. It was this rampant growth which recently necessitated that the corporation restructure and create new positions with an independent General Manger for Swaziland. The choice of this forward thinking and dynamic entity was Mrs. Bulunga. We sat down for a chat with her about the challenges and rewards of this position. Her first comments were: “Ï can’t understand what the fuss is about.” Then of course, we had to put the achievement into perspective.

unemployment rate. It is not for lack of opportunities or even capacity for that matter, but a risk-averse business culture. In order to advance you have to take a risk or two. She makes the example that, when she was QS at one of the major construction companies, when the position was no-longer fulfilling her, she quit and branched out into a new endeavour. Her family was mortified, because she was giving up security and guaranteed income. “The economic survival mindset needs to start very early. For example, I take my daughter shopping, and I expose her to all the steps of creating a shopping list and a budget, through to the whole process.” A culture such as this, suffers from Status anxiety, there is more emphasis put on appearances and holding position, than one pioneering, and risk-taking. Risk-taking often involves failure. Indeed with 8 out 10 businesses failing in the first two years, you are almost guaranteed to fail.

However, the longer you persevere, the more knowledge, strength and capacity you develop making success far more likely.

WORK EXPERIENCE

She started as an intern with Lang Mitchell; with a stipend of a whole E500, it was useful work experience and meant that when she completed university, that she already had experience. She then got work with a large construction firm Du-Van Developers. They were busy with lots of projects at the time “I got thrown in the deep end” but her work involved more than just QS work, so she gained much of project management experience. After a while she hit a wall and simply quit much to the consternation of her family. The new fix, was with a company Ngwenya Wonfor Consulting. As the name indicates their main thrust was in the consultancy field, which differed considerably from where she had been before and developed an entirely new skill base.

Her move to Inyatsi was purely coincidental. One day she saw a truck with an Inyatsi Logo and wondered to herself. So she called them and asked them for a job. She was invited for an interview with the then MD (Now CEO of the Group). Much to her surprise she got offered the job of senior QS. Does this sound too easy? There must be a catch; of course there was. Unbeknown to her, she had actually been hired, so that they could get a close look at her abilities. It would only be much later when it came to light: “One day the CEO admitted to me, that they’d hired me with the GM Swaziland position in mind … so the QS position was merely a dry-run.” The drama continued, because they didn’t even notify her she was appointed to the GM position, until the day of the official announcement. She laughs that they probably wanted to make sure she couldn’t refuse the position and proverbially “flee in consternation”.

This however reveals something else you notice about this corporation.

Planning and thinking is far in advance. They plan their moves, well before they execute them and know exactly what outcome they wish to derive. It is a fast and efficient company,

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

Her story could have had a very different direction. “My father wanted me to be a Lawyer.” Her parents both had steady dependable careers in the civil service. Conversely her career has been one of sudden changes in direction; she first became attracted to the construction industry when she was exposed to a Quantity Surveyor’s (QS) practise. This led her to pursue a BSC in Quantity Surveying, which she received from the University of Cape Town. She describes her time in Cape Town as the full student experience; more particularly because she was not on a scholarship, she had to work part-time. This helped her to focus and budget her time and energies. Earning anywhere between R20 to R40 per hour, meant that in a single weekend, she could amass what was a lot of money for the time.

Her leadership skills were further honed, with a stint as chairperson of the UCT Swaziland Student’s Society.

Another component of her student experience, took her on working vacations to the USA. This she points out, was a critical turning point in her vision, particularly with regards to architecture and construction.

Although there were some dynamic structures in South Africa, in North America and Europe, she was exposed to world-class cutting design and execution. In addition to her earlier degrees, she added a MSC in Property Studies. She is further upgrading her pedigree with a course in entrepreneurial management from the business school at University of Stellenbosch.Here she notes that, there is a fundamental weakness about our educational structure: children are not taught how to manage their finances. When everything is easy and comes in the form of handouts, balancing your budget is not a skill you develop. We discuss that this could be one of the fundamental reasons why we have such a high

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PROFILE: NELISIWE BULUNGA

“I’ve learnt a lot from this position, things which I could not have understood before if someone would have tried to explain them. Key among this is how to leverage assets and maximise resources. Another significant understanding is the freedom which positive cash gives you. It enables you to plan effectively and comprehensively.” it being a prestige project, so there is so much attention on it, at all times, from all sorts of angles and elements. She notes that there are many business opportunities which can happen around Sikhuphe.

In 2008, roughly 60% of corporate revenues came from Swaziland and 40% from international projects, while in 2009; about 60% of revenue was generated from international projects and 40% revenue from local projects. “Mozambique is the market which is registering super growth.”

Notwithstanding success in the construction industry future risk management and insulation against industry down-turn has led to a far-reaching diversification strategy. All she can reveal is that plans are at an advanced stage for some spectacular new Inyatsi products and services to hit the market.

CORPORATE LIFE

The GM position which she filled was one of the positions created, as a result of a risk analysis study, whose end-goal was to restructure. The analysis determined a new structure, to cater for the growth of business into Zambia, South Africa & Mozambique. The GM would be able to focus on local operations and develop the various initiatives in the pipeline. “I’ve learnt a lot from this position, things which I could not have understood before if someone would have tried to explain them. Key among this is how to leverage assets and maximise resources. Another significant understanding is the freedom which positive cash gives you.

It enables you to plan effectively and comprehensively.” She notes that the CEO has many plans, some of them work, some of them don’t; but the ones which do work, make a spectacular return, which covers the shortfall of the other initiatives. She juxtaposes this with a very common problem you find within this business community, where people complain that they don’t have money for this or that initiative.

Whereas the real problem is that they did not make plans in advance or provisions, for the initiative. She slipped into the GM’s role easily, as it covered a lot of what she was used to. One of her first projects at the company was the Joint Venture on the construction of the N4 in South Africa. “A joint venture means that you pool resources: which can mean everything from plant to Human Resources and supplies.

The principle risk within this exercise is that all the assets committed to a project form part of the contribution. Therefore if there is no return from an asset, this can affect the cash-low.” On that project, she notes that a local fencing company AGPF (PTY) LTD supplied the fencing for that job; likewise, the project required concrete-piping and a locally based supplier, Infraset, proved to be the best source of these. This meant that more than one Swazi company benefited from this project. This also meant that the situation of importing skills and knowledge from South Africa as well as sending out revenue to the Republic, which has been a norm, was actually reversed. “The new position requires above all, a lot of research and analysis of the large volumes of data being generated by the government in terms of policy, legislation, reports and related emerging trends and positions.” She notes her surprise at what she has found. “This is a very forwardlooking government and is far more sophisticated than sometimes perceived in reality. The framework for rapid development is there, the challenge has been in the execution.” However she notes that in recent months she has noted a positive acceleration in this regard.

WORK-HARD PLAY-HARD

CURRENT BUSINESS Inyatsi Construction in conjunction with S& B Construction, are the companies who are contracted to build the Sikhuphe airport. When she arrived, phase one had been completed. The project despite its size has been technically straightforward to execute; challenges lie in 11

She highlights that the corporation has “a work-hard, play-hard approach”. It is deeply involved in CSR initiatives, with an emphasis on in-house grown projects. She makes an example of her involvement in Sesikhona Foundation, founded by the Deputy Prime Minister, the Honourable Senator Themba Masuku, of which she is Chairperson.

Inyatsi Group has extensively supported this initiative. When it was found that there had been a campaign for impoverished children to have shoes; along the way it was later realised that no one had considered that they needed socks too. So within a week, the patchup-campaign was launched, executed and concluded, providing the children with what they needed. While the CSR is laudable, what is more impressive is the speed at which this positive action from a relatively large corporation; just because it was poor schoolchildren they were serving and not a billion Emalangeni client, they still treated it with urgency and efficiency. This is a laudable trait and the kind of thing we are looking to celebrate at this publication; anyone can make money, but to be at the top of your game and still be able to look out for those less privileged; this we feel is the spirit of Buntfu which is at the core of our heritage.

When we wrap up the interview, it’s because she and some of the female staff have to go, for a girl’s lunch out. She explains that the accounting department, mainly composed of women who had just competed the annual audit and the pamper exercise is a perk for a job well-done. It seems a contradiction in terms: it’s easy to forget that the primary function of this company is digging up massive volumes of earth, moving mountains and traipsing about the country-side dirty overall and hard-hats. Yet, this other side, which you encounter at their corporate headquarters, gives you an inkling into the unorthodox thinking which has driven this corporation to financial success; so as Nelisiwe has intimated, something mind-boggling is in the works. As a far thinking, fast-moving entity, we should indeed watch this space in 2011. ~~o~SBM~o~~

Captain Carrington Swazi Pilot Assumes Command Being a pilot is about far more than just showing up for the job; “you have to look after yourself ” ... for example, “they say, it’s 8 hours from Bottle to Throttle” meaning there is no drinking of alcohol during the 8 hours before a pilot flies a plane.

This month has seen one of those events take place which, can pass anonymously, but is highly significant. Local airline pilot Derrick Carrington has taken command of the Jet service that plies the route between SWZ and JNB. Until one understands just how much a pilot needs to be conversant with, before assuming captaincy, it isn’t possible to understand just how big of an achievement it is. “Oh I’m a farm boy from Malkerns.” He noted, when we were having lunch with him at Malandela’s restaurant. We were chilling in his home community of Malkerns, to find out more about him, he revealed his profound humility.

ORIGINS

His parents are now both late, but were wellknown Swazis Macembe Carrington and Dr Fannie Friedman. Among the Doctor’s many achievements, was the first female Minister of Health. It was while travelling with her to Australia as a pre-teen, that the flying bug bit him; thereafter it was his passion whether with toy-planes or the like. He attended St Marks school in Mbabane, at a time, which was to produce a particularly golden era of achievers: from Patrice. Motsephe to Phuthuma. Nhleko. While in the Aviation space, would emerge many, the like of the Angus, Charles Maphanga and even SWACAA board member Fani Mthethwa - just to name a few. While more generally, other personalities, too numerous to note here, filled the rank and file of that institution.

Derrick would continue all the way through to the A-Levels. At the time, getting to A-Level’s was not for the faint-hearted. These classes were relatively small and intensive - a trait that would remain for many years. There-after he went to UNISWA to study a BSC. It was while he was there, that his lucky break came. Although he had fairly much set his sights on being a pilot from the start, it was only then, that the national Carrier Royal Swazi, as part of their Cadet scheme, invited young hopefuls to train as aviators.

There was a UNDP program to train African in Africa; so two candidates were identified: V. Mabuza and himself. As this was during the height of the Apartheid Era, even though South Africa has highly advanced Aviation industry, they were sent to Ethiopia. This course was run by now defunct American Airline TWA (Trans World Airlines).

[Back in the late 1980’s, TWA was one of the major global airlines; after going in and out of bankruptcy, it was eventually acquired by American Airlines.] The Course enabled Carrington to obtain an Ethiopian Aviation License; when he returned to Africa South, he had to obtain a South African license. This was obviously because Royal Swazi flew regularly through and into South African airspace. He came back in time to fly the Fokker 100, which was one of two planes which the carrier owned. Royal Swazi had two planes both of the Fokker Family. [ Fokker was a Dutch Airline manufacturer, which went bankrupt in the mind 1990s - however the company that acquired its assets, has since changed its name to Fokker Aviation, ensuring the rebirth of the Brand] The late 1980’s and early 1990’s was a particularly eventful time in regional and global geopolitics and the end of the East/West – Communism/ Capitalism divide, also led to the end of the Apartheid Regime. Hitherto South Africa was the subject of a range of intense sanctions in all sectors: for example, SAA, was for the first time allowed to fly over Africa

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CAREER MILESTONE: DERRICK CARRINGTON

direct to Europe, as opposed to before, when it had to go around the coast-line of West Africa. In the 1980’s Royal Swazi Airways had prospered by exploiting a niche market. As much as South Africa, was a pariah state, business none the less had to be done – and so many African airlines would not fly into airports like Jan Smuts (now Oliver Tambo International). However, as Swaziland had kept peaceful relations since the 1880 recognition of independent Sovereignty; this led to long term détente with the British and then the Boer Administration of Pretoria; While politically it kept communication channels of negotiation, it also allowed for robust economic activity. After 1994, there was a sea change in the Southern African economy; as there was now direct access to the South Africa by other African nations. Eventually wars raging in Angola and Mozambique, were ended and an economic boom which would last for almost one and half decades ensured - before the 2007/8 global credit crunch and ensuring financial crisis. However one casualty of that era of change was Royal Swazi Airlines business model. By the mid-1990’s, the increasing accessibility to South Africa, meant a major rethink of its business profile was needed. A consultant was brought in from Britain, who proposed a major culling of routes, staff downsizing and the like. Even though these changes were made, “they were never given time to prove themselves,” it was shortly after this, that government effectively shut-down Royal Swazi as an independent airline and partnered with Airlink, who took a 40% stake in the new entity Swazi-Airlink.

TRAINING & EDUCATION

Derrick explained that pilot licensing is not like a motor-driving license. Each pilot needs to be certified for each plane type he intends to fly. “The dials and controls are not always in the same place.” This given that planes are made in many different sizes. So a plane which carries 100 is not the same as one that takes two hundred or four hundred. Before this switch over could be made, the pilots have to go through a series of training exercises. The first do about eight sessions in a flight simulator, then do a series of flights with a trainer. These include live training takeoffs and landings with passengers. “The simulator is different from the real jet… the simulator is more sensitive forcing you to over-compensate somewhat; so that when you fly a real plane, it’s actually easier.”

Training for pilots is fairly rigorous. Theirs in currently designed by SA-Airlink and is done in Joburg. The pilots have to pass technical exams as well as a range of other levels of scrutiny. Being a pilot is about far more than just showing up for the job, “You have to look after yourself ” he then gives an example, “they say, it’s 8 hours from Bottle to Throttle” meaning there is no drinking of alcohol during the 8 hours before a pilot flies a plane. For example, every six months, a pilot who is over 40 has to go for a physical or medical examination “if you fail it, you could lose your license.” It is also worth noting that a license, once issued, is effectively only for a year, as it has to be renewed annually.

In addition to individual training, they now have what is called CRM – Crew Resource Management. “All crews go for CRM, during which they review past aviation accidents, operation problems.” This is to ensure that what ever problem occurs on-board, the whole crew is in a position to deal with it. This local training is highly important, because he relates how trainers from Europe were bewildered by local weather conditions; they had come to the sub-region to conduct training sessions on extreme weather conditions, which they considered to be landing in sleet & snow. The ferocious and intense summer storms which occur in Southern Africa however, was an area which the local pilots had superior knowledge base on, while the trainers were relatively unskilled in this regard. “One of the most amazing things you can experience is coming into an airport like OR Tambo, during and intense summer storm.” He explains how normally air traffic control is about queuing the planes to take off and land at the appropriate distance and in time.

However when one of these intense storms erupts, “everyone is in the wrong place... when ground control is saying turn left on XYZ co-ordinates, the pilot has to ensure there’s no-one there, who’s not supposed to be.” Then you need nerves of steel

and clear-headed analysis. Then, “If listen to the voices on the radio headset,” he describes how it sounds like absolute chaos as dozens of planes attempt to position themselves in turbulent ever-changing skies. Notwithstanding that kind of drama, flying is still the safest means of transportation and talking to Derrick we realise that the high level of skill and training that these pilots go through is one of the key reasons why.

CAPTAINCY

Ironically the captaincy has been lingering for a while. There were two vacancies, one pilot filled the first position. The other was open to Derrick, however in order to get this, there were parts of certification which he need to complete. There are actually many level of licensing: A commercial Aviation license allows a pilot to fly aircraft up to 5700 kg and only requires 250 or so flying hours; while Airline Transportation License needs in the region of 2000 flying hours. In order to fly planes which weigh in excess of 5700 kg, licensing is type-rated. In order to complete his certification, he had to complete seven or eight different specialized subjects such as aero-dynamics. Derrick finished this, in 2009 – which ironically was the height of the BAe Jet Stream crisis, [Incidents occurred in 2009; September 24 in Durban, 18th November in Port Elizabeth The fleet was grounded in December 2009.] There-fore, all the pilots needed to go for training of on the Embraers. Thereafter he flew as a first officer. In December 2010, he assumed the big chair.

FUTURE CHALLENGED

In a clear-minded way he notes that when the study was done on Royal Swazi’s future, Aviation in the country already had in excess of thirty-years and had a wealth and depth of industry know-how - which was not leveraged in then. We observer that this is important to note, because there is now a gap which has developed in our aviation skill base, for example in piloting. He said: “It also now costs, E/R300 000400 000 to train one pilot.” So forwards, as a nation, there needs to be careful human resource development planning. Sikhuphe, he feels, is an important upgrade to our aviation capabilities; however he hasn’t yet landed there. We noted that during our interview with Inyatsi Construction Swaziland GM, she told us that Sikhuphe is on budget, on schedule. He highlights though, that it is important that this happen, because aviation is about many interlocking systems, “the personnel that have been trained on all its new systems, need to be kept focused and at operational readiness; while the instrumentation also need to be kept calibrated.” This is even before the Airport can be certified for commercial aviation operations. He elucidates that the Airlink CEO envisions the airline, “as really being a SADC Airline.” However, with our skills deficit how much of a contribution can we make to such goals?

AT EASE

Captain Derrick Carrington has been married for twenty-seven years and has three children; Marcel, Lesley and Nicolas. Marcel and Lesley have two and one children respectively – thus making him an uMkhulu, even before he’s hit fifty.

Will any of them be going into aviation? Well indicates they’ve considered getting Nicolas, who currently plays soccer with Manzini Sundowns, to flying lessons soon.

Understandably, given that aviation is such a highly regulated field, his idea of a holiday get away is a spontaneous back-packing trip, for example his last one to Thailand last year. As noted, Aviation licenses are short-term, so he’s been building a restaurant in Malkerns, and will soon be putting roof on it; other than that, other tourist ventures have caught his eye in other parts of the country.

