Silungele Magazine

BUSINESS MAGAZINE

SWAZILAND, A COUNTRY READY FOR THE WORLD Experience Swaziland Experience Africa

TEN GOOD REASONS TO VISIT SWAZILAND

The envy of many countries in Africa and the world over, the Kingdom of Swaziland is peaceful and tranquil and has preserved its cultures and traditions as a vital element of the day-to-day existence of its people. The natural breath-taking scenery, and balance of ancient and modern gives Swaziland and the people their distinctive character. Visitors to the country cannot help but feel and appreciate the warmth and friendliness of their hosts nor fail to appreciate the safety it promises travelers.

Inadvertently, visitors to the country find the Kingdom of Swaziland a second home, and while there may be a thousand and one reasons for such nostalgia, here are ten good ones that make a visit to the kingdom out of the ordinary and memorable, especially if you’re in the neighbouring Republic of South Africa.

1. PROXIMITY: A little over one hour flying time, or four hours by the road, Swaziland provides the perfect getaway for families, individuals, businesses looking for a holiday or venue with a difference. No jetlag, no wasting of precious time in transit to your destination – what a pleasure! No visas or inoculations are required for your trip to Swaziland.

2. WIDE VARIETY OF ACCOMMODATION: From backpacker lodges, bed + breakfasts to spas and five-star accommodation, Swaziland has numerous accommodation options to suit every budget and taste.

3. HERITAGE AND CULTURE: Take the time to stop off at the Swaziland Museum, visit the cultural Village and learn some traditional dancing. The age old Umhlanga Reed Dance, the Incwala National Prayer and Marula festivals, are not to be missed for a true African cultural heritage experience.

4. MANY SPORTING ACTIVITIES: Swaziland is not only rich in heritage and culture, but also offers visitors many different activities to keep them busy. For the adventure junkies, try your hand at white water rafting, paragliding, mountain biking or horse riding.

For the more sedate visitor, Swaziland also offers excellent golf, bird watching or natural hot springs options.

5. GOOD VALUE: For many a world traveler, the exchange rate still causes many worries. Luckily the par exchange rate (R1 = E1) with RSA’s Rand in Swaziland is not only easy to work with but also good value for visitors. Rands and credit cards are also widely accepted.

6. FANTASTIC CUISINE: Experience the hospitality of the Swazi people at its best! From traditional Swazi cuisine to various takeaways, Swaziland has the cuisine to tickle your taste buds.

7. GAME VIEWING: Visit a variety of easily accessible game parks and nature reserves to get in touch with nature and appreciate a break in the bush. Unique game reserves and touring options are available.

8. SHOPPING: Forget the up market malls! Go local. Get bargaining and pick up some wonderfully unique African treasures and curios for friends and your home.

9. FRIENDLY PEOPLE: No matter where you travel in Swaziland, you will be greeted with a smile, by friendly and welcoming people eager to share their beautiful country with you.

10. CONFERENCE FACILITIES: With so many five-star facilities, and the little accommodation gems hidden in the country-side, Swaziland provides visitors with up market conference facilities, linked to excellent accommodation to host the perfect conference.

Whatever the occasion, whenever the opportunity arises, visit the Kingdom of Swaziland – the perfect year round holiday destination right on your doorstep!

Visit www.welcometoswaziland.com for further information, or contact the Swaziland Tourism Authority on telephone (+268) 404 9693/75 or via email: information@tourismauthority.org.sz

EDITOR’S NOTES

Swaziland has been successful in a number of socio-economic development initiatives that bring out meaningful changes to the peoples’ livelihood. Paramount to this has been the maintenance of peace and stability for well over 150 years in a turbulent world. However, to-date we have not taken full advantage of this legacy for our advancement amongst the peoples of the world.

While our success may be true, there are a number of areas that still present a challenge. Of this, our doing has been in our inability to embrace and celebrate our heritage and innovations.

This means strong and positive attributes of the country brand are unknown both internally and externally. The information deficit created in this respect leads to this situation where the potential economic returns that could be accruing to the nation are not realized.

In these tough economic times there is a need for innovative solutions. The challenge is not just the lack of business intelligence, but the lack of an appropriate forum for creative solutions to this economic malice.

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In a world asking questions on the possible adoption of a broader

MANAGING EDITOR SCELO TSHABALALA

measure to economic prosperity than just the use of gross domestic product, the country’s longstanding efforts of dealing with the separation of our culture and heritage from business and economic life, and yet these are intertwined, will soon bear fruits.