Derrick is cool, calm, laid-back and at ease, the consummate gentleman; he doesn’t shy aware from other hard issues that we chat about, especially given the tough challenges that face the aviation sector world-wide. His achievement is hard won and one, which will hopefully inspire a new generation of Swazi pilots. ~~o~SBM~o~~

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Sikhuphe: Business Potential -Endabah Marcomm HISTORICAL CONTEXT: While the runway has been long finished, work on the terminal and the control tower are at an advanced stage. Within a couple of month, planes will be technically able to land and take off. Of course this doesn’t mean that the whole facility will be, or need to be, completed., core construction will be done and the place will be fully functional. This marks the end of the first phase of this endeavour, which in reality began a few decades ago. Many people are unaware that a study conducted way back in the 70’s concluded that Matsapha airport was never viable for a fully functional international airport. There were different locations recommended, among them was this area. It took however, another twenty years before there was an actual thrust to have this airport created. In the meantime the Matsapha airport was expanded and upgraded; however as the needs of the times dictated, the long term viability of the Matsapha location reached its event horizon – a final push came in the form of the Millennium Projects. Some are unaware of the origin of these projects, but they were conceived and projected by the same personality.

THE MILLENNIUM PROJECTS: About a decade ago, we were paying a courtesy call with some partner-investors discussing the potential for an early high-speed broadband roll-out in Swaziland, which would have allowed the country to leap-frog the region in e-services. As occurs during these meetings, there are many discussions on many matters. “I have come up with plan for infrastructure.” Interjected our Host, “I drafted it myself …I will forward it to you, when it is ready.”

The purpose was to close a gap in the country’s core competitive capacity in manufacturing, tourism and events. First up were the Factory Shells, which were designed to provide locations for employment in diverse regions of the country. This was in direct response, to the economic “Vusela”, which was an exercise in communityconsultation, conducted in the mid-1990’s where-in people had complained that jobs and factories were only available in the Mbabane-Manzini Corridor. Next came the Mavuso International Trade Fair and the Sport Training Facility, along with the Sikhuphe International Airport; beyond that there are other components, the largescale International Convention Centre; the Theme Park and Heritage Centre and an all-seater Football stadium. There is a five star hotel complex planned – something that took a back-seat, care of the construction of the Royal Villas, which were constructed as Executive Guest Houses, but then converted into a Five Star Facility.

In total, these form a holistic vision to link the country into the system of global inter-operability.

THE MILLENNIUM UNIT: The plan then went to Government, and it eventually founded the Millennium Unit, which is effectively the project manager. This office is under the Ministry of Economic Planning. Of all the projects in this basket,

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the airport is the largest. The cost is in the region of US$ 1 BN (1,000,000,000).

While this may seem like a lot of money, it is actually a reasonable budget. While some may question the expenditure on this part of the project – a location like this has several strategic implications.

A few years ago, well before construction started, I visited the Millennium Projects to ascertain progress. We discussed with the fellows overseeing the Aviation Element, about the pros and cons of this undertaking. It was then that the history was explained to me, that in reality, this was not a new plan. Notwithstanding, there were many questions regarding viability. After all was it really necessary, Kruger International Airport (KIA) was being built near-by? It was pointed out that KIA also has a technical problem, because it is built on a mountain and also has limits to its long term future. Amongst other things, an airport is a strategic resource, which enables the local economy to undertake various endeavours, they had explained. To put this into recent context: We only need to look at the recent disaster in Haiti, where the only life-line became the airport. The world’s leading airliners use large body planes and Matsapha was limited to the 737 – a plane that is from 50 years ago. Sikhuphe on the contrary can hold all size planes, up to the Boeing 777, Airbus 340 and 380. It can also hold large cargo planes.

ECONOMIC RELEVANCE: For many Sikhuphe is an intangible – although they associate it with aviation, they do not see what the economic relevance is to them and why they should care about it. There are however many net benefits for the population at large. This is somewhat of a paradox however, because unless you’ve actually been through a fully functional international airport – it is difficult to guess these opportunities. These prospects can be classed into a range of niches, large, medium and small. The first set of opportunities pertains directly to those in the aviation and its related servicing industry. Starting or partnering a Low-Cost Airline or Air-Charter business is feasible. One business opportunity which is definitely on is a helicopter transfers for business people who need to reach Mbabane/ Manzini quickly. The Fosters used to have a chopper; maybe their new Lifestyle centre should also include a Helipad. Of course these kinds of businesses require fairly deep pockets. Someone once asked maverick businessman Sir Richard Branson how you becomes an airline millionaire? He answered that you start off as a billionaire and work your way down.

SERVICING THE AVIATION BUSINESS: To understand the airline industry, you have to understand the scheduling. Planes run on different schedules, some are long haul flights, usually five hours or more – while others are quick turn around flights. The long haul flights, generally have to park over-night at the airport, while the plane is checked, cleaned, refuelled and the like. Often the crews will switch: this means that the plane that leaves doesn’t always have the same crew which brought it. While a plane is parked at an international airport, it is being billed for

DOING BUSINESS IN SWAZILAND

every hour it is parked. I’m not sure what the current rate is at OR Tambo, but it if it were in the order of E10 000 per hour, an overnight parking slot would cost E100 000 and so on. So even if Sikhuphe was just a parking bay for airlines, it would still earn a lot of money. Planes also pay for landing slots. There are a limited number of slots, all of which cost money to have access to. Additionally because the heavier a plane is, the more fuel it uses and therefore costs more to maintain – it only flies with enough fuel for a one-way journey - so, airlines also buy thousands of litres of aviation fuel for their return trips.When an airline is serviced, just the manpower required to maintain and clean a 747 is immense. It should be remembered that at a fully functioning regional hub, there could be ten or more planes being serviced simultaneously. Large hubs such as London Heathrow have at least a plane departing every minute. While Sikhuphe is a long way off from there, civil aviation always requires greater capacity, than is required, in the event of a dramatic upswing in need. Matsapha International as it is now, is deceptive, there is ample time between planes to catch a long nap, however even from the beginning Sikhuphe should see a difference, for the reasons noted above. With key airlines from the Gulf, having already expressed interest in using the location, they maybe be flying in at least two plane-loads a day. There is also the cargo industry, companies such as FedEx, DHL and the like, have their own fleets of planes. There are also many interesting service industries which airlines begat. Take for example, airline seat upholstery. I have friends in Britain who conduct such an aviation business. I used to stay with them often when on international business trips – back then London Heathrow was the most cost-effective European aviation hub. They would service all sorts of customers from British Airways to Singapore airlines. Personally one had never heard of this field, and was completely unaware that seats in airlines were turned over at such a high rate. It is only after a lot of thought that you realize, that plane seats always look brand new – even though a plane maybe 20 or more years old. Along with this are other things like carpet-replacement, air-craft tire servicing, cleaning, fuel-supply, airline painting, technical maintenance and crew hospitality. All these support functions help to make the airline industry, the safest way to travel.

PERSONNEL & FLIGHT CREW SERVICES: The staff needed at the new location will eventually be double or triple what are currently needed by Matsapha – this, by sheer size and because of the expanded capacity: Cleaners & maintenance; Traffic Controllers and Aeronautical engineers; firemen and paramedics; security teams and customs officials; immigration personnel and travel industry staff - all of these people, plus their families. With a full complement of staff stationed at Sikhuphe 24 hours a day, their needs will have to be serviced. So there exists the opportunity for a mini-mall or supermarket. Entertainment is also on the cards. It should be borne in mind that these people cannot stray too far from their work-base. There will be many openings for both ground and flight service crews.

While a travel agency and tour operators are also obvious needs. All these services run on computer, so there is the need for failsafe networking and wireless connectivity – again another business opportunity.

TRANSPORT: The great distance between this area and the Mbabane – Manzini Corridor means that transporting businesses are on the cards; realistically the classical meter taxi-model won’t work too well, simply because the cost would be E500 or more to town, which is easily a major chunk of a plane ticket. Instead a Limousine model will work, using Quantums or the like; with greater capacity, they would hold upside potential. It should be noted that, because airlines function on time, there needs to be a scheduled large bus service, which will deliver staff and travellers on time, every time. A luxury bus would also be required, as travellers have large luggage loads.

ADHOC MAINTENANCE: Cleaning and maintenance offer some of the bigger opportunities. The Terminal building will be a large glass structure, so lots of window cleaning will need to be conducted weekly. Airports are by their nature very temporary places, so most food is fast-food, which equals a lot of thrash, therefore cleaning is at premium. The runway area is over 3.5 kms long, meaning a large grassland envelope of almost 5km square that has to be kept in prime condition.

The perimeter fence is also very large. Constant vigilance has to be kept for breakins, and even stray animals. The last thing that we want is to hit international headlines, because someone left “Vusi the Cow” grazing on the runway.

Public Relations & Marketing: On that note, there needs to be a constant activity on the PR and marketing front. The aviation business is a highly competitive one. A small incident like a cow straying onto a runway can spread globally fast and cause a huge dent in the bottom line. Confidence is essential in the business. Everything is planned to precision. There are so many variables to flying, that pilots need to be 100% sure of where they are going and what they will get when they arrive there. There needs to be a constant and professional team focused on Public Relations only; while another team will focus on the marketing and advertising of the location and routing configurations. There needs to be a constant surveying of users and determining of Customer satisfaction. There will also need to be relations with the surrounding communities. Particularly if business picks up and there are a dozen flights coming in a day: All these areas equal business opportunities.

PROSPECT & RETROSPECT: We live in an increasingly interwoven global community, which is controlled by some key factors: it is conducted in the English language; it is connected by shipping and aviation; and is moderated by, “we, the media.” Now I’ll pause there and allow some time for all to reflect on this reality, because as with any business venture, there are threats to it - some of these threats may even be business opportunities in themselves. However we need to enter an entire different headspace to appreciate the bigger picture of how international aviation had developed in the last decade since September 11. Further to this, we need to be aware that Sikhuphe’s fortunes are closely allied with what maybe termed “Brand Swaziland.” ~~o~SBM~o~~

SIKUPHE PHOTOS: Courteousy: Inyatsi Construction

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RESERVED:

Swazi Wire

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CORPORATE PROFILE

Inspired By Challenges

SPTC CORPORATE AFFAIRS MANAGER LINDIWE DLAMINI

“…a fundamental quality required for all successful leaders is, learning to lead yourself well.”

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In our quest to celebrate the achievements of our women and their leadership, especially in what is viewed to be a “man’s world”, we sought to bring the inspiring story of Ms Lindiwe Dlamini’s professional growth and achievement. Ms Dlamini invited us to her office, at Phutfumani Building, the Swaziland Posts and Telecommunications Headquarters, Mbabane, to share her story. After a warm reception we got straight to the interview, having asked Ms Dlamini how she felt she wanted to be perceived, she said; “As a professional I would like to be viewed as a dedicated and hard working individual, focused on achieving set goals and targets. I am inspired by challenges as they give me an opportunity to apply myself towards resolution.

I also enjoy working in an environment where the road map is clear, thus enabling strategising towards end target.”

We then asked her how she felt about the male dominated corporate world, to which she comfortably responded; “I do not believe that my male colleagues purposely set out to discriminate their female counterparts, it may be a socialisation issue. Women professionals need to take themselves seriously in order to win the trust and confidence of colleagues, thus paving a way for one to be respected. In Swaziland’s Business sector, the challenge for women is that there are already too many males competing for the same positions. This requires women to apply themselves even more if only to gain recognition and thus regarded a serious contender. It calls for the abandonment of one’s softer side in the office and be prepared to be one of the “boys” as it were. I personally do not believe in affirmative action, you need to be recognized for your abilities as a professional and allowed to compete fairly with your male colleagues.”

What might you say has fortified your success, be it academic or professional?

“My academic achievements currently end with a Masters in Business Administration and a wealth of experience in Strategy and Change Management. Since joining SPTC some 12 years ago, I have been responsible for communication. This has been the cornerstone quality for my growth and devolvement into Strategy Management.”

A tinge of philosophy emerges as she continues; “To borrow from John Maxwell; a fundamental quality required for all successful leaders is, learning to lead yourself well. This is one of the most important things you’ll ever do as a leader. The point of leading is not to cross the finish line first it’s to take people across the finish line with you. Leading yourself well means that you hold yourself to a higher standard of accountability than others do.”

Further words of wisdom are offered by Ms Dlamini, as she sternly and sincerely points out there are no short cuts, and her passion for the development of the girl child; “To other aspiring professionals I would like to say that, there are no short cuts, ensure that your current level is solid enough to carry you when you move higher. Someone once told me that, what determines the height of a building is the depth of its foundation.

I am passionate about the growth of the girl child. In the past when time permitted I did a lot of volunteer work, with organization’s aimed at empowering the youth. I have been part of FAWESWA, SAYE, SIFE and many other initiatives.

My philosophy is to assist in sensitising the youth on what lies ahead and help them escalate their growth potential.”

How would you generally characterise a woman within the corporate context?

“Women are generally dedicated beings. This comes from their natural role as nurturers. They commit themselves to their given environment, through devotion. For women the satisfaction is realised when she sees the entity or project grow, just like it would be the case with a child. Someone once told me that, to measure my success, I should be able to produce something bigger than me. Looking at my meager achievements I think I am already on the right track to attaining that goal.”

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CORPORATE PROFILE

“I seem to be sold to the business world and would like to see how far I can go up the ladder...”

You’ve mentioned leadership and how you perceive a leader should be, share with us the way in which you lead?

“My management style is characterised by the standards I set for my own performance. As a highly principled and results driven person, I thus tend to expect the same from all those around me. I get frustrated when confronted with slack performance, some bare the view that I am very strict, so I guess that is how I am. I happen to apply this rule to both my professional life and personal life.”

Being exposed to strategy, what have you mapped out for the long-term, a legacy perhaps?

“Long ago I used to think politics was the ultimate climax for one’s career, I am not so sure now, I seem to be sold to the business world and would like to see how far I can go up the ladder before I begin to feel feint and climb back down

to retirement. As a participant in the business sector in Swaziland, I would like to be known as a professional woman who made a difference to the economy of Swaziland during my time. I regard myself as an uncompromising individual, who stands for what she believes is right. I am not to be swayed by popular beliefs. I strive for honesty and diligence in all my dealings. I am aware this gets me into trouble from time to time, but I prefer to stand by my views. On another note, difficult as it may be I would like to leave a mark wherever I have been (kushiya umbhodvu lapho ngengce khona).”

Quality time, family, relaxation?

“To let my hair down, I go to church, read my bible and management literature. I do watch movies once in a while. I love drama, thrillers and any specifically where there is a very strong story line, but shy away from continuous programmes that play for years on end. I come from a very big family; it is one of the senior houses in Swaziland. My children are the best thing that ever happened to me. I am very happy with the relationship I cultivated with them. We are very close and enjoy very healthy friendship links. I still have only one grandchild, whom I love very much. I also have the pleasure of mothering other children who have adopted me as their mother, I love them all just as my own, and I thank God for bringing them into my life as well, because I believe they are there for a reason.”

“After everything has been said and done, I thank God for being my anchor, and for making me into who I am. I salute the men and women young and old, who have contributed to making me what I am today.” ~~o~SBM~o~~

Swaziland Posts & Telecommunications Corporation Vision: To provide effective, affordable and world class communications solutions which will stimulate economic growth and satisfy all stakeholders.

Mission: We will run our communications business more efficiently for the benefit of all our stakeholders through the application of modern technology and sustaining an overriding customer focus.

Values Honesty: By keeping promises made to all stakeholders; Our customers, Our employees, Our stakeholders. By conducting our business in an unpretentious way. Being truthful in all our endeavours.

Excellence: Superior service quality benchmarked against world class standards Implementing a living service; Excellence programme (friendly customer service); Quest for continuous improvement.

Social Responsibility: Social responsibility corporate citizen through; Investing in the country we operate in; Caring for the environment; Ensuring that we maintain high standards of occupational health and safety.

Transparency: Through managing and conducting our business with the highest level of integrity; Providing accountable and effective leadership Clear decision-making procedures Promoting good corporate governance practices.

Profile The Swaziland Posts and Telecommunications Corporation, a body corporate, was established in April 1986 under Act No. 11 of 1983. This Act regulates all the activities of the Corporation. The Corporation is responsible to the Minister for Tourism, Environment and Communications, who in turn is answerable to Government for the activities of the Corporation. The Public Enterprises - Control and Monitoring Act No. 8 of 1989 classifies the Corporation as a category A Public Enterprise, which is defined in Section 2(a) “.. as a body wholly owned by Government or in which Government has a majority interest ...”

Innovation: Innovation through improving our products and services; Continuously making technological breakthrough’s accessible to our customers; Questioning the way we do things (doing new things and doing the same things differently); By seeking out and rewarding creativity

The main responsibilities of the Corporation are the operation, maintenance and development of Postal and Telecommunications services nationally. Added to these are regulatory duties involving frequency spectrum management, type approval and licensing.

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BWYA PHOTOS: Above: Lomakhosi with Entrepreneur Category Winner; flanked by Dr. Si Gumbi & new Nedbank MD, Fikile Dlamini

BWYA 2010 Winner Mrs Lomakhosetive Tshabalala-Nzuza Having recently won the BWYA Corporate accolade, we chat with Mrs Lomakhosetive Tshabalala-Nzuza.

(swaziland) limited

with through the audit training, exposure of her previous employment as well as her propensity towards viewing and solving things technically. In reference to there being any form of mentorship in her job, Lomakhosetive is highly complimentary of the Executive Committee, the CEO, FNB Africa office and colleagues for their support.

The rigours of being a wife, mother and professional with such a demanding schedule, present a challenge in handling all these roles and responsibilities; in short as commonly asked, how do you balance it all, to which she quickly answers, “you know it is not about balance in the form of a scale or percentages, the attitude I have is that things just have to be done and done by giving your all.” She pays hearty compliments to her husband for his support, as well as their helper. “…because I may have long days, as I’ve mentioned when it comes to year end or budget preparation, I must give my all to that process so it is done properly and likewise when I’m at home I’ll give my all in the fulfillment of my family’s needs.”

We then revert to the gratifying parts of her job which she proudly shares… “being the first and only woman, as well as being the youngest CFO, across the FNB Africa subsidiaries which include FNB Swaziland, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Zambia, Mozambique and the Angola rep office.” The opportunity of furthering her studies is another point of gratification as; she has just completed (As we later leant as Best Student) the Management Advancement Programme (MAP) under the auspices of WITS Business School.

“This course has been very exciting and more appropriate, in that it presents the broader and more general view of management and it enhances your analytical and strategic approach.” Bearing testament about what she meant that general management was a tool better served later in your career.

Looking at the accolade of the Business Woman of the Year Awards, she says, “It was a great honour to be nominated. One got to interact with the other finalists and really got a chance, firsthand, to appreciate what the award was all about. The interaction with the other finalists, I must say, was quite good though confined to the context of the awards. Winning was a very pleasant surprise and in truth it’s only just starting to sink in.”