Silungele seeks to become a portal where our business and heritage can find a renaissance, be embraced and celebrated.

This, we believe, will lead to the merger of our heritage and international innovations to create a hybrid that can become a driving force for the African Renaissance.

The successful contribution of this initiative can only be realized by the free flow of information from all stakeholders through this publication and its related programmes, and we challenge you to ‘ask not what your sikhundla can do for you, but what your sikhundla can do for this country’, as we put “Swaziland’s Best Foot Forward” demonstrating that we are “A Country Ready for the World”.

READY FOR THE WORLD Experience Swaziland Experience Africa

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE INS DE THIS ISSUE FIRST UP:TEN GOOD REASONS TO VISIT SWAZILAND EDITOR'S NOTE:EDITOR'S NOTES STATEMENT:On the 2010 World Cup by MINISTER SPORTS, CULTURE & YOUTH AFFAIRS BRIEFING: SWAZILAND TO HOST NEXT COMESA SUMMIT ONE TO ONE: ONE ON ONE WITH HIS MAJESTY PROFILER: Change Agent @ SWCAA INFO:Sikhuphe International Airport Hosts: Routes Africa 2010 SPECIAL REPORT:SWAZI 2010 FIFA WORLD CUP REPORT PERSPECTIVE: AFRICA CEREMONY: REED-DANCE CSR-PICTORIAL: BUSHFIRE FESTIVAL | SIGHTS & SIGHTINGS 2009 CSR-PICTORIAL:2010 SCHOOL SHOES PROJECT BUSINESS INFO:PROGRAMS OF DISEASE PREVENTION REVIEW:SHAPING SACU TO FACE THE DAUNTING CHALLENGES MORE INFO:ROUTES AFRICA - IMPRESSIVE AIRLINES LIST REPORT:Excerpt from Annual Report of MALARIA CONTROL PROGRAMME INTRO:Improving The World We Live In AD INDUSTRY:NEW AD CAMPAIGN: BEHIND THE SCENES FEATURE:10 Things to Know for Business Innovation INTERVIEW:SHOWBIZ CHAT CREATIVE LICENSE:Her story's in her poetry ARTIST PROFILER:TRUE SOUL FROM THE SOUL

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STATEMENT MINISTER FOR SPORTS, CULTURE & YOUTH AFFAIRS There is no doubt that the 2010 FIFA World Cup to be hosted in Africa for the first time will leave an indelible mark on the socioeconomic landscape of the continent. Successful hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa will show that Africa has come of age. Despite the challenges the continent faces, there is a clear demonstration of a collective zeal to put the past behind us. The 2010 FIFA World Cup is one event that will spur this zeal, particularly in the SADC region.

Swaziland, as a very close neighbour to the 2010 FIFA World Cup Host country, joined the millions of Africans that celebrated the announcement of South Africa as the host country for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The Kingdom has initiated several programs and projects to take advantage of the global focus currently on South Africa and the SADC region. We can mention only a few here: We have made improvements in our sporting and hospitality facilities, we have developed our infrastructure to enhance easy access into our beautiful kingdom by road and air, and we continue to market ourselves as the ideal destination for 2010 and beyond. Whosoever will come to Swaziland will really attest to ‘a royal experience’.

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Football fans from all over the world have no better home away from home than the Kingdom of Swaziland. Our beautiful mountains, our warm people, our big five, our good road infrastructure, our hospitality, our magnificent cultural heritage, amongst others, are all compelling reasons for the travelling football fan to find home in Swaziland. Our key borders will operate on a 24hr basis to enhance travel convenience. Our national security agencies have stepped up their game in terms of police visibility, cross-border patrol, human-trafficking surveillance, and general crime suppression all over the peaceful Kingdom. More police officers have been recruited and trained over the past couple of years to ensure safe World Cup festivities in the Kingdom. A big screen broadcast of all 64 matches will be available at the Mavuso Trade Sports Centre to cater for football lovers who do not get tickets for the World Cup. This facility is courtesy of Coca-Cola under Swaziland Beverages.

There is no better 2010 home away from home than the Kingdom’s offer. We are ready. SILUNGELE! We implore Swazis to take active part in these festivities, either by purchasing tickets or arranging to fill Mavuso Centre Fan Park. Football has come home to Africa, let us all stand up and welcome the world, celebrate the recognition of the efforts of Africa and hold our hands with a resolve to move forward. Africa’s time is now.