How else might have the participation and subsequent win affected you?

“Dealing with more public perception or awareness was something I was not really used to, but do believe I’ll take it in my stride. I feel I was nominated for whom I am and what I do professionally so I don’t think there’s any need to change that. If anything it encourages me to be a better role model.”

She elaborated on intended undertakings in her role as a BWYA winner and better role model aspirations… “Quite honestly I’d like to be in a position where I can meaningfully make a difference in people’s lives that may

Having exchanged pleasantries, as we walk from reception to her office, we sit down and immediately get to the basic preamble of educational background and career choice, you get a sense that this lady is confident, articulate and quite astute. “Primary school was spread across MDS, Mafutseni and finally Sydney Williams. My forms 1 to 3 (secondary school) were spent at SOS Herman Gmeinner and forms 4 and 5 (high school) was completed at ST Michaels.” “From there I enrolled at UNISWA for a BCom degree.” Speaking of her motivation for pursuing this particular vocation, she explains that, “I actually wanted to pursue physiotherapy as a career but because it was not available locally I would have been required to study Science first as a prerequisite to pursuing physiotherapy, as well being able to receive a Government scholarship for external study.” Having set herself a timeframe in which she wanted to have completed her tertiary education, Lomakhosetive felt it would be prudent to look at the next best career option, and this was in the field of commerce. Reconciling with herself that she was not entirely a marketer or a retailer, accounting resonated more with her inclinations, character and career ambitions, while general management was more of a latter career tool than as a pure vocation. Her inclinations are more scientific as she espouses….

“I don’t really feel I’m accustomed to selling things or products as I have a belief in facts and figures, things being viewed in a more tangible empirical form,” going on to give the analogy of the figure 5 being 5 not it being possibly 4 or 6.

Upon graduation, her first job was with KPMG Swaziland, working extensively in audit, which she greatly enjoyed. “The experience of meeting a diverse set of people across equally diverse industries, problem solving and traveling to various clients was interesting and the experience rewarding.” The challenges she shares were really of the long hours but eventually she got used to the demands of the discipline. In 2007 she accepted an offer to join FNB Swaziland as a Management Accountant. Walking into a scenario where she would really need to prove her mettle if she was to climb the corporate ladder.

This, through stellar work, Lomakhosetive achieved, making the transition to Chief Financial Officer FNB Swaziland, as of July 2010. It hasn’t been plain sailing, “I had to make the transition from being an advisor to a strategic planner and implementer,” she says.

Again the challenges of long hours, … “especially at year end and at budget preparation,” are a part of the job that were arduous but have been dealt

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BWYA: CORPORATE WINNER

BWYA PHOTOS: Above: Lomakhosi with Family; Right: Photographed at work

“It was a great honour to be nominated. One got to interact with the other finalists and ...to appreciate what the award was all about.”

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accused of being reactionary rather than proactive. “The very nature of financial reporting and adhering to standards based on historical information does not mean accountants are reactionary. Accounting standards and reporting try to harmonise the varied and diverse industries and commercial entities that exist and also tries to mitigate challenges that subsist. I subscribe to the idea that financial reporting standards should be more dynamic and evolve with the basic trends of the financial status quo.”

The change from audit to corporate (banking), how has that been?

“Having being in audit one was exposed to a diverse number of entities as well as people and the very nature of being out and about to see these various clients, so the first change was now being in a place where there really wasn’t scope or need to travel often which took some adjusting. Also being exposed to so many different people so very often, opened up one’s mind to what others think and feel, which I think came in handy in so far as being able to relate to my new colleagues whom I see more regularly and closely. What I can say though is that there is not a single thing I’d change with regard to my career path, given the chance I’d do it all the same!”

Let’s talk about family “Where do I start? I’ve been married to Thabiso Nzuza for close to five years now. He’s also a Chartered Accountant and actually has worked in an audit firm and the banking industry before his appointment as CFO at Swaziland National Trust Commision (SNTC). So we relatively have the same background. We have a 4 year old daughter Naleli and Qetello our 1 year old son.

So you have a young ambitious growing family?…

With laughter she responds “Not in number but ambition, Ya!” “I’m the 3rd born child of my late mother Jabhisile Tshabalala, who worked at the Central Bank of Swaziland and Babe Senzenjani Tshabalala who is a retired Cabinet Minister. I have quite a number of immediate and extended family members whom are all dear to me. My siblings and I share a love and support for one another through our differences and similarities and also serve as a reservoir of knowledge. They really espouse the utmost sense of purpose and fulfillment. We are very close knit and I suppose this is due to the influence of our mother and how she recognised family and the value of love, her favourite book of scripture was 1st Corinthians chapter 13. All of these components have really shaped who I am and wouldn’t change a thing. These have served as a strong foundation for who I am and will be, as a wife, mother, sister, friend and professional!”

have not had the same opportunities as I may have had. It may not be in a monetary sense, it could be through meaningful advice, linking to opportunity and exploring different avenues of how this is possible. An example would be the use of my professional standing to help improve the empowerment of women and sustainability of SMMEs. The main thing for me is that people must be empowered! In the context of BWYA, we are yet to meet REDI to synergise efforts on how to best carry the torch forward.” FNB Swaziland has a Coporate Social Responsibility (CSR) drive, would you be looking to benefit from this support? “I am confident that FNB would support initiatives that one may propose to pursue so long as they are in line with the Bank’s CSR strategy, of course taking into consideration the numerous requests that the bank receives in this regard.”

What other bodies are you affiliated to?

“Early this year I joined the Swaziland Breast Cancer Network. However, I’m not averse to associating with entities that identify with my long term vision.

I have more professional affiliations at the moment such as Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA), Swaziland Institute of Accounts (SIA) and Registered Accountants (RA). These, in as much as are prerequisites in my field to progress, I felt it was necessary to attain at an early stage, in that I decided to work and study at the same time, as opposed to looking to achieve them later on in my career.”

What is your view of the Global Financial Crisis in the context of Swaziland and International Financial Reporting Standards?

“Well it has been a difficult situation because no one saw it coming. Swaziland was very fortunate to be insulated, especially the financial services sector, from the harsh effects. We did feel the pinch to a certain extent, through the strain our import/export driven clients took.” Lomakhosetive goes further to explain that the main reason for insulation was that South African banks were much healthier when the crisis unfolded, so the ripple effect of the Lilangeni being pegged to the Rand stemmed any blood letting, as it were.

We go off on a slight tangent with conspiracy theories about what really happened vv. sub-prime crisis, Enron and the like, and back to the issue of International Financial Reporting Standards and how the Kingdom fares.

“Swaziland uses International Financial Standards. Fortunately I’ve been employed at two companies that subscribe and comply to these standards diligently.”

She further explains that, from her observation, by way of interaction, certain other companies may apply the rules but sometimes without clear understanding.

She further defends her cadre when she raises the point that accountants are

~~o~SBM~o~~

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BWYA: 2009 WINNER (swaziland) limited

ABOVE RIGHT: Vital Voices initiative BELOW LEFT: Cheque Donation for Junior Achievement. BELOW CENTER: Program participants. BELOW RIGHT: Sabelo Speaking at BWYA 2010

BWYA 2009 Winner

“…There’s no elevator to success, you have to use the stairs!”

reflects on the experience In view of the 2010Business Woman of the Year Awards (BWYA), Silungele sought the views of Mrs. Sabelo Peleowo, the 2009 winner in the Corporate category. She is currently a senior manager at Swazi Bank, we caught up with her on a busy work day to get some quick thoughts from her.

Junior Achiever initiative, which was sponsored through the BWYA E 20 000.00 winnings.”

“The nomination was unexpected, a shock really, but I accepted it.” She said: “Winning was an even greater astonishment. The realization that the judges felt I was worthy helped me accept that I had actually won!” Reflecting on the effect which this has on her, she added: “The emotions one felt were of pride, especially in recognition of what I had achieved professionally and being a representative of women in the corporate sector. This accolade has inspired me to work even harder.”

“My family has been great; before, during and after the event. My husband, parents, siblings and children have been there for me.” She put this into context by noting: “It’s not easy being a mother, wife and professional but you create that team effort which helps you find the balance.” Not only in this initiative, but the all-round demands of being a corporate executive and the constant process of upgrading one’s capacity, she notes: “In the last three years one has managed to obtain an MBA with the support of family, which has been both gratifying and enjoyable, which would lead one to ask; who wouldn’t want a family!?!”

WHAT ABOUT FAMILY SUPPORT?

ASKED WHAT WOULD SHE WOULD SHARE WITH THE CURRENT WINNERS WITH REGARDS TO EXPERIENCES AND THE ROAD AHEAD?

PULLING OUT TO LOOK AT THE BIGGER PICTURE, WITH AN ECONOMY EMERGING FROM RECESSION AND THE SLUGGISH ECONOMIC OUT-LOOK; WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON BUSINESS FAILURE AND DELINQUENCY?

She noted: “Definitely giving back to society is key!” she then expanded on this by pointing out that: “The initiative that has accrued for me is that of being a co–founder member of Vital Voices.” This initiative’s core activity is a mentorship program which pairs young girls with corporates and various professionals, to help shape their career outlook and unveil to them opportunities. “Vital Voices is in its first year of really finding feet, dealing mainly with schools in the Mbabane Manzini corridor, with plans to roll out the mentorship programme nationally.

Sponsorship for this initiative has been gained, although we’re working on a framework of gaining more support for the envisaged expansion.”

“The main thing is: there are no quick wins!” She says, “What’s that old saying…. there’s no elevator to success, you have to use the stairs!” She then draws from person experience, by pointing out the following key points “The other thing I’ve noticed is that people tend to want to do too much too soon and not recognizing that they have to learn how to delegate, basically devolve tasks.” So even though, there are many complaints about the accessibility of capital, she highlights that:

WHAT WAS THE IMPACT OF THE WIN ON HER EMPLOYER SWAZI BANK, AND THEIR REACTION?

“Business people have to appreciate their weaknesses and fortify these with either advice or more personnel where feasible.” The solution she offers is fairly orthodox.

“The idea of a board of directors, for instance, is not about mere novelty but more of a source from which different ideas and strengths can be drawn.” She then adds, that “The other common problem is spending money you don’t have and hope for the best.” Yet despite these basic and apparently simple problems, she ends on an up-beat note: “Having said that I do believe that with proper mentorship programmes or sources, things can greatly improve.” ~~o~SBM~o~~

“Winning was certainly a feather in the Bank’s cap!” She notes, “They have really been supportive. Most tangibly, we were able to build a house for three orphans at Siphofaneni.” This was philanthropic project. “Labour was sourced from local community members and we also managed to take a day off to help.” She also highlights that, “the Bank was also very supportive in affording me time off to prepare for participation in BWYA event; as well as being a facilitator of the

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FOCUS: ENVIRONMENT

ARTS & CULTURE

WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP PROFILE: DPM Themba Masuku

Tourism & Biodiversity for Socioeconomic Development World Tourism Day is a thematic event held every year on 27 September. Its purpose is to foster awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic value. The event seeks to address global challenges outlined in the UN Millennium Development Goals and to highlight the contribution the tourism industry can make in reaching these goals. WTD, has been held in China this year under the theme ‘Tourism and Biodiversity’, in support of the United Nations International Year of Biodiversity.

A panel of leading tourism and biodiversity experts met to explore the synergies between tourism, biodiversity and sustainable development in an event marking the official celebrations of WTD 2010. Earlier in the year Swaziland celebrated World Environment Day as an acknowledgement of the country’s commitment to the environment as the world faces ever-increasing climate change. During the celebratory symposium centered on Biodiversity, guest speaker, Deputy Prime Minister stated that, “there is no better place to observe the beauty of biological and landscape diversity than the African Continent. This Biological Diversity is further enhanced by the immense cultural diversity of the African people whose dynamism brings out the spark of life as the old sayinggoes: “Variety is the Spice of Life”.

The DPM further observed, “when I look at the themes, I am naturally moved to look around me to observe if one could see the many species of plants and animals that one used to see when growing up, some of which were important for the survival and identity of our grand-parents. The sad answer is that many of these species and their habitats are gone. The question is “Is there a future for this planet if species and habitats disappear at the rate at which they are disappearing?”

Scientists have observed that although the exact number of species on earth from algae to blue whales is difficult to estimate, they have been however able to estimate that between 150 and 200 species of life become extinct every 24 hours.

This episode of species extinction is greater than anything the world has experienced in the past since the disappearance of the dinosaurs. This mass extinction is due, in large measure to humankind’s unsustainable methods of production and consumption, including destruction of habitats, expanding cities, pollution, de-forestation, global warming and the introduction of “Invasive Species” such as Sandanezwe.

For the people of Swaziland the value of the preservation of biodiversity holds true as the country continues to record high numbers of tourists based on the co-relation between the environment and the people’s leading traditional ceremonies like the Reed Dance and Incwala. Furthermore, a majority of the people rely heavily on the Natural Resources

By Prophet LaNdwandwe As Silungele celebrates the success of the Swazi people in advancing their aspirations since ‘independence’, the spirit of leading Swazi women in the creation of key institutions shines through. Amongst these is non-other than Emeritus Professor Lydia Phindile Makhubu. Her leadership has been acknowledged through-out the world where she has been the President of the Third World Organisation for Women in Science and the only woman member of the Governing Council of the Third World Academy of Sciences, and is an acknowledged leader in the pursuit of cooperation between traditional and modem health sectors.

Born in Usuthu Mission in the Manzini Region, she graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree from Puis XII College now National University of Lesotho. She was awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship to study Pharmacy in Canada; however upon arrival in Alberta, she preferred to study her undergrad passion Chemistry. Makhubu obtained a Masters in Science in Organic Chemistry at the University of Alberta and then went to University of Toronto, where is obtained a PHD in Medicinal Chemistry.

Her journey in leadership began with the Commonwealth Scholarship prior to independence (1963-67); as the donor community was preparing Swazi’s for post independence leadership positions in Swaziland. Upon Return she was lecturer in Chemistry at the University of Swaziland, where she was promoted to Head of Chemistry Department and subsequently Dean of the Faculty of Science. Dr. Makhubu was passionate when lecturing chemistry as she envisage potential for research in Swaziland; and this was inspired by the skill acquired during her Master’s research.

During her tenure as Head of Chemistry department, Makhubu invested time and effort lecturing and researching; driven by her belief that a successful academic is a disciplined researcher. Her leadership motto, was ‘lead by example’ as academic institution’s are research driven; hence she devoted over 30 years exploring Traditional Medicine. This research, inspired by her PHD on Medicinal Chemistry became her lifetime passion as Pro-Vice Chancellor, Vice Chancellor and in retirement.

Leadership within the University sector possess numerous challenges: particularly as a leader of intellectuals, who articulate their views, oppose with limited inhibitions, and predominately may not agree with your thoughts. Another challenge was dealing with Government as a major stakeholder and financier of Universities particularly the task of maintaining autonomy: in administration issues; student affairs; and human resource matters. In Swaziland, there is also the challenge of striking a balance between professionalism and tradition systems; as the University is not an island but part of a broader society.

As a leader in the academic arena, she also experienced triumphant moments: such as during graduation ceremonies, particularly witnessing women graduate; and also the increase in enrolment of students in the Faculty of Science. The previous and on going expansion and strengthening of the Faculty of Science rates high in her memorable and triumphant moments of her life and time in academic activity.

In hindsight, the achievements of the University of Swaziland exonerate the legacy of Professor Sam Guma, the founding Vice Chancellor of the University of Swaziland and Makhubu’s mentor in University Administration. Professor Guma instilled the ideology of Universities being part of Society; hence Professor Makhubu engaged Traditional Medical Practitioners as partners in her research on Medicinal Chemistry.

As a scholar, Professor Makhubu strived to brand Swaziland as a country with a strong intellectual base, irrespective of its size. Makhubu engage in intellectual debate, and dialogue with academics from first world to third world; representing the University of Swaziland, enhancing the Swazi brand of tiny Kingdom endowed with indigenous knowledge. Our Emeritus Professor applied discipline, sacrifice and determination to respond to call for issue papers; presenting these papers at international conferences, where scholars engage in intellectual discourse.

Professor Lydia Makhubu in retirement still keeps up with academic activities and her culture of reading; as she said ‘once a Vice Chancellor always a Vice Chancellor.’

During her retirement has was blessed with the publication of her book; a product of over thirty years of research applying her PHD on Medicinal Chemistry on Traditional Medicine in Swaziland. The book is called Traditional Medicine and Healing in Swaziland published by the University of Swaziland Research Centre; launched April 22nd 2010 during the workshop hosted by the Swaziland Institute for Research in Traditional Medicine, Medicinal and Indigenous Food Plants of the University of Swaziland.

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BWYA

Prospect and Retrospect

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The Business Woman of the Year Award has steadily grown over the years to expose us to the vast talent which the Kingdom possesses and greater still that which is yet to be unearthed and nurtured. We do however, at certain times, forget to find out who is behind such auspicious initiatives and unearthing the motivation that propels people or organizations such as REDI, to organise or administer such events.

The Managing Director of REDI Swaziland, Dr Sikhomba Gumbi, spared us a moment from his busy schedule, to give insight into REDI’s involvement with the Business Woman of the Year Awards.

“From the onset it must be clear that we honestly can not say this was an original idea which we conceived of before anybody else did. We were motivated by the success of a relative of one of our colleagues here at REDI. The success is that of a Swazi lady who won the South African Business Woman of the Year Award in 2004.” The Swazi lady Dr Gumbi is referring to is Mrs Futhi Mtoba. Born and raised in Swaziland thereafter relocating to South Africa to further her studies, eventually settling and marrying in the Republic. To those not familiar with Mrs Mtoba, she is a highly celebrated pioneer in her chosen profession, accounting. She is actually a Charted Account (SA), Chairperson of the international audit firm Deloitte’s Southern African interests (upon appointment she was the first black woman to be offered partnership among the so called “Big 4” audit firms), she is also currently Chairperson of Business Unity South Africa and a host of other board, regulatory and professional memberships. The caliber of person speaks volumes, which then motivated REDI to invite Mrs Mtoba to make a presentation at a business breakfast meet themed “Managing Business Turnaround.”

DR Gumbi continues to explain; “Having managed to host Mrs Mtoba, the road was clear for us to formulate our concept proposal properly and be able to approach, as well as firm the links we had identified with regard

to the organisers and sponsors of the South African Business Woman of the Year event. The main sponsors of the South African Awards were Nedbank, so it followed that we would approach the same bank locally. At the time Mr Ambrose Dlamini was Managing Director, who really proved to have a very clear understanding of the Awards, especially having worked in South Africa thus witnessing the event there and its value, both to the corporate world and the community. Mr Dlamini was therefore very instrumental in us securing our first sponsorship for the Awards, which was worth E 65 000.00. He took a very personal interest by way of time, that is, availing himself for meetings and the contributions thereof.” “It must be said we have been and are very grateful for Mr Dlamini’s dedication throughout the years.”

He briefly describes the growth and development of the Awards from inception to date: “Well the first thing that comes to mind is the matter of awareness and deep understanding of the Awards. At the early stage you had a situation whereby there was a flood of nominations which did not necessarily harmonise with the set criteria. However it must be said that that with greater appreciation of the set criteria the quality and relevance of both nominations and nominees has increased remarkably.” As witnessed, support of the Awards in terms of turn out at the Awards Gala night, has been consistent, in that full subscription has been recorded from the inaugural night and every year since. Our core sponsors have been loyal, with additional sponsors coming on board as the event has grown; our anchor sponsor Nedbank Swaziland Limited to our print sponsor Printpak and our advertising sponsor The Times of Swaziland.”

To safeguard overzealous competitiveness, high expectations and perhaps some other challenges that may hinder or tarnish the stature of the Awards, processes have been adopted, for instance judging, how is this handled; “That’s an interesting one but you do understand I can’t exactly detail what the core systems we use are, suffice to say that it is fair, our judges have been pleased

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BUSINESSWOMEN AWARDS

We will be launching the Alumni called the “Circle of Champions”

...we will be increasing the number of categories

to be part of the panel, I think I could say our judging system is “airtight!”

After a brief chuckle Dr Gumbi goes on further to elucidate how “airtight” the controls of judgement are as well as how well co-ordinated they are; “...from announcement of the winner to the printing of the certificate, to it’s framing we are very careful how we execute these things. ” One then makes an example of how the engraver is on stand by after a big final, for instance the footballing world of the English FA Cup (Community Shield as it is now known), indeed the World Cup itself or even the prestigious grand slam tennis final at Wimbledon, to mention a few, whereby the winner’s name is etched on as we watch, to give credence to the fact that it was not a foregone conclusion and adds to the spectre of the festivities.

After a brief digression into the sporting world we return to; Getting to the essence of the Awards, in terms of relevance to the community, is there a committee or maybe an Alumini of Award Winners?

“It’s quite interesting that you ask this question because we are actually at an advanced stage in this regard. We will be launching the Alumni called the “Circle of Champions”, exact dates and other details shall be released in due course. However, at the moment, or should I say, what we have had is a rapport with previous winners forming part of the judging panel, being speakers upon request or at the gala night and whenever else they have been required to assist.

The projects undertaken by past winners have been successful and continue to achieve a steadily. The formation of the Alumni therefore seeks to galvanise these efforts so as to maintain the quality, credibility and prime goal of the Awards.”

Dr Gumbi describes proudest moment as, “Definitely the recognition of the Finalists and Winners stands out, especially where you find that a number of them have been appointed to National positions of responsibility subsequently. Examples here are the 2006 Entrepreneurial

category winner Mrs Sylvia Mthethwa who serves on the Royal Board of Trustees, 2007 Entrepreneurial category winner Pastor Lindiwe Dlamini who is now Minister of Housing and Urban Development and 2008 Corporate category winner Mrs Jabu Mashwama who is now Minister of Commerce Trade and Industry. This is by no means a small feat in that the Awards identify people and give them the prominence they deserve and by so doing, expose them to greater opportunities for career, entrepreneurial and community development. Another source of pride is the great support we have received from Government, especially the attendance of the Prime Minister, consistently from the first gala night to date. What can also be termed as an achievement is the keen interest the private sector continues to show, especially corporate entities who realise the worth of “one of their own” being nominated and sometimes eventually winning. Entrepreneurs also gain more opportunities as their credibility is bolstered, so it really does become a “win-win” situation.

I am proud to say that since inception our winners are still successful in their own right and continue to be the shining examples for which they were nominated for, therefore continuing to elevate not only themselves but the relevance and profile of the Awards.

The big question is: where to from here? “Going forward we look to sustain the good name of the Awards program, in fact, what I forgot to mention when we were talking about the growth of the awards, is that we will be increasing the number of categories, details of which shall be divulged in due course, although briefly, what can be mentioned, is that we seek to capture other relevant sectors that have been excluded, for instance by way of turnover for the entrepreneurial category and possibly the size of budget one may oversee in the corporate category.”

~~o~SBM~o~~

25

COMESA INTEL.

Comesa Summit

comesa: heads of stateS

Heads of State meeting held in Swaziland September 2010 OPENING OF THE SUMMIT

His Majesty King Mswati III, Ingwenyama of the Kingdom of eSwatini, in his welcoming statement extended the hospitality of the people and Government of the Kingdom of eSwatini to his colleagues, Heads of State and Government, to Ministers, Heads of International and Regional Organisations and all delegates attending the Fourteenth COMESA Summit and COMESA Business Forum.

His Majesty stated that it was an honour and pleasant responsibility to host the Fourteenth COMESA Summit. He invited their Excellencies and all delegations to enjoy the hospitality of its people and their cultural treasures.

His Majesty said the Theme of the Summit: “Harnessing Science and Technology for Development” would allow the region to develop concrete programmes for harnessing science and technology. He stated that since time immemorial, human progress and advancement has been made possible through new developments in science and technology. He added that history had demonstrated that countries that possessed superior science and technology had developed more rapidly compared to those that did not. He called upon their Excellencies to do all in their power to ensure that the citizens of the region live decent lives, particularly the ordinary people. He observed that the region’s population was young and energetic, and daring enough to venture into new areas. He reminded the Summit that over the years, through tertiary education, the region had produced some of the best scientists in the world.

In the area of telecommunications, His Majesty said there was need to develop initiatives for the people and the region to benefit from the state-of-the-art technology that would reduce the cost of communication and transform the region into an information economy and enhance access to and easy utilisation of trade and investment opportunities, promote skills acquisition and increase participation of the citizens of the region in the global economy. In the area of agriculture, he stated that there was need for innovation in order to increase productivity and overall production, in order to ensure food and nutrition security. In the area of industry, he stated that there was a dire need for a comprehensive regional industrial policy that would rapidly be translated into national programmes so that the region could rapidly industrialize.

Once again, he welcomed their Excellencies and invited them to enjoy the hospitality of the Kingdom and its people.

Their Excellencies Mr Jean Ping, Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union and Mr. Pascal Lamy, Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) separately addressed the Summit. They both expressed gratitude to His Majesty King Mswati III, the Government and People of the Kingdom of Swaziland for inviting them to the COMESA Summit. Mr. Ping expressed appreciation for the progress COMESA has attained in deepening regional integration and for taking the leadership role in continental integration. He further expressed appreciation for the excellent collaboration between the African Union Commission and COMESA in various programmes.

The AU Commission Chairperson lauded COMESA for the appropriateness of this year’s Summit theme. He noted that science and technology were critical for Africa’s development. Mr. Ping praised COMESA, EAC and SADC for initiating the Tripartite Free Trade Area which he described as a prelude to continental integration.

Mr. Lamy commended COMESA for religiously implementing regional integration programmes in pursuit of its ultimate objective of establishing an internationally competitive economic space with high standards of living for its people.

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He commended COMESA for the exemplary achievements and the leadership role the organization and its membership were playing at the World Trade Organization.

In his acceptance speech, His Majesty King Mswati III, on behalf of the Kingdom of Swaziland, the people and on his own behalf, thanked most sincerely their Excellencies for the honour bestowed on him by the Authority for electing him as Chairperson of the COMESA Authority. He assured their Excellencies that the Kingdom of Swaziland would exert all efforts to ensure that COMESA Regional Integration programmes are implemented judiciously and expeditiously during his tenure as Chairperson.

His Majesty King Mswati III paid tribute to the Outgoing Chairperson, His Excellency Robert Gabriel Mugabe, President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, for ably steering the affairs of COMESA since the Thirteenth Summit that was held in June 2009 in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

His Majesty stated that COMESA had reached an important milestone in its history.

As the largest Free Trade Area in Africa, with over 430 million people and a combined GDP of over US$ 440 billion, and presenting the highest Return on Investment in the world, COMESA is an instrument and a force for development. He added that as the region moves into a Customs Union, it has a mechanism for harmonising and co-ordinating policies so as to create a seamless economic space as a regional bloc that could speak with one voice on global economic and political matters In line with the theme for the Summit: “Harnessing Science and Technology for Development”, the Incoming Chairperson reiterated that he will work untiringly in pursuing practical programmes to be implemented for the greater good of the region. He stated that building on the successes of the region such as the progress towards the Tripartite Free Trade Area, the COMESA Intellectual Property Policy and progress in the implementation of Infrastructure programmes, and harnessing science and technology for development would be the rallying call for all the region’s efforts and programmes.

In this regard, His Majesty assured the Authority of his commitment and dedication and looked forward to working closely with all of them to promote the development of COMESA in order to attain the COMESA vision of a fully integrated and internationally competitive region, a region that is prosperous with high living standards for its people.

His Excellency, Danny Faure, Vice President of the Republic of Seychelles, moved a vote of thanks on behalf of their Excellencies and on his own behalf. Mr Faure paid tribute to His Majesty King Mswati III, the Government and the People of the Kingdom of Swaziland for the exceptional hospitality extended to them. The Vice President further noted the unique features of the Summit programme which included showcasing the rich cultural heritage of the Kingdom of Swaziland and its people. Finally, Mr. Faure thanked the Outgoing Chairperson, His Excellency Robert Mugabe, President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, for his dedication to the ideals of COMESA and for the clarity of vision during his tenure which contributed to the continued growth of COMESA. After the formal opening of the Summit, the Authority: ELECTED by acclamation His Majesty King Mswati III, Ingwenyama of the Kingdom of eSwatini, as Chairperson, His Excellency Ngwazi Professor Bingu wa Mutharika, President of the Republic of Malawi and Chairperson of the African Union as Vice-Chairperson and His Excellency Mr Robert Gabriel Mugabe, President of the Republic of Zimbabwe as Rapporteur

ON THE COMESA FREE TRADE AREA NOTED with satisfaction the growth in intra-COMESA trade and investment and urged business persons to intensify efforts to build regional business linkages COMMENDED Member States participating in the Free Trade Area to continue to strengthen the regional trading regime URGED the Member States that are not yet participating in the FTA to do so at the earliest convenience so as to enable them to prepare adequately for participation in the Customs Union EXTENDED the derogation granted to the Kingdom of Swaziland from reciprocating tariff preferences under the COMESA FTA beyond December 2010 and that the derogation be linked to the establishment of the Tripartite Free Trade Area when Swaziland would reciprocate fully ON THE TRIPARTITE FREE TRADE AREA ENDORSED the draft Agreement establishing the Tripartite Free Trade Area, together with the Annexes as the basic negotiating documents for consultations and negotiations on the Tripartite FTA URGED Member States to undertake national consultations with all stakeholders on the outputs of the study on the Tripartite Free Trade Area and with the Secretariats of the three Regional Economic Communities (RECs) in readiness for the negotiations for the Tripartite FTA ON COOPERATION WITH OTHER REGIONAL ECONOMIC COMMUNITIES APPRECIATED the continued collaboration between COMESA and the other regional organizations in Africa, particularly, within the frameworks of COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite arrangement and the COMESA, EAC, IGAD and IOC under the Inter-Regional Coordination Committee (IRCC) and URGED for the strengthening of this cooperation COMMENDED the continued progress and collaboration among COMESA, EAC and SADC being made in the framework of the Tripartite Arrangeme ENDORSED the COMESA Policy on the Intellectual Property Rights and Cultural Industries ON GENDER MAINSTREAMING, WOMEN IN BUSINESS AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS DIRECTED the FEMCOM Secretariat to adopt the WISE credit guarantee model as a best practice and to replicate it in other FEMCOM chapters in the COMESA region.

ON LEGAL AND INSTITUTIONAL MATTERS CONSIDERED and ADOPTED the amendment of Article 185 of the COMESA Treaty to include Arabic as the fourth official language of COMESA ON PEACE AND SECURITY REITERATED the important role of Peace and Security in creating an enabling environment for investment, economic development and regional integration for the region ON HOSTING OF THE SUMMIT EXPRESSED appreciation to His Excellency Ngwazi Professor Bingu wa Mutharika, President of the Republic of Malawi and Chairman of the African Union for his offer to host the next Summit to be held in 2011 EXPRESSED appreciation to His Majesty King Mswati III, Ingwenyama of the Kingdom of eSwatini, the Government and People of the Kingdom of eSwatini for the warm and fraternal hospitality extended to all delegates.

Harnessing Science & Technology For Development NOTED AND DELIBERATED on the Report on Harnessing Science and Technology for Development which called for the mainstreaming of science, technology and innovation in all economic, cultural and social sectors of the Member States FURTHER URGED • Member States to consider establishing Science and Technology Committees and Advisory Office at the highest level of Government; • the Secretariat to establish an Office of Advisor on Science and Technology; • Member States to establish an Annual Innovation Award to recognise outstanding accomplishment in science, technology and innovation; and • Member States to adopt a policy framework for harnessing science and technology.

URGED Member States to: 1. where possible, COMESA Member States should pool resources and combine efforts to establish common science and technology parks; 2. promote the commercialisation of research and development, and put

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CLOSURE OF THE SUMMIT

Before the closure of the Summit, His Excellency Mr. Bernard Makuza, Prime Minister of the Republic of Rwanda in moving the vote of thanks, expressed gratitude to His Majesty King Mswati III, the Government and People of Swaziland for the warm hospitality accorded to their Excellencies and their delegations since their arrival in the beautiful Kingdom.

The Prime Minister stated that the 14th Summit was very important and crucial Summit by all accounts. It was also a notable occasion for all the delegates as there was a clear statement by our countries that they were all committed to creating a fully integrated and internationally competitive regional body with high standards of living for the region’s citizens.

He thanked His Excellency Ngwazi Professor Bingu wa Mutharika, President of the Republic of Malawi and ViceChairman of the Authority for offering to host the next Summit and stated that all delegations looked forward to visiting Malawi - The Warm Heart of Africa - in 2011.

Lastly, the Prime Minister thanked His Majesty for his great leadership in chairing the Summit as it was through his guidance and able leadership that the Authority managed to conduct its business expeditiously. He assured His Majesty that as the delegates returned to their respective homes, they would take with them fond memories of the charming smiles and the rich culture of the Swazi people.

In closing the Fourteenth Summit, the Chairperson of the COMESA Summit, His Majesty King Mswati III, Ingwenyama of the Kingdom of eSwatini, thanked their Excellencies for their support to COMESA which had contributed to cementing co-operation, peace and development. He re-affirmed the importance of mainstreaming science, technology ad innovation in all COMESA and national development strategies and the importance of strengthening strategic public-private partnerships in COMESA and looked forward to the contribution of the private sector to COMESA programmes. He also urged the private sector to work with Member States in ensuring that all Member States were part of the COMESA FTA and in the implementation of the road map for establishment of the Tripartite FTA and the COMESA Customs Union. Finally he wished all the delegates safe journeys.

in place initiatives for improvement and standardisation of traditional products, innovating them into products that can be commercialised; 3. consider using biotechnology in the cropping sector in order to assist increase the outputs in the region, working with partners such as ECA and NEPAD, and taking into account the enormous biodiversity in the region; 4. dedicate at least 1% of the Gross Domestic Product to research and development, in line with the target set within the framework of the African Union; 5. consider adopting initiatives for promoting and utilising nano technology and science, given its application in various key areas such as medical treatment resulting from much higher levels of precision; 6. develop a common curriculum in ICT that enables COMESA citizens to be exposed to ICT at an early age; 7. create a central fund that would concentrate on availing financial resources towards funding programmes for ICT training and skills development; 8. establish data bases for identifying individuals with the right profiles that can assist the implementation of science and technology initiatives in COMESA; 9. harmonise and co-ordinate the policy framework at the COMESA level; and 10. elaborate and adopt master plans and blue prints for leveraging technological knowledge, for harnessing science and technology, and for mobilising the required resources.

Production Intergration From Single Market to Single Economy The 14th COMESA Heads of State Summit has identified a number of key further integration strategies that seek to achieve the vision of Africa’s foremost trade bloc. Amongst these is the move from market integration toward production integration. This is a key strategic direction that seeks to take advantage of inter-country/inter-region resource variations and competencies, with increased value-add and optimum resource utilization within the bloc. As current Chairperson, the kingdom needs to advance this phenomenon i.e. Regional Production Integration, as this will underpin the sustainable future of COMESA. This is an introductory view on RPI; future articles will seek the input of stakeholders in pursuit of the realization of this strategic thrust.

What does regional productive integration mean?

Regional productive integration (RPI) is not a well-defined concept in both academic and business literature. This term is used as a phenomenon in which a regional economy is linked through the network of firms’ productive activities.

Imagine the processes of a business activity consisting of different stages: starting from the establishment of a business concept, followed by research and development, production, and commercialization. The production process, in turn, consists of production of various intermediate goods (parts and components) and final assembly.

We may call “production integration” when the production process is physically divided into different units that are united through systematic logistic arrangement.

It may seem counter-productive to divide the production process because it increases administrative costs and logistic costs. Production integration is meaningful if the production process is composed of fractions with quite different resource intensity, because productivity of a firm should increase by allocating each fraction in the location where its most intensively used resource is abundant, such as raw material and labour. The productivity gains from fragmentation are large if resource endowments are sufficiently different between countries; hence, a firm can locate labour intensive production processes in an unskilled labor abundant country whereas knowledge intensive processes in a country abundant in highly educated skilled people. In order to be profitable, the productivity gains from fragmentation must be larger than administrative and logistic costs. Assuming that these costs are related with distance, regional productive integration makes sense. However, productivity gains might be small in RPI because resource endowments tend to be similar across countries in the same region, safe to say COMESA states present favourable factors in this regard. It should be also taken into account that since some of the costs are “sunk”, average cost of fragmentation will be smaller as the size of the total operation gets larger because of economy of scale. Thus, the region with either large consumer market in itself or strong export capacity to the outside market presents favorable conditions for RPI. Areas for RPI consideration?