Swaziland’s time to show the world a destination of choice is now.

Let us treat our visitors with love and respect, let us keep our country clean of crime, corruption and waste. We want our visitors to have the real royal experience. Kenako!

MINISTER HLOBISILE NDLOVU

SWAZILAND TO HOST NEXT COMESA SUMMIT The 14th Summit will be preceded by the 28th COMESA Policy Organs Meetings which will run from 18th August to 1st September 2010. During this historic event it is expected that Swaziland - current Vice Chairman - will take over the COMESA Chairmanship which is currently held by Zimbabwe; the economic community was established with the following aims: To attain sustainable growth and development of Member States by: promoting a more balanced and harmonious development of its production and marketing structures; To promote joint development in all fields of economic activity and the joint adoption of macro-economic policies and programmes to raise the standard of living of its people and to foster closer relations among its Member States; To co-operate in the creation of an enabling environment for foreign, cross-border and domestic investment including the joint promotion of research and adaptation of science and technology for development; To co-operate in the promotion of peace, security and stability among the Member States in order to enhance economic development in the region; To co-operate in strengthening the relations between the Common Market and the rest of the world and the adoption of common international positions; and to contribute towards the establishment, progress and realization of the objectives of the African Economic Community.

The Kingdom of Swaziland last hosted COMESA in 1990 during its early years as a Preferential Trade Area – PTA. His Majesty the King led the regional economic community with the necessary wisdom and contributed immensely to where it currently is. In the year 2000 COMESA graduated into a Free Trade Area applying further reductions in tariffs and non-tariff barriers. In June 2009 COMESA launched its Customs Union with the aim of further deepening regional integration through the establishment of a Common External Tariff for all participating countries.

Current major imports to the COMESA region include sugar and sugar based concentrates, slide fasteners, freezers and fridges.

The Summit will review amongst other agenda items, progress towards the realization of the COMESA Customs Union, and progress in the development of infrastructure and easing the movement of persons across the region. It will also review progress made by our regional organization, together with our sister organizations of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC) towards the establishment of the three regional blocs.

As Chairman, Swaziland is expected to play a major role in facilitating further sustainable economic development and growth within the COMESA Region especially within the context of Science and Technology in accordance with the Summit Theme namely:- “Harnessing Science and Technology for Development”.

We also expect enhanced trade opportunities and the establishment of further market linkages and an increase in competitiveness for products within Swaziland and the COMESA region as a whole. The Summit will also bring about a number of opportunities for networking, tourism and exposure for local products during the combined COMESA / Swaziland International Trade Fair.

EDITORIAL & CONTRIBUTORS Publishing Director:

Poppy Khoza

Managing Editor:

Sicelo Tshabalala

Editor at Large:

Derrick Dlamini

Production Editor:

Gugu Zulu

Advertising & Sales Director: Phila Nkwanyana Art Director:

Mpheni Thwala

Circulation:

Thobejane Magagula

Contributors:

Apollo Maphalala; Musa Ndlangamandla; Themba Mavuso ; Nokwanda Masuku, Endabah Marcomm.

Photography:

Endabah Marcomm, Swaziland Tourism Authority, Swazi Observer, Local 2010 FIFA World Cup Committee.

Kikilikiki.com

Cover:

Ovaqado

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Publisher: LLP - composed of Buka Buhle Investments (Pty) Ltd and Emporium Holdings (Pty) Ltd Editorial Enquiries: E-mail: silungele@gmail.com Tel: +268 7653 1711 Silungele P.O. Box 6188 Mbabane H100 Kingdom of Swaziland- AFRICA SOUTH Website: www.facebook.com/editorial.silungele Silungele reserves the copyright of its contents.

No article, report, or portion thereof, maybe reproduced without express permission of Silungele. Views expressed by contributors may not necessarily be those of the Publisher, and Silungele may not be held liable for such.