Certain areas of products and services can be considered in COMESA for RPI, including; agroproducts, medicine, ICT, higher education, health services, engineering, autoindustry, construction, information services, cultural and entertainment services and international financial services. At the same time, realisation of regional and international market potential would be significantly boosted by Public-PrivatePartnerships for the provision of technical studies, planning, personnel training, and institutional support for research and development and international marketing.

Lessons From Asia In order to conclude our discussion, let us list some general lessons drawn from the experience of RPI in East Asia, which may be useful for the policy discussion of COMESA’s RPI strategy.

FIRST OF ALL, RPI is based on scale economy because it involves a sunk cost of linking regionally fragmented productive units. Unless the local regional market is sufficiently large, like in North America and in EU, RPI depends on access to the world market. RPI will be inefficient if it is designed as a scheme of production sharing within a closed small local market. RPI develops as a process where firms search higher efficiency taking advantage of varied local advantage within a region, but it is not by origin designed as a mean to redistribute income, although it may eventually contribute to spread industrialization.

SECOND, RPI requires efficient transportation system which reduces broadly defined trade costs. Broadly defined trade costs are related to: the quality of transport nodes consisting of highways, port, and airport; efficient logistic service provider; good information and communication system; low import tariff and simplified procedures at customs. These parameters should be monitored. COMESA has certain challenges in terms of language diversity, varied currencies and exchange rates, travel controls, non-aligned tax regimes, etc. Furthermore, it is worth noticing that

Who are the influential economic agents in the process of RPI? Undoubtedly, most regional economic integrations are promoted by political initiatives, needless to say the quest for permanent peace which founded the European integration, and Africa’s largest bloc, COMESA, seeking to uplift the standard of living of its peoples.

However, in East Asia to talk about regional politics is problematic because of the unique political balance in the region, instead organizational sustainability in competitive global markets has been the leading factor in East Asia’s RPI. To summarize, East Asia exports substantial final products of manufactured goods to the outside markets while exchanging intermediate products intensively within the region. This suggests that the triangular pattern of East Asia RPI can be seen as if it were a factory in which fragmented productive processes distributed in different locations regionally are integrated like a production line, sending off the products to the outside markets. The Factory Asia model is not designed and guided by a centralized supra-national organization or the like, but it was developed through the natural process of individual firm’s seeking higher productivity using RPI. The competition in external market, especially those of North America and Europe, is principal market promoter of this process.

Which are the sectors where RPI is most intense?

Using the successful East Asia experience, RPI becomes profitable when the region is characterized by diversified factor endowments and easy transportation. In order to take advantage of such conditions, production process should consist of separable multiple intermediate sub-processes whose technological intensities are distinct with each other. The separability requires the easiness of the interface between those separated sub-processes. It is typically the case where intermediate goods are modularized with standardized interfaces, where technology is self-contained in each module without much need for coordination with subsequent modules. For example, one can build his own desktop computer by purchasing all necessary parts and components produced all over the world and sold at a computer shop in his town. The cost would be prohibitively high if, for example, he must have ordered Intel to make an individually customized CPU. But this is not the case because he could combine readily available electronic parts quite flexibly. RPI can be promoted also if intermediate goods have appropriate size and weight for transportation.

Electronic parts also have this property.

Way forward: COMESA needs wide consensus on the direction and content of strategies for the future, which would serve as the template for policy coordination. Production integration is one element in the economic dimension of integration. To the extent that there is success in stimulating greater intra-bloc flows of goods, services, labour and capital; the economic relevance of the Community to the regional population will be more effectively demonstrated.

to reduce the time cost of trade is important in order to compete in the world market. Imagine, for example, that the World Cup Football final game will be held between a South American country and a European country. Only if the South American team wins will we expect a huge demand for a commemorative T-shirt. Manufacturers won’t like to produce it in advance because of the risk of accumulating dead stock, while they are also afraid that they are not going to sell very much if the product will arrive the market so late after the South American team wins. If they can supply speedily using RPI, consumers will be willing to pay higher price. Thus, the speed will generate rent that can be shared in the region. If there were no efficient supply from RPI, the merchandise order should go to suppliers in China or Vietnam who can provide so cheaply that convinces retail stores to bet for the win of the home team.

THIRD, public-private-partnership in human capital development such as can be seen in increased private sector education and training budgets, P-P-P funding of institutions, etc. Insufficient human capital may become a binding condition, especially at the initial stage of formation of RPI for not being able to fulfill the need of productivity to compete in the world market and also for not being able to create local suppliers. General public education may not be enough to build specific skill. If we let the capacity building only to private firms’ responsibility, the effort will be less than optimal level because of the externality that individual firm’s effort might benefit other firms. Hence, the government is required to play the role of

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coordinator. FOURTH, local governments can play an important role to connect its jurisdiction with the global business; either to attract affiliates of foreign firms or to create local wholesale markets. The former is effective to create high-tech industrial clusters, while the latter has contributed to enlarge low-tech industrial clusters.

FINALLY, but not the least, RPI requires spatial compactedness in order to minimize the operational cost to link the dispersed productive units and the need of scale economy implies concentrating investment in industrial agglomerations. This aspect intensifies the pressure for widening the gap of development across the space, leading us to four policy implications. First, the migration from the lagged areas to the industrial agglomerations needs to be encouraged. Second, local policy should target at investing in urban infrastructure to mitigate the negative effect from congestion. Third, some scheme of income transfer should be established by levying tax on urban income rent and redistributing it to residents of lagged areas who do not migrate for being engaged in economic activities which is tied to the land. Fourth, market accessibility from the rural area should be improved because the economic distance affects rural income. It is responsibility of the supra-national organization if the issues of migration and income transfer should be discussed and implemented at the regional level rather than individual country level.

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Kuvutaphi Campaign: active leakage control and saving water The Swaziland Water Services Corporation engaged on an active leakage control program by putting in structures and initiatives to eliminate water loss from its supply network. The main target is to reduce unaccounted for water (non revenue water) to levels that are synonymous to international benchmark standards. These standards are as defined by the International Water Association (IWA) generally accepted as world’s best practice in many countries around the world for determining and managing leakages in water distribution systems.

One of the main reasons for monitoring and managing leakages in the supply network is the benefits it has for the community in terms of availability and reliability of water supply. Such active leakage control ensures that water is available to all existing customers at all times, supplied at the appropriate and constant pressure.

It also enables the Corporation to focus on expansion program, covering new supply areas as more resources are made available. The sustainability of systems and infrastructure is greatly improved were active leakage control is in place.

The “Kuvutaphi?” campaign conducted by the Corporation involved roadshows positioned is strategic areas determined by the total volumes of water loss. Areas known to be prone to high water losses, illegal connections, damaged infrastructure and pipes were targeted and the message delivered directly at community level with a strong emphasis on grass root ownership and the direct impact of high water losses.

The community was made to understand the nature of the service being provided and the community’s role in the supply chain. Communities are expected to report all leakages or damage to infrastructure as ignoring such will affect the very same community when eventually there is no water supply, when there is dirty water due to a damaged pipe, or when there is a high tariff increase as a cost recovery medium due to unbilled water lost in leakages or lost through illegal consumption of water.

Communication channels between the Corporation and community members with reference to local leadership structures were laid down and customers made aware of internal communication structures within SWSC. The Corporation also, through the road-shows, expressed its commitment to service delivery and what the consumers should expect as they request and receive services from SWSC. This gave a detailed elaboration of all the various services and products that SWSC offers, water quality issues, service centres which included the 24hr Call Centre and Toll Free line (800 5000). In the same manner, the communities were informed of what SWSC expects from them especially with reference to access to meters, meter care and responsibility thereof being on the customer, water usage and other issues.

Special reference was made to the Water Services Act of 1992, which details the nature and scope of operations for SWSC. The main area of interest from the public was finding out why the Corporation does not supply water throughout the whole country and information on what The Act stipulates as supply areas for SWSC was relayed. It was a general feeling from most communities visited that perhaps

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BONGANI S. NTSHANGASE CUSTOMER SERVICES MANAGER SWSC should supply the whole country but once the issue of how SWSC operates in terms of water supply, billing and the expectation to pay for water, some participants preferred the current arrangement.

The main areas that were identified as influencing water losses in the communities visited were illegal connections and damaged infrastructure.

Complaints were received that the Corporation sometimes take forever to respond to a reported pipe burst and the response from SWSC was that they now have improve on the Call Centre efficiencies with new systems in place that enables reported burst pipes to be tracked and monitored across the country in terms of when they were reported and when were they eventually resolved with no comebacks on the same job. On the issue of illegal connection, a strong warning was sent out to those involved in such criminal acts and that such people are continuous brought before the courts for criminal prosecution.

The “Kuvutaphi?” campaign was a successful initiative which saw a decline in water losses and an increase in the number of people reporting leakages and damaged pipes as people were now aware of the Call Centre lines. There was a strong appreciation from the public on the information and teachings brought by the Swaziland Water Services Corporation.

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PHOTO: President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama pose for a photo during a reception at the Metropolitan Museum in New York with, His Majesty Mswati III King of the Kingdom Swaziland, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

INYATSI CONSTRUCTION GROUP HOLDINGS: Based in Swaziland, with Subsidiary Companies in Zambia, Mozambique, South Africa and Swaziland, really is a force to be reckoned with in the construction Industry. The latest addition to the Group is Billion Construction, making the company live up to its slogan, “Leaders in Construction”. Having started off as a Roads Construction company, it has now expanded into the construction of Dams and Reservoirs, Bridges, Houses, Airports and with the recent addition of Billion Construction and Construction Associates it has branched off even further into Shopping centres and architectural buildings such as government offices and hospitals. It has the following, to name but a few, projects to its credit: ·Construction of LUSIP Tertiary Distribution System Phase 1, RCC Dam, Clay Core Dam & Saddle Dam ·Lumwana Township Infrastructure and Civil Works ·Sikhuphe International Airport Resettlement Project, Service Patrol Road, Runway &Taxiways Link Road ·Mbabane - Manzini Highway, Grade Separation Structure at the Matsapha Traffic Circle. ·Nkonyeni Golf Estate ·Estuary Estate ·Baylors Children’s Clinic ·Sports Centre ·U.S. Embassy Security Premier Upgrade

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT The company focuses on evaluating the core skills of its employees. We provide advanced training to strengthen leadership skills and prepare our employees for the challenges that lie ahead as they develop. Over 500 employees underwent training and development internally and with external institutions in line with the company’s skills development programme. Inyatsi has a number of bursary students in universities and Technikons. The company, over the years has contributed funds, products and services to several education, training and environmental projects around our project areas.

A true Swazi Success Story: From small beginnings to a multinational, Inyatsi Construction is now a force to be reckoned with in Africa South of the Sahara.

CORPORATE SOCIAL INVESTMENT Inyatsi is committed to the development of all the communities in which it operates. With over 25 Years of operations in Southern Africa, Inyatsi has already made and will continue to make a considerable contribution to the communities in which it operates. Through its social investment programme, the company supports selected socioeconomic projects that promote community development and upliftment, especially those that advance equality and advancement on merit. The Social Investment Committee manages this programme on behalf of the company. The various charity and institutional beneficiaries include but is not limited to Swaziland Hospice at Home, Various Orphanages, Cycling Associations, Golf Associations, Swimming Associations, Teen Challenge Ministry, Swaziland Charity Trust, Remar, Elusitweni Centre for abused women and Children, SWAGGA.

HIV/AIDS PROGRAMME Inyatsi believes that the Employees are the company’s greatest asset that is why we have taken a proactive stance on HIV/AIDS pandemic. We have formulated a policy which actively addresses issues of prevention, testing and education that aims to: ·Implement and maintain a prevention strategy, ·Create a well informed workforce, ·Evaluate and minimize the potential risk of HIV/AIDS and other life threatening diseases to the company. ·Encourage employees to participate in the group’s prevalence and voluntary counseling and testing, a work environment for ·Provide supportive employees, ·Focus on creating awareness and education programmes and provide counseling,. ·It is the company’s goal to provide a supportive environment for HIV Affected ·Employees or employees with aids.

Prevention is the highest priority of the company’s HIV/AIDS programme and our peer educator training programme forms a backbone of our initiatives. This programme works with volunteers from various levels within the company who agree to become HIV/AIDS flag bearers and a support base for their specific business units, while continuing with their day-to-day duties. These educators offer their peers; ·A source of knowledge based on facts, ·Thorough understanding of the company’s a HIV/AIDS policy, ·A first line support for affected employees.

KING SOBHUZA II: Legacy Of Peace And Stability (Part 1)

By Prophet Joy Ndwandwe “A prospective paradigm for developing and sustaining a culture of peace, stimulated by ethics and ethos replacing the Western ontology of ‘for one-self ’ and Eurocentric values with the ontology of ‘otherness’ and humanity principles and values.”

Western ontology of ‘for one-self ’ and Eurocentric values with ontology of ‘otherness’ and humanity principles and values. This mission inspired my research on the Traditional African Cosmology and Ontology (Islam, Christianity, and African Identity Nyang Sulayman 1984); underpinning interpreting King Sobhuza II’s speeches into philosophy now known as the King Sobhuza Cosmology (Prophet LaNdwandwe 2009). This book advocates the concept of Authentic Identity based on the Traditional African Cosmology and Ontology. Cosmology enlightens us souls or cosmic beings on our membership in society of the unborn, born, and dead. Ontology edifies us of our life purpose as souls or cosmic beings in mastering cosmic and social order; harmonious human existence; and coexistence. These two philosophies results in a triangular matrix of existence in pyramid silhouette enlightening our souls on God or Supreme being above; on our right side humanity, consequently shaking hands with right hand; our left at the heart, are ancestors or the departed thus loving them unconditionally.

2010 is the year of Peace and Security in Africa; as declared on August 31st 2009 by the Heads of State and Government of the African Union (A.U.) in Tripoli. The Tripoli Declaration Paragraph 9 and 24: ‘….we are determined to deal once and for all with the scourge of conflict and violence on our continent, acknowledging our shortcomings and errors, committing our resources and our best people, and missing no opportunity to push forward the agenda of conflict prevention, peacemaking, and post conflict reconstruction. We, as leaders, simply cannot bequeath the burden of conflicts to the next generation of African.’ ‘We solemnly adopt the Tripoli Declaration, and pledge our full commitment to

The World Bank published a Report entitled- Can Africa Claim the 21st Century which states thus: ‘About one-fifth of Africans live in countries severely disrupted by conflict; excluding independence wars, nearly 20 African countries have experienced at least one period of civil strife since 1960. This unfortunate legacy has huge social and economic costs and incalculable indirect costs, including the destruction of physical infrastructure, loss of institutional capacity and social capital, and flight of financial and human capital. Civil war lowers per capita GDP by 2.2 percent points per year…Civil wars also leave a social and political legacy that can affect development for decades.’

its effective implementation so as to open a new chapter in our collective action in favour of peace, security, stability and shared prosperity throughout Africa and the rest of the world.’ September 21st 2010 is International Peace Day, also designated by the African Union as Peace Day; Happy Belated Peace Day and I hope you all experienced profound peace with no violence, no conflict, and no fighting as we review of our rich heritage of peace and stability, as espoused by King Sobhuza II.

The King Sobhuza Legacy’s of Peace and Stability went through tests as paradoxically King Sobhuza II in 1973 repealed the independence constitution, our benevolent ruler, banned political parties; hence Swaziland had no parties when the African continent had mainly one party states, but he maintained peace and stability. The 1973 decree resulted in Ngwane National Liberatory Congress (NNLC) President Dr. Zwane being detained as a political prisoner who went to exile and returned to the country to live and died a free man; NNLC Prince Dumisa Dlamini King Sobhuza’s first cousin lived and died in London (he visited the country on numerous occasions) and his remains were returned to Swaziland for royal burial; NNLC Mr. Ngwenya elected to parliament and yet his citizenship was in dispute and when it was proven that he was South African, he was replaced by Mr. Masilela a Swazi citizen. King Sobhuza II successfully applied Intangible Cultural Heritage as a tool for peace building and conflict resolution during his rein as King and Head of State to advance Swaziland’s development agenda.

Swaziland under the leadership of the late King Sobhuza II of Swaziland was one of African countries who experienced peace and stability.

King Sobhuza II renowned as the longest reigning monarch of the tiny Kingdom; revered for his wisdom, benevolence, and legendary leadership who peacefully led the country from colonial bondage; applied intangible cultural heritage in conflict resolution, resulting in peace and stability akin to a pipedream in post independence Africa. Our legendary leader, benevolent monarch born in 1899, attended school at Lovedale in the Eastern Cape; his coronation was in 1921 after attaining the age of majority (21). After coronation his first national duty was meeting with the British Government and Royal Family in London; to negotiate for land restitution.

King Sobhuza II born in an era of limited academic institutions, he was academically underprivileged; but well endowed with intangible cultural heritage. His leadership legacy commenced through liberating himself from ‘Paramount Chief ’ to become King and Head of State; simultaneously liberating the country from British Protectorate to Kingdom of Swaziland.

His Majesty’s legacy has invaluable lessons essential for unearthing indigenous methods of conflict resolution and peace building within the African context; this challenges us in this 21st Century, to resonate intangible cultural heritage particularly indigenous values as our sources of wisdom.

In the March 1999 publication of the Dakar Forum on the Future Competitiveness of African Economies the question: What is Governance was answered as follows: Governance is the art and skill of utilising political and collective power for the management of public affairs. Art and skills are the products of knowledge, information, education, training, culture, traditions, experience, natural endowments and commitment to goals. This answer portrays His Majesty’s Indigenous Rebirth Philosophy with post-independence national pillars: planning; human development; agriculture; community health; visible policing; localization; united in our diversity; humanitarianism; economic development; supported

by Indigenous Development Philosophy; Indigenous Governance Philosophy; and Indigenous Land Philosophy.

In unearthing his philosophy I encountered the depth of intangible cultural heritage embedded in his audio and print speeches. King Sobhuza II legacy offers indigenous methods for conflict resolution and peace building enthused by African possibility thinking originating from intangible cultural heritage. A prospective paradigm for developing and sustaining a culture of peace, stimulated by ethics and ethos replacing the

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SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE According to the World Bank ReportCan Africa Claim the 21st Century: ‘The high incidence of civil wars in Africa is commonly attributed to ethnic diversity; this inference might seem self-evident, given that rebel movements almost always have ethnic identities.’

‘Economic and Political Development are like Siamese twins; as achieving one without the other does not result in independence.

Economic development is the soul of the nation; as the soul of a country is its wealth, hence a country without wealth is ‘dead alive.’

The introduction of the Future Competitiveness of African Economies stated thus: ‘to achieve lasting peace and sustainable democracy and development, it is imperative to fully comprehend and master the many complex factors and forces that have brought about these conflicts, wars and political instability. It is too simplistic to regard them as merely a postindependence teething problem and to resort to stereotypes by lumping them together under the banner of ethnicity. If peace, stability and good governance are to be fully established in Africa without which there can be no competitiveness, we need to fully comprehend the many underlying causes and historic conflicts that have over the centuries, plagued the continent and, therefore, to master them by devising strategies and policy options for transcending the existing conflicts and averting potential ones.’

between the Europeans and Swazis. King Sobhuza questioned the British claim of Swaziland: ‘the British were not given land, they have no claim; and there was no war between the British and the Swazi, to prove they won the land at war.’

King Sobhuza further stated: ‘it is therefore our God given right to fight for our land and not allow the British to inherit our ancestral inheritance.

When discussing the land issue my approach is very simple, those with authentic evidence of sale agreements, I would not interfere with; as there is no point in undoing a wrong with another wrong. When we apply bad principles and values in our decision making processes, they will come back to haunt us in ten fold. As King and leader of a nation blessed with an authentic identity, I will not mimic the British; however I will claim the land back from England and hold them responsible for the land mess they created. What I do know is that they were given concessions rights which were converted; and this process of conversion must be clearly articulated to the nation. Land is a source of wealth, based on this principle I will claim it back from the British.’ The land issue was also part of the reason that King Sobhuza repealed the independence constitution, he stated thus: ‘the land issues were distorted by the British and that is why at independence they provided us with, symbolic independence; silencing our rights and powers to discuss the land issues with their Constitution. This is why I have continuously warned the nation about this Constitution as it took away all our rights to question the land issues as a nation.’ King Sobhuza was passionate about Economic development; hence he was adamant on how the land issues would not result in the expatriation of whites after independences as they are the founding fathers of industrial development he stated thus: ‘we have to manage the transition of this country like men and not fools. When we find a man with a spear wound; and next to the spear is Ndzangu, poison, we know that the intestines will come out if you pull the spear with Ndzangu; a regiment would not do that. A regiment would use his spear to spread the wound in order to take Ndzangu out; as this will save the man. The same principle applies when dealing with sensitive and serious matters such as land issues; we first have to remove Ndzangu the poison without crippling economic development.’

According to the World Bank Report-Can Africa Claim the 21st Century: ‘The high incidence of civil wars in Africa is commonly attributed to ethnic diversity; this inference might seem self-evident, given that rebel movements almost always have ethnic identities.’ The case of Swaziland is based on one ethnic group being the majority of the small population; until the influx of political and economic refugees from Mozambique; South Africa; Zambia; Zimbabwe; East and West Africa during King Sobhuza’s rein. The World Bank report further states that there are four factors driving Africa’s propensity for violent conflict: NATURAL RESOURCES: Many countries are dependent of natural resources and to a certain degree, extensive natural resources such as diamonds and other minerals are associated with a higher risk of war.

Resources provide a convenient way to sustain ‘justice seeking’ rebel movements and easily loot-able assets that can encourage ‘loot seeking’ rebel movements: King Sobhuza’s Indigenous Rebirth Philosophy: Agriculture Development: ‘Agriculture is life and land is the source of prosperity’ in his view agriculture is the best source of investment opportunity as it supports and feeds the nation whilst conserving nature. Money on the other hand is not a sustainable solution for families, and communities, as the nation has just emerged from poverty still needs to learn the art of handling money. When the nation focuses on agricultural development it becomes the back bone of its economy; as agricultural resources have the potential to be deployed into other sectors of our economy. King Sobhuza also emphasised the need for water conservation as lack of water would hamper the growth of the agricultural sector as water is the backbone of our economy.

LOW INCOME, POVERTY, AND LACK OF EDUCATION INCREASE THE RISK OF CIVIL CONFLICT: The King Sobhuza leadership legacy is renowned for being a period of a stable and vibrant middle class, without huge income gaps which polarise a country into extreme poverty and extreme wealth. His Majesty’s Indigenous Rebirth Philosophy: Economic Development: ‘Economic and Political Development are like Siamese twins; as achieving one without the other does not result in independence. Economic development is the soul of the nation; as the soul of a country is its wealth, hence a country without wealth is ‘dead alive.’ His passion led him to question whether the leaders of politically unstable and conflict ridden countries realize the damage they inflict on the souls of their countries. This instability and conflict in African countries according to the King was pitiful and regrettable… at the core of his apprehension was the fact that countries in-conflict end up with extreme poverty and yet the commitment of the first leaders of the continent was the advancement and improvement of the quality of life of citizens. In essence the African economic development regression distressed our benevolent leader as his concern was that many European countries were branding economic regression as the authentic African image.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: The King warned the nation against preoccupation with mining, gold, and cars as investment opportunities for he considered them to be like cancer, which would deplete the natural resources and consume the nation with materialism. In his view, mineral resources were not the ultimate economic development solution for a nation that has just emerged from ‘domestication;’ hence his priority was transforming the nation towards commercial agricultural production such as Sugar and Timber Industries.

INDIGENOUS LAND PHILOSOPHY: King Sobhuza’s grandmother Queen Regent Labotsibeni or Gwamile initiated the Lifa (wealth) Fund by encouraging Swazi’s to seek employment in the then Transvaal for the buying-the-farms-back-fund; hence His Majesty’s first assignment after coronation was negotiating the land issue in London. King Sobhuza’s view was: ‘both human and animal life is based on the stomach; hence land is a valuable asset which can be ploughed for generations.’ This reflects indigenous land philosophy of possession (ontology of otherness), not ownership (ontology of one-self ) which instigated the land conflict

The review of King Sobhuza II’s legacy of peace and stability will be continued in the next issue.

~~o~SBM~o~~

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SWAZI INC TOUR: UAE

SWAZI INC. In The Gulf HIS Majesty King Mswati III led a Swazi diplomatic and investment delegation on a multi state tour of the Middle East. In Kuwait there was a Swazi Exhibition organized. Thereafter the tour moved on to the Emirates, kicking off in Abu Dhabi - the capital city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where he officially opened an embassy of the Kingdom of Swaziland. He was accompanied by Inkhosikati LaNgangaza. Musa Nhlangamandla toured with them.

Mr Nhlangamandla reports that: The tour then turned its attention to trade and investment; the highlight of which was “crucial and high powered bilateral meeting with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.” An event described as “..the pivotal point in His Majesty’s efforts to push the bilateral relations and cooperation between the Kingdom of Swaziland and the UAE even further. “This visit is part of His Majesty King Mswati III’s efforts to further promote and develop cooperation and bilateral relations between the UAE and to boost economic ties by attracting investors and business people from here to come to Swaziland. The Emirates is a strategic partner to bolster investment, trade and wealth creation in partnership with the Swazi nation,” said Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Jabulile Mashwama. … His Majesty met business magnate, hotelier and financial services guru Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Zayed, who expressed an interest to engage in a multi-million investment drive in the Kingdom. Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Lutfo Dlamini, who was present during the meeting, said Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Zayed owns a number of businesses including a bank in the UAE, several construction concerns and important buildings in the city.

“His major interest is in infrastructure and the financial services sector and he has previously sent his team to explore opportunities in Swaziland. When he met His Majesty he informed him that he was pleased with his findings about Swaziland and was optimistic of investing in Swaziland,” he said. The meeting was also attended by Chief Officer in the King’s Office Bheki Dlamini and Ambassador Ephraim Hlophe. Minister Dlamini said the Sheikh also commended His Majesty and the Swazi nation for preserving the monarchy as a symbol of peace and prosperity and for holding on to culture as a vehicle to promote unity and national identity. The Kingdom and his country are monarchs. “His Majesty also invited him to visit Swaziland to also see first hand what the country has to offer and he thanked him for the interest shown in investing in Swaziland by sending fact finding missions,” Dlamini said. Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi is widely recognized as the wealthiest city in the world, possessing more than nine per cent of the world’s known oil reserves and four per cent of the world’s gas. It is located in the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula. - MN

His Majesty King Mswati III officially opening the Swazi Embassy in the UAE.

HMK makes a point to businessman Medhat Magesana Wardi His Majesty King Mswati III showing Emirates Assistant Foreign Minister Dr Saeed Al-Shamsi how the sacred 'Inqabakancofula' is sang and danced.

CULTURE SURVIVAL

MEANS

OUR

HIS Majesty King Mswati III revealed the secret behind the survival and longevity of the Swazi cultural heritage, saying dynamism and a balance between tradition and modernity can provide valuable lessons in the quest for world peace. The King said culture is what defines a people and helps them grow together towards a brighter future… The King used the analogy of the arrangement of the ‘black and white’ piano keys; saying in such diversity came harmony. His Majesty made the remarks shortly after touring Zayed University, which also upholds culture and infuses it in the curriculum to encourage students to seek the special opportunities that challenge and reward them. In conversation with authorities of the university, His Majesty lauded the achievements of the University. “I have been informed that the proud history of this leading University allows students to develop knowledge, skills and abilities they need for a successful life in the 21st century. I have also been appraised that the university respects people’s cultures and assists students to develop the knowledge, skills and abilities that they need for successfully contributing to

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the prosperity of their countries,” he said. The King said the Swazi culture has prevailed among a fusion of cultures which have made the people of Swaziland to be known all over the world for their uniqueness and patriotism. His Majesty added that there were many similarities that the people of the UAE share with Swaziland, particularly in the area of cultural heritage. “The Swazi nation traces its roots to more than 400 years of unbroken generational lineage. The survival of our dynamic culture has been enhanced by our time tested philosophy of inclusion, which is drawn from the arrangement of the piano keys which produces harmony from diversity,” he said. The King added that Swaziland has continued to strike a working balance between tradition and modernity by retaining that which is good in the Swazi culture and blending it with that which is positive from other cultures. “This places us in a better position to share ideas and experiences regarding the importance of preserving our culture as the people of the world because it is such linkages that define us as a people and helps us grow together towards a brighter future. Indeed the world can draw valuable lessons from such a state of co-existence as the foundation and pillar of world-peace,” he said. -MN

SWAZI INC TOUR: KUWAIT

La Ngangaza & HMK chat to Board Member of the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce Osama Mohammed Yousuf Al Nisf

ENERGY, WATER, TOURISM AT TOP OF KUWAITS AGENDA IN SD Amir of Kuwait Shaikh Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah with HMK

KING GETS HERO’S WELCOME IN KUWAIT HIS Majesty King Mswati III received a rousing hero’s welcome in the State of Kuwait where he is leading a strong business delegation to garner support for investment growth in Swaziland.He was met by no less than the Amir [King] His Highness Shaik Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and was given full honours of inspecting the guard of honour before being driven under high-security, in a Rolls Royce executive vehicle to the massive Bayan Palace in Kuwait City. Then The King will also open the Swazi Embassy in Kuwait which has been hailed as a positive step towards improving bilateral relations and cooperation between the two countries.

What impressed the Swazi delegation was the accurate manner in which the Kuwait army brass band played the Swazi national anthem - it was as if they had been practising it for several years. Inkhosikati Make LaNgangaza’s treatment was chauffeured in a similar vehicle, albeit with her own security contingent. She was escorted by the First Lady of the oil rich country.

Kuwait has the world’s fifth largest proven oil reserves, its oil fields were discovered and exploited in the 1930s. When Kuwait gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1961, the nation’s oil industry saw unprecedented growth. No expense was spared by the State of Kuwait even for His Majesty’s delegation which is also accommodated at a separate wing of the palace and driven in armoured Mercedes Benz cars.

The King attended a State banquet held in his honour by the Amir and shortly after his arrival he received the Speaker of Parliament and the leadership of that country’s Chamber of Commerce. Some in the Swazi business delegation were already in Kuwait and meetings with different investment organizations in that country had already been held under the auspices of the Swaziland Government, Tibiyo Taka Ngwane, Swaziland Investment Promotions Authority, the Federation of Swaziland Employers and the Swaziland Tourism Authority. The business delegation from Swaziland had meetings with the Kuwait Fund, Kuwait investment Authority, Kuwait Chamber of Commerce, Fouad Al-Ghanim Group and Al-Bader International Development, among others.

The State of Kuwait is a sovereign emirate on the coast of the Arabian Gulf, enclosed by Saudi Arabia to the south and Iraq to the north and west. A brochure provided to the Swazi delegation reflects that the name ‘Kuwait’ is derived from an Arabic word meaning ‘fortress built near water’. It has a population of 3.1 million and is the size of Swaziland.

-MN

On their trip to the State of Kuwait, negotiations were broached for the funding of several capital projects in the country, including roads, hospitals and industrial sites. They were optimistic to clinch deals for the Manzini-Lomahasha Highway and the Mbabane Referral Hospital, in talks with the Kuwait Fund. The Swazi City project is also being pushed in earnest in talks the business delegation is holding mainly with the Kuwait Investment Authority.

That organisation has also been asked to finance an International Convention centre under the auspices of the Millennium Project. Other projects that were being pushed by the allinclusive Swazi business delegation included discussions for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Federation of Swaziland Employers and Chamber of Commerce and the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce. It was envisaged that such a deal would remove whatever frills and promote efficiencies in investment drives between the two countries.

During the trip Chief Executive Officer of the Swaziland Investment Promotion Authority Phiwayinkhosi Ginindza, said: “We are also involved in talks with some of the investment companies and conglomerates here to fund Strategic Storage Fuel Depot and Oil Refinery at Phuzumoya which would cost about E5.2 billion. The talks will also explore funding for the Science and Biotechnology and Research Park and other agro-business concerns,” He added that Kuwait is in a good position to assist Swaziland as it is has one of the fastest growing economies in the region. Ginindza said it is a highly industrialized country with a GDP of US$s 138.6 billion and a per capita income of US$ 55,300. He added that their GDP growth rate is 5.7 percent. “Their Human Development Index is the second highest in the Middle East and the highest in the Arab world. The talks we have held so far indicate that their primary interest is in the energy sector, water projects and tourism, though other sectors such as agriculture have also attracted a lot of interest,” Ginindza said. - MN

SIPA CEO Ginindza chats to HMK at Swazi EXPO held in Kuwait

Inkhosikati LaNgangaza toasting with Princesses: Sikhanyiso (in black) Temaswati and Tiyandza

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SWAZILAND–TAIWAN RELATIONS A historical bi-lateral agreement exists between the Kingdom of Swaziland and China-Taiwan which expresses the desire to create favorable conditions for greater economic cooperation and investments on the basis of the principles of equality and mutual benefit. This agreement also recognizes that the promotion and reciprocal protection of such investments will be conducive to the stimulation of individual business initiatives and will increase prosperity in both countries. The agreement in itself does not serve to attract investment but contributes largely to sustainable economic development by laying the foundations and assuring protection of investors from each contracting state. Therefore, each country is to promote and encourage investments in its territory by investors of the other party. As a result, Swaziland has had a number of investment promotion missions to Taiwan which have contributed to the strengthening and facilitation of the economic ties between the two countries.

Apart from the bilateral relations, the two countries have had 42 year long diplomatic ties which have motivated a steady increase in investment inflows. Before the year 2000, Swaziland only had three (3) Taiwanese companies investing in the country. With the implementation of the African Growth Opportunity Act in 2000, there has been an increase in investments with guaranteed export markets such that currently there are close to twenty (20) Taiwanese investors in Swaziland. Aggregate Taiwanese investment stock in the country is approximately US$90 million.

Some of these investments are in the textiles industry targeting the US market. As a result, Swaziland provides textiles and garments to some of the largest retailers in the United States of America, Europe, and South Africa. This industry plays a significant role in Swaziland’s manufacturing sector and has grown to offer a wide range of services such as spinning, weaving, knitting, dyeing, and finishing. Since this industry entails labourintensive processes, the industry currently provides about 15 000 jobs.

Although, the textile and garment industry is export oriented, it is also vertically integrated and includes cotton farming, the production of cotton lint, up to spinning and dyeing. With the revitalization of the cotton industry, there is potential for the supply of cotton to the domestic market as well as to export markets. The Swaziland Cotton Board mandated to promote the development of the cotton industry is undertaking initiatives to increase overall cotton production, provide more information resources on marketing cotton, and develop small-scale spinning industries. This will help add value to the cotton products, such as lint, produced by farmers. The vast activities within this industry have led to the establishment of the Swaziland Textile and Apparel and Trade Association which is chaired by Mr. Tokky Hou. The other executive members are Mr. Vic Royce the deputy Chairman, Mr. Jay Hall the treasurer and members include Ms. Anisha Singh, Mr. Nathi Dlamini, Mr. Sheng Neng Fan, and Mr. Jurie Beste.

Over the years, Taiwan has shared with Swaziland its developmental achievements in economics, technology, medicine, agricultural technology, and handicrafts. Following the recent August mission to Taiwan whose main purpose was to hold an investment seminar to attract more companies to invest, about fifteen (15) Taiwanese companies undertook a follow-up mission to Swaziland in September 2010. During this mission, a number of Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) were signed including a joint venture between a Taiwanese company and a local SME group to manufacture hosiery for the United States market. Taiwan’s largest telecommunications operator also signed a MoU with Swaziland Posts and Telecommunications. The Swaziland Investment Promotion Authority also worked on a draft MoU with AEON Lighting for the setting up of a light bulb assembly facility in the country. A solar panel manufacturing company, AUO, which is a subsidiary of ACER computing, is jointly with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy considering a 1MW solar farm as a pilot programme.

The Republic of China (ROC) has already signed a cooperative agreement under which ROC will share its development experience, technology, and resources with Swaziland. Important areas of cooperation between the two countries include the construction of the Sikhuphe Airport and a Science and Biotechnology Park whose initial funding for its infrastructure design phase will come from the Taiwanese government and the master plan and designs will be done by CECI Engineering Consultants from Taiwan. Taiwan will continue to assist the country in completing these projects and will also provide needed assistance in the areas of environmental assistance and health and sanitation.