ONE ON ONE WITH HIS MAJESTY Interview by Musa Nhlangamandla Chief Editor | Swazi Observer

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In its 42 years of independence the Kingdom of Swaziland has moved decisively along the development route, proving to be a shining example on how to combine infrastructure development, political stability and peace, good governance, social programme environmental responsibility and social inclusion. Since His Majesty King Mswati III ascended to the Throne in 1986 the country has seen massive growth and among the most notable turn around is the layout of the road infrastructure, world-class telecommunications and massive dams that have contributed positively to the country’s fight against poverty. Challenges remain, notably after a hefty slice of the SACU cake was slashed leaving the country’s economy in dire straits. The figures of HIV and AIDS are quite high, which has proved to be a drain to national human resources and coffers. However, despite all the challenges His Majesty remains upbeat that the country will turn the corner. He spoke to Musa Ndlangamandla recently as part of the annual interview marking his birthday – which ironically coincides with the country’s independence.

Musa Ndlangamandla (MN): Congratulations Your Majesty on your 42nd Birthday. Many happy returns! What would you say has been your mainstay since you were given the responsibility to lead the Swazi nation?

His Majesty the King (HMK): Thank you for the compliments. I appreciate very much. The constant prayers of the Swazi nation for our good health, vision and success is what has sustained us over the years. We also ensure that we consult widely with the people on all matters of national importance so that we can be sure that we are still on the right track and are serving the needs of the people. That is what has sustained us in this role and we will continue to trust in God to guide us in all that we do.

MN: Your Majesty, what is dominating your mind as we celebrate your 42nd birthday and the nation’s 42nd year of independence?

HMK: The major task before us really is to leverage our wealth of natural resources and position ourselves to develop our people, thereby achieving a broader based sustainable economy for future generations. That is a steep mountain to climb on its own judging by the challenges we are currently faced with such as the current

situation with the SACU receipts and the effects of the global financial crisis. However, these challenges are not insurmountable and together we shall overcome. Our track record of peace and stability, a hardworking and creative people, propensity to allocate more resources to focus on social priorities gives me the confidence that we shall make it. As we pointed out during the opening of Parliament, we must approach 2010 with optimism and a sense of hope that we shall be able to map out strategies to develop our nation and to overcome the various socio-economic challenges that lie ahead.

MN: What, in your view could be the one thing that could militate against these efforts?

HMK: I have no reason to doubt the resilience of the Swazi nation and the never say die spirit of our people. However, corruption is one of the things that we must uproot mercilessly because it diverts resources which would otherwise be used for the social needs of the people and to create wealth for the people, to the pockets of individuals. The corrupt squander resources of the nation and undermine our growth. That is why I say that there should be zero tolerance to corruption. This leaking tap must be closed without delay and government has put strategies in place to deal squarely with corruption. We should all support the efforts of structures such as the AntiCorruption Unit, our courts and law enforcement agencies.

Everyone must be held to account for their actions.

MN: Looking back, we realize that the Kingdom has undergone some major transformation from the time of independence in 1968. Are you pleased with what you see? Where to from here?

HMK: At independence in 1968 we inherited an economy that was narrow and concentrated on small-scale activities and subsistence living for our people. In order to overcome some of these hurdles and grow the economy Government committed itself to a strategy of diversifying the economy, developing skills of our people and creating a more dynamic industrial sector to push the agenda and efforts of the Kingdom of Swaziland.

Since then the country has worked so hard to develop the economy. Government has adopted business friendly policies to encourage foreign direct investment, whilst stimulating local entrepreneurship. What we continue to push for in our bid to fast-track economic development is that we should have finished goods in our manufacturing process. Our raw materials must undergo a substantial level of value addition so that we benefit more from such.

MN: Your Majesty, what does the future look like? Please tell us what the nation should do to attain the First World Status.

HMK: As I have stated, we are optimistic about the future.

We have a vision as a country and a roadmap in our National Development Strategy (NDS), the Poverty Reduction Strategy and Action Programme (PRSAP) and other frameworks that will show us the way. However, this on its own will not do much

to take us to the ‘promised land’ so to speak. We need to work together as a united force to eradicate poverty and create wealth.

The private sector, the public sector, NGOs, the Church, individuals and our friends and cooperating partners have a serious role to play in shaping our future. We are looking at creating a broad-based economy that can generate sustainable growth over the long term.

We are looking to a future that will provide the necessary resources to address all social, economic and environmental challenges such as poverty eradication, reducing employment and creating wealth for our people. It is when all our people have the means to fulfill their basic needs that we will say we are nearing our goal to become a First World Country. But, we are well on the way to achieving this new kind of success, though it will not come on a silver platter. We will have to amass considerable resources, hard work, determination, creative thinking, commitment and sacrifice.

A new mindset is what we need and I am glad that the nation is poised to rise to the occasion.