The relations have greatly benefited the country and the Government of Swaziland has also not spared any effort in supporting Taiwan’s endeavors to participate in the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change, and the International Civil Aviation Organization to mention a few. Taiwan has also initiated a number of aid projects in Swaziland which include among others medical missions which have introduced improved medical equipment, agricultural missions which assisted smallholders to expand and diversify production, rural water and rural electricity projects. The ties between the two countries are not only at a diplomatic level but also take into consideration economic and trade relationship. The friendship has been strengthened, widened and deepened by these missions and more.

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TAIWANESE COMPANIES IN SWAZILAND INVESTOR/COMPANY NAME Zheng Yong FTM Garments HO’s Enterprise Leo Garments Far East Matsapha Knitwear The Great Spring New Life Garments Taitex Texray TQM Union Industrial Kartat Kasumi Apparel Tuntex Ample Clothing & Apparel Carapparel Kang Fa United

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LOCATION Nhlangano Nhlangano Nhlangano Matsapha Matsapha Matsapha Matsapha Matsapha Matsapha Matsapha Matsapha Matsapha Matsapha Matsapha Matsapha Matsapha Matsapha Siteki Matsanjeni

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SWAZI INC: GLOBE- TROTTING

Swazi Inc

Perspective from Swazi Bank MD Musa Ndlangamandla: SwaziBank was part of His Majesty King Mswati III’s investment tour to Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf States in general. Does your institution have any positives to report?

Matsebula: Generally it was fruitful coming here especially for us as SwaziBank. We were able to establish a lasting business relationship with the Bank of Kuwait. This is a similar sister institution for development and we are hoping to nurture that relationship as time goes on, particularly as we look into the increased trade and investment prospects by investors from the Gulf States in our country. As a sister institution we will be looking closely at financing some of the projects that will be born out of this investment trip by His Majesty. The Bank of Kuwait is highly capitalized in the region of no less that US$ 100 billion and it is largely owned by Royalty in the State of Kuwait, government and influential business people. Together we are looking at financing some of the projects that are underway as a result of this investment seeking mission and also having a credit line for SwaziBank to assist in development initiatives for the nation.

Musa Ndlangamandla: Does His Majesty’s involvement in these investor-seeking tours add any value to the overall mission?

MatsebulA: What His Majesty King Mswati III has done is a very good positive for us as a bank and generally as business in Swaziland because we are viewed positively by the monarch countries in this region, particularly the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. So when we ask for cooperation and assistance they take us seriously since the King’s charisma and personal involvement lays the foundation for us to come from behind to make follow ups and conclude the business deals. We are optimistic that we, as a country, will soon reap rewards from this investment seeking trip as we did with the recently concluded pilgrimage to Taiwan where we established relations with the Import and Export Bank.

Musa Ndlangamandla: What really is in it for SwaziBank?

Matsebula: Because of this special relationship which is created by His Majesty through his charisma and personal touch I am scheduled to meet leading business people in the financial sector and other businesses who are interested in either opening a bank in Swaziland or in having a relationship with SwaziBank.

Musa Ndlangamandla: What lessons can we as a country and business draw from these countries?

Matsebula: These countries are highly developed and they have reached First World Status by wisely using the returns from their oil resources to prosper their people. In the field of education, technology and ICT they have attained leading status in the world. They have turned the desert into a prosperous land. As you know diamonds are not forever, these people understand that they have to diversify the economy and source of livelihood because oil may one day cease to be their mainstay. They understand that they must have Plan B for the future sustainability of their countries , in case oil becomes redundant. For now they have the oil and we as a country can get it under preferential arrangements to support industry and cater form our energy need in the country.

Musa Ndlangamandla: How do we position ourselves as a country to benefit from this?

Matsebula: What we see today is that they are establishing relationships with friendly countries to expand their economies and source goods and services they may not have in their respective countries. They are looking to Swaziland, and other countries in the region, for future sources of food and energy. They are in a desert and they cannot grow vegetables. They see value in partnering with countries like Swaziland which have vast arable land and therefore a potential to supply them. We need to mobilize our farmers to produce a lot for internal consumption and export to these countries that are waiting with their cheque books to absorb whatever excess. SwaziBank stands ready to bankroll those projects which will prove viable to take this new market head-on. All these people want is fresh produce that meets international quality standards and as a country we are blessed with institutions whose sole mandate is to ensure just that. The interests of the Gulf countries is very strong because they know that in the future they will depend on Swaziland for their supplies and livelihood. It is therefore imperative to make hay whilst the sun shines.

Musa Ndlangamandla: What is our role in the whole scheme of things?

Matsebula: These countries are also looking at expanding their sources of energy to last them a lifetime and they are keen to partner with Swaziland which has shown an interest in developing oil and petroleum reserves that will service the continent and the export market. That is where we should come in and take advantage of the opportunities before they are usurped from us. We have willing partners and we should position ourselves to be able providers. These countries are also looking at exploiting our mineral capacity as a country and from this industry we can create thousands of jobs that themselves will have a ripple effect on the economy. This is a win-win-situation and all we need do is act fast and smart as a nation.

Musa Ndlangamandla: What is Swaziland’s homework?

Matsebula: We really need to work hard as government, the private sector, public institutions, NGOs and individuals to improve the economic climate in our country. We need to seriously look into opening up our mining sector for mutual benefit of our investors and the Swazi nation at large. Agriculture, I insist still holds the promise for our country’s economic rehabilitation and survival as the Gulf countries and all cooperating nations are keen to provide markets for our quality produce.

Musa Ndlangamandla: What is your advice to the Swazi nation?

Matsebula: If we revive the economy, we will have a wider tax base from companies and individuals. That will lead to prosperity for the nation. When there is economic prosperity there will be more enthusiasm among the people and less social challenges. Our peace will continue to be guaranteed.

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SWAZI INC IN NEW YORK

Natie Kirsh

ABOVE

RIGHT:

King

Mswati with Mr. Kirsh ABOVE LEFT: King tours

…Credits SD For Giving Him a Base

Facility, with Mr Kirsh, Paul Friedlander

and

Foriegn

Minister: Lutfo Dlamini

By Musa Ndlangamandla

INTERNATIONALLY renowned businessman and philanthropist Nathan ‘Nathie’ Kirsh has thanked His Majesty King Mswati III and the Swazi nation for giving him the base and foundation which has catapulted him to building a multi-billion Emalangeni empire across the globe.

CEO of Kirsh Holdings Paul Friedlander noted that in Emalangeni terms the businesses which were toured by His Majesty King Mswati III in New York this week, make an about E50 billion annually. One of the businesses Jetro Cash & Carry Enterprises, LLC (Jetro) currently operates in five major metropolitan areas in the United States of America: New York/Northern New Jersey, Philadelphia, California, Miami, and Chicago. It has two business formats, Jetro which focuses on the Bodega, and Restaurant Depot, that focuses on restaurants and it currently has 86 warehouses in 26 States, operating under two formats—Jetro and Restaurant Depot.

Kirsh credits Swaziland with horning his entrepreneurial skills and equipping him with vast knowledge and experience in the cut-throat business world. He started out in Swaziland before independence where he turned a simple grain business into a stepping stone for a worldclass conglomerate. In Swaziland, Kirsh’s businesses which are mainly under the Kirsh Holdings and SWAKI umbrella provide employment and livelihood to over 25 000 people. He is one of the founders of the then Swaziland Electricity Board – now Swaziland Electricity Company – for which he was chairman for many years. His influence and innovation saw him as one of the major contributors to building the Swazi economy in the transition from the colonial era and he has over the years continued to find time to plough back to the country by encouraging some investors to set up shop in Swaziland. Kirsh is also involved in various charitable initiatives and skills development programmes in the country. -MN ABOVE RIGHT:Princess Sikhanyiso; ABOVE LEFT: Prince Sobandla BELOW RIGHT: King’s aide Cethuka and Zandile Ntentesa BELOW LEFT:Tsembeni Dlamini sings for the King

BELOW LEFT: Princess Sikhanyiso, Mr Kirsh's grandchildren, Paul Friedlander (far right) and others.

BELOW RIGHT; HMK with Linda Mirrels

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KING’S CUP 2010: HIGHLIGHTS

Royal Experience of Golfing World

His Majesty taking golfing tips from Golfing Legends

Golf: King’s Cup Interview with Mr Eric S. Maseko – CEO Swaziland Tourism Authority and King’s Cup Committee member How would you say this year’s King’s Cup went….

“I have to say this has been the most successful King’s Cup since inception.

This is based on the quality of golfers that improves year on year, our esteemed guest Mr John Bland and our very own legend Mr Joe Dlamini really raised the profile of the event. His Majesty the King accorded John Bland the Royal welcome and time by playing a round of golf with him and being attentive in the conversation we witnessed them sharing.” “Another point of great interaction was between the local and international golfers which I’m sure shall bear fruit in greater networks being created.” “This years’ event bolstered links with regional tourism partners like RETOSA and greatly amplified the importance of golf tourism.”

“One of our main goals has always been to promote tourism across all spheres as possible. Sport tourism is fast growing and a very important sector and golf is just one of the avenues. We view our role, with regard to sport, as complimentary, for instance to the Ministry of Sport and Culture. An example of what positives can be gained from sport tourism is the recently successfully hosted FIFA 2010 World Cup in neighbouring South Africa.”

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STA CEO: ErIC MASEKO Logistically….

“As mentioned the event has grown, grown to the extent that we’ve regrettably had to turn down numerous people that would love to participate in the event. To this end, as a committee, are working on strategies to accommodate more golfers and sponsoring partners.” “The heightened profile of the event now demands greater commitment from the Committee and stakeholders.” “We look forward to a greater extravaganza in 2011 and thank all partners and those that have sacrificed and contributed to the success of this event.”

GALA DINNER

Royal Experience of Golfing World

Guests at the high table, included the Inhlovukhazi, the Makhosikati, notable executives and special guests

BELOW RIGHT: His Majesty received a replica of King Sobhuza II playing golf

A wide range of guests attended the event

Some of the entertainment on the night

Prizes were given to a wide range of participants

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DUPS CELEBRATION

The DaSouza Family

The Prime Minister greets Prince Mfanasibili

Dups Chairman with The Prime Minister & Manzini REO, Prince Masitsela

Dups Celebrates

Dups CEO greets Finance MInister

60 years in business & 10 years in insurance

DUPS Group, had a multi-tiered event at the Mavuso Trade Fair and exhibition halls, celebrating sixty years of being in business, 10 years of their insurance plan and throwing in a birthday party for chairman Philip De Sousa too. The events were attended by the Prime Minister as well as other notables such as Finance Minister, and Manzini Regional Administrator. There was a live concert, at which numerous bands performed. As part of the proceedings, various CSR initiatives were given funds.

Various Live Acts performed

00

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Mrs Nellie DaSouza sings happy birthday for her husband Phillip

Phillip gives the Prime Minister a gift

Guest minister of Finance Majosi Sithole, with mkulu DaSouza

Dups Anniversary cake being cut

Dups Social Responsibility: Dups social responsibility of giving back to the nation was emphasised when we donated: E10, 000 to each of the following organisations: Council of Churches; Conference of Churches; League of Churches. E5, 000 to the following organisations respectively; Emmanuel at Home; Hospice at Home; Hope House; Prince Lindani Foundation; SWAGGA; Philani Maswati; School of the Deaf

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EDUCATED IN SD 10 INTERESTING things about FASHION DESIGNER Gugulam: 1) My personal favorite designers are Ralph Loren, Georgio Armani and Issey Miyake.

2) I love everything Japanese, the architecture, their gardens as well as their fashion.

3) I love how real women look in clothes 4) I love gardening, making floral arrangements singing and dancing out of tune.

5) I studied at Saint Mark’s school.

6) My favorite people are my husband and my family 7) I have styled music videos magazines and worked on television shows 8) In my job we meet interesting people all the time 9) I collect teas from around the world.

10) I grew up in the hills of Swaziland

Collection for winter 2011 - shot at SA Fashion week

Get more info from: www.gugulam.co.ZA / www.facebook.com/gugulam

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Gugulam Office 312A; Rosebank Mews; Telefax: +27 11 447 7527; Mobile: +27 82 966 1816 Email:gugu@gugulam.co.za ; www. gugulam.co.za

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ARTS & CULTURE

2010 Tihlabani Awards

Swazi Annual Music Awards Photo highlights

Unlocking theARTS speech from the & CULTURE throne “moving Eswatini towards a first world country” His Majesty King Mswati III accelerated and envisioned this country to a first world nation or should we say First World Kingdom by 2022. The speech sets targets and effectively refocuses the government mission, her different ministries and organs.

Whether government ministries reviewed their mission statements and possible their visions as well would be an interesting discovery. Government should set a comprehensive national plan with sectoral development plans and strategies to reach the desired goal by the time frame laid by His Majesty.

The sector of interest from my perspective is the issue of Culture and language. First world countries have ensured that their local language influence its people and used it as a political tool to influence and conquer others. The culture of a nation is imbedded in its language. The art of transmitting knowledge and skill in music, dance and folklore to name but a few come from language. In short first world countries use their own language as a resource for education, learning and transmission of information. Language is epitomized as the main medium of instruction in schools and government institutions and organs thus creating, promoting and establishing a strong national identity.

In the past, language was used to divide the people of our countries and continents or as a tool for exclusion. Unfortunately in our schools and government institutions or and service centers, language became a tool of exclusion and elimination tool to institutions of higher learning. Today, we are commissioned to turn this around and put language at the centre of our nation-building efforts. Taking a glance at the size of Great Britain and the huge influence the English Language has internationally, one may argue that nothing can stop Swaziland achieving this feet of being the first world country beginning with our Siswati language. If and when all Swazis are educated as the free or should I say government sponsored education dictates then we are on the right track.

The fact that His Majesty and the Government of Swaziland have implemented free education the nation can be assured of its first world status by 2022. In a typical first world country all its citizens are educated. The literacy index is an essential component in the classification of nation or country status.

When a nation is classified in this category it does not necessarily mean it has to speak a foreign language. In fact the nation relies in its own resources of which language is one of the major resources a country could easily utilize into its national development strategies and initiatives. When a nation relies heavily on foreign provision of resources compromising simple available local language then going forward becomes bleak.

Heavy reliance in trade has threatened our Siswati language. People argue that the studios for recording, festivals and artwork have a large audience in South Africa; it becomes easily understandable for Swazi groups to sign in Zulu. I have argued that the South African market is already saturated with their own music; language. These people are starving for something different which is Siswati music.

People need to speak our language to consume our goods. People need to benefit from our public and exclusive goods because they want to not because we force them to do so through their language. You do not need to be a big country to be a first world country; Great Britain is our closest example. If there is a resource this country can export quite easy in its language and culture.

The United Kingdom presents us a good case study of a small country that through its human resource developed to influence the world to understand and follow its culture, history and religion. The fact that they are a kingdom should accelerate the nation into an understanding that yes we can…….. Language is the most significant vehicle for communicating and preserving political system; national prestige and identity. Through all the reports that have been said about Swaziland and its leadership particularly the Kingship people should start wondering why is the same not said about the British royal family. The reason is simple because they are a first world country every nation strives to be within their category. Accelerating this country to a first world country will definitely reduce the bad publicity the country has received over the years. We will be speaking our language, reading books and novels in our language, every school in this country will have siSwati as the main language and the medium of instruction.

Languages not only carry the historical experience of a people group, they also codify, preserve and express distinctive bodies of knowledge (Kingsada, 2003, p.43). A first world country is well read about in history, economy, sports and other social issues. Their leaders are well quoted in history books, philosophies and development plans as well. I cannot wait for a big national education plan that will quote Queen Mother Labotsibeni’s vision when she pioneered education in the country. A reconciliation strategy that will quote King Sobhuza II famous Siswati quote “anginasitsa”. In a recent Ubuntu Institute seminar Prince Masitsela mentioned that King Sobhuza II never travelled abroad and moaned that nations lost out on his influence to the world.

Many of the keys to the psychological, social, and physical survival of human kind may well be held by the smaller speech communities of the world.

These keys will be lost as languages and cultures die. Our languages are joint creative productions that each generation adds to. Languages contain generations of wisdom, going back into antiquity.

Language is an art rich in expressions, idioms, and stories and figurative to name but a few. Our destination is in our position; The First World Country.

Compromising this position the world is losing on our influence to the globe of living a better life. We are the heart beat of the world the smallest organ that defines our position.

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CREATIVE LICENSE

A Mosaic of Talent For one who is still considered as a ‘young and talented producer and musician’, it is a bit surprising to know that his involvement with music already spans a period of about ten years. Further more, for one who has been in the industry for that long, it can come as quite a surprise to hear him make comments like “there is no clear cut formula for music sales”. This may actually convince one to think, ‘well, you may think that way because you’re still young and have to learn’. Thoughts such as these though, are turned into a clear conviction of his great capacity once you have a broader chat with him about the music industry. Let me introduce you to a dimension of the multi-talented Muzi Ngwenya, better known as Mozaik.

From age 8 his love for hip-hop was influenced by his brother, who would to wait for their mother to leave the house, then start scratching the LPs in the house. “It’s no newsflash to me that Al Green tracks make great a hip-hop sample. I discovered that waaaay early.”

The same lady was the one with whom he would constantly be at odds with when he got more involved with music since she felt he was giving ‘this thing’ too much attention and had to focus more on his books.

This was why he had to stop at grade 2 of his music lessons, a level he reached in his first year of high school.

At the end of High School, already a recognized emcee (having won a talent search, where he was pitted against the likes of NAK Beats, who were among the hottest rap groups at the time,) Muzi joined a company called Eye Net, where he did audio recordings including adverts, and voice-overs. This is where he got the opportunity to work on the project called ‘The Rise’ with Tony Blackman, who had come to Swaziland, from the U.S. to run a workshop on hip-hop.

“Mozaik is going to be involved in music for a loooong time.”

After the battle with his mom over which carrier was best, he left for Scotland in 2004 to study Audio Technology to be back in 2006, and with the help of his mother, put together the first small studio of what we today know as Claiming Ground records.

“When I opened shop, Mil-G had just left for the US which was perfect timing for talents like KRTC, who could still continue recording. In 2007 more structure was given to CG records, with Steven Mthetwa’s return. The two had met in Scotland and Steven was blown away by Muzi’s talent. Steven was caught on the idea of Claiming Ground from the time Muzi (Mozaik by this time,) sold it to him back in Scotland.

“We worked on the brand and as much as I am a hip-hop artist, we opened up to other genres and started with the likes of Kwephe13, and Anakhonza, who do Kwaito and Ragga respectively. Later we developed ties with Tiyas and went on to put out albums for these artists. Then came artists sycholution an extremely talented hip-hop artist and Nomalungelo with the AfroJazz/soul.”

on how long Mozaic saw himself in music. “My friend, the things I was telling you about, the searching and using the most effective strategies has become an addiction to me that complements the addiction to music, so it’s not just that you do music and grow out of it, you grow professionally with it and do it such that it may even become a tool to positively influence the economy. Look at Hollywood. It’s nothing but showbiz that made Hollywood what it is. More specific to music on how it can actually boost a country’s economy, I’ll give you the name of a band. Aaaaah… U2. How’s that for major economy. So to answer your question, Mozaik is going to be involved in music for a loooong time. I realize also that I have to be another success story that other people, and not just young people can look at and say with the right strategies, yes you can create a vibrant industry of what previously seemed too tough road to travel.”

The marketing and sales strategies for these albums were so varied since the target markets, versus such issues as buying power, accessibility of the music are extremely different for the different artists. Asked to explain how these differed he gave a convincing “let’s say you’re 32 and enjoy Anakhonza. You work an 8 to 5. Apart from the weekends, where are you going to get the time to go to a CD shop, considering also that in Swaziland all CD shops close at 1700hrs. We are in business here. Everyday is a day for sales. Okay, so let’s say you have an album by Psycholution in the CD shop. We’re looking people in their mid to late teens here.

The location of the material is suitable, but the price of the disc cannot be the same since the major consumer’s buying power is more limited.

Then the choice of what penetrates the audience more. CD sales or live performances? I can go on and on for days about these factors. Yes there are factors that remain constant, but with change in dynamics as time and entering of tools like internet, the game of music promotion and sales is changing by the month…literally and this becomes a challenge to one who is not vibrant enough to keep searching for new trends and being able to weigh out their effectiveness against the existing ones.

When Mozaic mentioned the word strategy, it led the conversation to his strategies for future works. “Well of course you know that with strategies, you can let some go and play most close to the chest, so allow me to just let you in on what is expected to roll out soon. We are soon to release… well in fact by mid 2011, we will have on the Shelves, the Psycholution album, which we’ve recorded already, but as mentioned before, the dynamics of the industry compelled us to be tactical about it, thus the patient wait. We are also expecting to have Nomalungelo’s CD OUT. The Siyinqaba video is out on local TV stations and should soon be flighting on SA stations, oh and yes, that album is also in the pipeline.”

One thing that can be said, is this budding young talent, who was responsible for the jingles and music for the successful Vote Swaziland 2008 Elections campaign, is convincingly one of Swaziland’s most useful tools for influencing positive change. For future works on recording of music, adverts, and other audio material, Muzi can be contacted on (+268)76433733 or via e-mail:muzi@cgrecords.com

In as much as more work still need to be done to improve Swaziland’s music industry, it does seem to be looking up. This led to the question

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CREATIVE AWARD About SATMA Awards The South African Traditional Music Achievement (SATMA) Awards are the appropriate platform to celebrate and honour traditional music.

Since 2005, the SATMA’s have brought all races & ethnic groups together through the celebration of our diverse music that transcends tribal, racial and geographic lines. It is among the top two best selling music genres in the country. In fact it outsells most music genres including those that are considered “pop (popular) music” by the media. Traditional music has been neglected in terms of prominence in mainstream media. It hasn’t been given the respect and recognition it deserves. SATMA Awards place traditional music in its rightful place, at the forefront of SA’s cultural heritage. The SATMA’s slogan, “My Culture Your Culture, One Nation” is SATMA’s call for unity amongst South African ethnic and racial groups as well as Africans in the Diaspora through Traditional Music. The National Heritage Council (NHC) is the custodians of the SATMA’s. The NHC is an overseer as well as primary fundraisers for the SATMA Awards. Ingwe Mabalabala Communications was appointed by NHC to facilitate and coordinate the SATMA Awards. The National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund is the Principal Funder of the SATMA Awards

Bholoja Scoops

SATMA Awards Vision To preserve and advance South Africa’s colourful and vibrant cultural heritage by showcasing and celebrating traditional music genres with an annual showcase that recognizes and honours South Africa’s best traditional music talent.

SATMA Awards Objectives To showcase the richness of traditional music heritage nationally and globally. To link with cultural organizations with similar objectives within our nation and the world at large. To promote and develop traditional music across racial and ethnic background. To encourage multi-cultural exchange amongst all the diverse citizens of South Africa. To unearth hidden musical talents through the staging of Road Shows in all the provinces.

Swazi Crooner wins Award

BELOW: RSA President Jacob Zuma enjoys the event.

ABOVE LEFT: Guests at the event.

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ABOVE RIGHT: Bholoja & Zaza photo- op.

INCWALA PHOTO ESSAY LUSEKWANE MARCH

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PHOTOS: Derrick Dlamini - Mystic Africa Collection

COMPETITION GETAWAY

Win a Weekend for Two at the Royal Swazi Spa

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HEALTH AWARENESS WITH MOMENTUM

Weekday stress busters Monday

• Attack it – take the first step to solving the problem.

Organise your work habits • If mornings are rushed, try getting up five or 10 minutes earlier to add to your time. This can make a big difference to how your day begins.

• Breathe it away – inhale deeply, exhale with a sigh a few times. Let your tension go as you breathe out.

Thursday

• Set your priorities before work gets under way. If you make a list be sure you make it realistic and do-able. A large leftover list will not help your stress levels.

Self-talk and stress We are all in constant dialogue with our brain, commenting on how we feel about things. Self-talk generally helps us to make sense of our world and helps to get our thinking straight. Some self-talk is negative, reinforcing beliefs and attitudes we may have held for a long time.

These inner conversations are often ‘global’, eg. ’This always happens to me ’ rather than particular, eg. ‘This isn’t too good, but tomorrow things will look different.’

• Perfectionism is a self-talk ‘biggie’, as is comparing our performance with others. Be kind to yourself and set realistic goals and standards.

• If you can, work a little on large or daunting projects each time. This stops procrastination and gives you a sense of accomplishment. You may get so absorbed that the job gets done a lot more quickly than you had imagined.

• Most of us have times during the day when we feel sluggish - work out what your lower productivity time is and schedule easier tasks during that time .

• Get into the habit of setting aside time for processing email. If you don’t want too many interruptions, switch your phone on to voice mail and make some time for calling people back .

• If you have a major attack of the ‘I should haves’, stop, take a deep breath and change the self-talk tape to one that is fair on you.

• Build some time into your daily schedule for unexpected events or interruptions.

• Cultivate the habit of thinking “what’s right with the world?” instead of focusing on what’s wrong. Remind yourself daily of the people and things in your life that are good.

Tuesday

Friday

Create a harmonious work environment Stress can result from our physical environment - too much noise, too much mess, a disorganised workspace, too much stimulation, not enough stimulation. Find the cause of the stress and take action.

• Organise your workspace. Make time each day to put your desk in order – clearing the clutter helps to put your thoughts in order too.

Quick and easy stress busters Handling stress isn’t just about dealing with big problems - if you handle small frustrations they won’t build up into big hassles. ‘All work, all day’ is a great formula for stress and doesn’t add to productivity.

Here are some things you can do at any time of the day: • Monitor your breathing. Most of us don’t make good use of our lungs. If you start to feel stressed or anxious take several deep breaths – close your mouth, inflate your lungs and fill your stomach with air (imagine it’s a balloon). Breathe out slowly.

• Have fresh flowers or a plant in your office.

• Pictures of peaceful scenes, photos of loved ones or a framed print or poster by a favourite artist will give your workspace a feeling of warmth.

• Breathe in, thinking the word ‘peace’, pause, then breathe out thinking ‘calm’.

• Check your light source – you may need a desk lamp – or get more natural light by shifting your desk around.

• Take short breaks - go for a walk, listen to music, daydream, take a tea-break, a lunch-time even!

• Is your computer station set correctly? Do you have a comfortable chair? (Don’t forget to take frequent short breaks if you are using a computer constantly). A cushion for your chair may add to your workday comfort.

• Check your posture. Slouching is tiring. Stretch your limbs, take the stairs instead of the lift, and programme some exercise into your day, even if it’s only five or 10 minutes. There is growing evidence of the beneficial effects of even mild exercise on mental health.

• Talk to your supervisor or someone you trust! organise a meeting to discuss problems that arise from stressful work practices or relationships.

• Avoid the temptations of too much caffeine or junk food when you’re stressed.

– Share a laugh with a colleague, laughter is one of nature’s best stress busters.

Wednesday

Shrink your worries Worries have a way of building up and leaving you with a general sense of anxiety and discomfort. Do something with your worries rather than allowing them to intrude on your day-to-day living.

Here are some simple suggestions to tackle worries: • Question the worry – whose problem is it? Is it really yours?

• Talk it out – share your problem with someone you trust.

• Write it down – writing often helps to put things in perspective.

• Exaggerate it – picture the worst that can happen. How likely is that?

• Distance it – imagine a few years from now. How much will it matter then?

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Road trips can be a lot of fun, and they offer some advantages over air travel. You can set your own schedule, change plans at a moment’s notice, and your only luggage limit is the vehicle’s capacity. In addition, you get the pleasure of seeing gradual changes in the scenery as you drive. To make your road trip the best experience possible, it’s important to keep safety in mind. Observe some simple safety tips and you will have many happy, safe road trips ahead of you.

1. Make sure your vehicle is up to date on its maintenancE: Getting ready for a trip is a busy time, but that’s no excuse for skipping that trip to the mechanic for routine maintenance. Make sure the car has had all required maintenance, and that all the fluids are at the proper levels. Check the tyres to make sure they aren’t worn, and that they are properly inflated.

2. Plan out your route: Pull out a set of roadmaps (or for the hip and dandy, your gps) and take a look at where you’ll be driving. What will it be like? Know where you need to look for exits, where the road is a freeway and where it’s not, and what the terrain is like.

3. Plan appropriate stops: After you’ve reviewed the route, decide how often you’ll need to stop. If you have small children who need frequent bathroom stops, you’ll want to know where rest areas are located. You will also want to plan stops for mealtimes, and just get out of the driver’s seat and stretch your legs.

4. Be realistic about the time it will take to make the trip: Do not compute your arrival time based on everything going right. If you have a particular appointment and MUST be at your destination at a certain time, add some extra time to cover delays such as heavy traffic, accidents, or detours.

5. Make sure everything, and everyone, is properly secured: Make sure that your luggage is secured, whether it is in the trunk or the back seat. A little bit of minor shifting is normal, but if you have to stop suddenly, you do not want a suitcase to hit the back of your seat. All passengers should use seatbelts, with children in age-appropriate restraints. Pets should also be restrained, either a crate or a car harness specifically designed for animals.

6. Wear comfortable clothes for the drive: When you are performing a complex, demanding task – and make no mistake, controlling a car at high speeds, especially in traffic, is just that – you want to be wearing something that is comfortable. Make sure your clothes do not unnecessarily restrict your movements, and that you will not be either too cold or too hot. Pay special attention to your shoes, and make sure they do not have any loose heels, overly long shoelaces, or anything else that could get caught on the accelerator or brake.

7. Have necessary items within easy reach: If the first leg of your journey involves a toll road or toll bridge, make sure you have money within reach. If you may need sunglasses later in the drive, put them in a convenient place. Do not put yourself in a situation where you have to look through for something and take your attention off of the road.

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ROAD SAFETY ADVICE 8. Adjust the controls when the vehicle is stationary: The best time for you to fine-tune the settings on the heater or air conditioner, find a new radio station or change CD’s in the stereo, is when the car is stopped. Do not ponder the question of country music versus greatest disco hits at 120km/h.

9. Follow the rules of the road: The traffic laws were passed for good reasons. Do not pass in no-passing zones, add 20km/h to the speed limit signs, or use the shoulder as another lane.

10. Be watchful of other drivers: You are obeying the law, of course, but are other motorists on the road doing the same? Keep an eye out for motorists who drive recklessly, change lanes abruptly, slow down without warning, pedestrians, or anything else that could cause an accident. Use proper defensive driving techniques to avoid being drawn into any problems they may cause.

11. Beware of distractions: Driving a car can become almost automatic, and it is easy for your attention to be diverted off of the task at hand.

While cellular phones are common distractions, people can also be distracted by eating and drinking, combing their hair, conversations with passengers, or fighting between children in the back seat.

12. If you have a passenger, make them responsible for maps and directions: By putting your passenger in charge of the maps and directions, you accomplish two things. First of all, you free yourself from the need to read something while you are trying to watch the road. Second, if someone is reading a map, he or she is much less likely to be distracting you with an unrelated topic of conversation.

13. If you get tired, take extra breaks: You have planned out a series of breaks, but what if you find yourself suddenly sleepy in between these breaks? Do not wait another hour or two until your “scheduled” stop. Find a convenient place to get off the road, get some fresh air, and maybe get a cup of coffee. Do not risk falling asleep at the wheel.

14. Deal appropriately with the weather:

Any number of weather conditions could make driving difficult – fog, heavy rain, or even gusty winds. If the road is slippery or visibility is limited, slow down. If it truly is impossible to drive safely, at any speed, then take the first opportunity to get off of the road.

15. Anticipate emergencies: Despite your best plans, it is possible that the car will break down or you will have an accident. Carry a few basic supplies for the car – washer fluid, coolant, and oil - a few snacks for you, fully charged cellular phone (both battery and airtime) and a satellite navigation device for help if you need it. Do not put yourself in a position where you have to wait and hope that a Good Samaritan will stop to help you before a thief or other criminal decides you are a sitting duck.

Source: www.essortment.com/hobbies/drivingsafetyt_smps.htm

ADVERTISE in Silungele Magazine ETHOS: Silungele Business Magazine publishes every second month, with content that is informative and inspiring on business development and heritage in Swaziland; it also covers the Swazi Diaspora and the exploits of those educated in Swaziland putting; the “Best Foot Forward”, for improved African brand image, internally and internationally, spurring economic growth by highlighting strengths and opportunities – which local and international audiences have long been asking for.

THE MARKET: For those businesses looking to partner, network or market their business & services this is a unique platform. Our target audience are the leaders and thinkers of their society - the key decision makers over the E 25 BN GDP, which flows through the Swazi economy.; As a Local Sales Market, they are graded in highest LSM categories in all markets (RSA LSM 10+/SD AAA+) DISTRIBUTION: Silungele is distributed through direct subscriptions and through retail outlets. International readers in North America can order download printed editions from www.issuu.com.

CONTENT: Each edition provides relevant business & tourism information; such as - why do business in Swaziland slots, women leadership, business profiles, and lifestyle articles on art, culture, cuisine, etc.

Value Proposition: Silungele offers a quality advertising environment; The print order is being systematically increased for those who are serious about reaching the core 20,000 movers and shakers of the Swazi economy, on 1:10 readership ratio.

EDITION ONE

EDITION TWO

EDITION THREE

EDITION FOUR

OUR GAME PLAN: COMMENTARY This fourth edition, sees us reach the end of the first calender year. Due too all previous issues being sold out to institutions or events, we have increased our print order to make this available to even more of the public at large - so many will be seeing this publication for the first time. Therefore it seemed appropriate to add a brief word about what is the objective and intent of this publication – which is something which is often questioned when we present to prospective advertisers and interviewees.

It’s quite simple; we believe that there are many individuals, institutions and community initiatives related to the Swazi experience: We are looking for these. It is common these days for the media to be accused of only looking for bad news and reporting on scandals. We are not shying away from the challenge, but rather in an information space in which news on the internet can spread globally, instantly – it does not make business sense to try to compete with that. Our focus is straight-forwards, we want to know what is going on in the business and innovation space – it doesn’t have to be sensational or controversial, radical or unorthodox; we also try and show angles of events which the daily and weekly news cycle may not be able to cover in the depth that they like. Our audience is mainly local, but not only local; there is, andincreasingly so too, expressed interest in many places, to know more about what is going on in the Swazi Business and lifestyle space. The cover photo we have chosen this Edition 4, also typifies the need for our product. Even though this interesting photo has been in the public domain for over a year, it is not widely known in Swaziland. Many people, who it was shown to, didn’t actually believe it was real. Therefore it goes without saying that, this information blockage tells us a publication like this is desperately needed. This is one of the reasons why, we have chosen to run a fairly extensive photo-series on “What has HMK been up to?” As relates to the business and investment activities of the as defacto CEO of Swazi Inc. As much as there are those who like to focus on what is not going right in Swaziland; every month when we’ve gone out to explore the Swazi business space, we are struck by the amazing people who have the potential to turn around the country’s stagnant economic fortunes and bring to the fore it’s best qualities. We have a great and rich heritage as a society, which is why we constantly seeking to tie our past, such as is latent

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in King Sobhuza II’s philosophy and legacy, inasmuch as, everything we are doing today is largely as a result of initiatives that our forbearers launched – therefore by reaching into the past, we try to prepare a better future. With over 50% of the population being under 30, that is postSobhuza Era, this is an in-escapable obligation.

In the past few months however, as we have continued to discover more and more inspiring stories and initiatives, it has become clear that we need to diversify our approach to the market. In the near future we will be affecting various changes to our output, corporate structure, as well as our publishing offerings to meet the challenges and opportunities.

A publication like this is not possible without a lot of support and logistical support, which may not always easy to recognise. At the top of the list are spouces, children, family and community members, who have to tolerate out taxing deadlines and schedules. The various marketing and PR departments who we are constantly hassling for more photos, more information and more well everything, Marissa, Ann, Sibusiso, and many others. Mpeni and the Gang at Ovaqado who we’re always pushing for more out-put, Cosmo at Comex. Additionally the folks at our favourite cafe for long drawn strategy sessions - which by the way serves the best Fat-cakes in Mbabane and full lunch for E20 a plate.

Also a special thanks to Mel G, based in the USA, who sourced the front cover photo for us, Likewise the continuing assistance by our many brothers and sisters, in particular “Kuras”, for continuing demonstrating generosity and the Ubuntu which our economy need to thrive.

As noted, we are a business, that finances itself from advertising receipts and cover sales – so when we talk about the Swazi business space, we are completely aware of all the obstacles that face small business and so we are actively lobbying both through direct engagement and through the advocacy in this public platform, for the change of mindset and the added motivation that we need to accelerate economy prosperity for all.

Editorial Team

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