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ONE ON ONE MN: Your Majesty, what would your comment be regarding the attacks on the country’s image and onslaught on its leadership that we have witnessed in recent times.

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HMK: Such things concern us all and they are very unfortunate because they are based on fallacies and are far removed from the reality on the ground. However, that will not distract the Swazi nation as we forge ahead with our development goals. These are challenges that you face as you work and it is imperative that you remain focused and in touch with the mindset of the people. We know that the vast majority of the Swazi people are much against these elements and they have expressed it in various forums; what they want and their views about the direction that the country should take. I would like to encourage the nation to continue to be loyal and patriotic and prioritise interests of the nation. We will continue to embrace peace, respect, humility and positive engagement in all issues that affect us as a nation. Government is ready to engage anyone who has a genuine and positive desire to know about Swaziland and our way of life.

MN: Your Majesty, SACU is celebrating 100 years and this comes at a time when Swaziland lost a huge chuck of revenue which was previously obtainable from SACU receipts. Please give us your thoughts.

HMK: SACU has come a long way since its inception a century ago and we recognize that over the years much has been achieved whilst at the same time there is a need to re-look at the overall strategic direction of the organization in these changing times. We are living in a dynamic world that requires us to re-engineer our organization in order to be able to meet the challenges of the 21st century. We have to find ways to enhance regional cooperation in the spirit of prospering one another and to take into account the different levels of development of the countries involved and foster unity. As for the SACU receipts, Government is continuing with negotiations and full engagement with all stakeholders to

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WITH HIS MAJESTY ensure that the country’s position is improved. We have cause to be optimistic.

MN: Your Majesty, please comment on the roll out of free primary education.

HMK: I have noted that there are still some teething problems and challenges regarding this national project. But I am pleased to see that there is a marked increase in the number of our children that are enrolled. There are many issues that are to be dealt with and Government is working around the clock to solve some of the bottlenecks to success. My appeal to the whole nation is for patience and constructive engagement among all the stakeholders. We need to identify the problems and deal with them in a mature and creative manner so that they do not reoccur in the future. But all in all, I am confident that we will succeed.

MN: The health sector has been listed as a major priority. Please give us your thoughts.

HMK: HIV and AIDS remains the one major challenge to our future prospects as a nation and as individual families. Our goal should be to ensure that there are no new infections and that those who are already infected get the proper support and care they need to live long and productive lives. However, Government can only do so much. The bulk of the load rests on the individual who must commit to living a positive life and to stay healthy.

MN: Any thoughts on the 2010 FIFA World Cup? HMK: This is the first FIFA World Cup event to be held in Africa and we should make sure that it is the most successful and memorable ever. We are fully behind South Africa and we shall do all we can to ensure that the event is a success and leaves a lasting legacy in our region and indeed the continent. I would like to urge our people to position themselves well to derive many benefits from the business networking opportunities, particularly in tourism.

MN: Once again Happy Birthday Your Majesty. Bayethe!

NOWON SALE NEW ALBUM FROM BHOLOJA

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Our Vision at the Swaziland National Trust Commission is to make the natural and cultural heritage of the Kingdom a source of pride and pleasure for the people of Swaziland as well as our international visitors.

Swaziland National Trust Commission Our Mission at the Swaziland National Trust Commission is to instill an understanding of, and appreciation for, Swaziland's natural and cultural heritage through sustainable use of resources for the pleasure and benefit of the nation.

SNTC Headquaters and National Museum, P O Box 100, Lobamba, Swaziland, Tel: (+268) 416 1516 / 416 1179 / 416 1489, Fax: (+268) 415 1875, Email: info@sntc.org.sz, Web site: www.sntc.org.sz

CHANGE AGENT: Solomon Musa Dube

With a career in aviation spanning 26 years has seen Mr. Solomon Dube start off as an assistant electrical engineer in the Ministry of Works and Transport under the radio engineering department. Leading to the upgrade of the Matsapha International Airport in 1986, he identified the need to up-skill underused technical personnel in A-level Science and Mathematics, preparing them for training in Radio Navigational Aids at the Manufacturers factory in France.

Following the airport’s upgrade Dube was promoted to Senior Technical Officer responsible for technical personnel under the Engineering section, carrying out maintenance on Air Traffic Services Equipment. In 1990 he took over the role of Communications Engineer in the same Ministry, in charge of Air Traffic Services equipment: specification, procurement, commissioning and maintenance at the Matsapha International Airport. In the same capacity he supervised the involvement of consultants and contractors, and led the revamping of Radio Navigational Aids in 1998.

In 2000, inspired to be the change agent in Swaziland’s civil aviation and driven by self motivation and the ability to identify and generate effective solutions, Dube went on to study for a Masters of Science Degree in Airport Planning and Management at Loughborough University (UK), his thesis: A framework for a civil aviation for Swaziland.

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Returning to the country in 2002 as Senior Engineer, Dube was made responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Millennium Project under the Director of the Project Management Unit, a unit undertaking a number of key exciting national economic development projects under the auspices of the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development. Special duties included leading the development of the new Sikhuphe International Airport and making presentations on the Millennium Project to local and international stakeholders.

This was followed by his assignment by the Principal Secretary in Ministry of Public Works and Transport to be Chairmanship of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) compliance Working Group – Swaziland, made up airport personnel with key deliverables being the completed Swaziland Corrective Action Plan and the Civil Aviation Bill, in 2007 and 2008, respectively. A major contribution was also made to the Civil Aviation Regulations in 2008.

This illustrious career has led to Dube’s 2009 appointment as Acting Director General in the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, and responsible for setting up the Swaziland Civil Aviation Authority (SWACAA) as a regulator of the aviation industry and the operator of the kingdom’s two international airports.

Sikhuphe International Airport Hosts: Swaziland, through the Swaziland Civil Aviation Authority (SWACAA), in charge of Sikhuphe International Airport, will be the hosts of the 5th Routes Africa Forum to held this year. This is an event where African airlines and African airports meet in one venue to do business. Airlines look to land in new destinations and look for new customers – the airlines. The Forum provides this unique opportunity for partners in this multibillion Emalangeni industry to do business without having to visit each other in their respective places of business.

Routes Development Group is the entity that makes this Forum possible. The main world forum is held once a year at various venues around the world. Subsequent continental events are held in the different continents as regional events, and Swaziland is hosting the 5th Routes Africa forum.

The host country for either the world or regional event is chosen through a bidding process. The prospective host country expresses interest to be considered as host and Routes Development Group does a physical check to ascertain if the prospect is up to the task. In the case of Swaziland, the group found it fit to grant Swaziland the hosting rights.

Routes Africa 2010

“Following Swaziland’s audit by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in 2007 and found to have numerous shortcomings, hosting will give an opportunity to showcase the strides that have been made to address the audit findings”, says Mr. Solomon Dube, Acting Director General of SWACAA. The presence of high ranking airline officials in the country will allow SWACAA to present an opportunity for airlines to assess Sikhuphe International Airport as a possible access point to the SADC region, taking advantage of the kingdom’s extensive road and rail links to key regional markets and destinations.

Hosting the Routes Africa forum will minimize the cost and time of drumming up support for airlines that will land passengers and or cargo at the soon to be completed Sikhuphe International Airport. This three day premier aviation industry event is bound to open the Swazi skies and airports, especially Sikhuphe, to key prospective partners, contributing to the speedy turn-around of this exciting economic stimulating project where through forward thinking by the His Majesty’s government over a billion Emalangeni has been invested.

It is expected that over 200 delegates will converge at the Ezulwini valley from the 30th May to 1st June representing Airlines, Airports, Tourism Authorities, and other stakeholders in the sector.

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Experience Swaziland Experience Africa

SWAZI 2010 FIFA WORLD CUP REPORT

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PREAMBLE The preparations for the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals in South Africa are approaching the pinnacle, with less than fifty days left to kick-off.

The entire SADC region is working around the clock to ensure that all facilities and systems are in tune to host teams and football fans in 2010. Swaziland has not remained behind in this preparatory hype.

This report provides achievements and progress made on 2010 preparations INFRASTRUCTURE Football Facilities One of the key elements in preparations for the World Cup is availability of training venues for World Cup finalists in the host country and its neighbours. Swaziland invested in refurbishment of the national stadium, including construction of world-class dressing rooms, addition of public ablution facilities, installation of numbered seats, and re-conditioning of stadium security fence. The project has been completed. This is a milestone achievement in the country’s sporting industry and the stadium now meets the FIFA requirements to serve as a 2010 training venue for World Cup finalists. Moreover, the country will boast the legacy of a FIFA-approved stadium post 2010.

Mavuso Sports Centre The 2010 Technical Committee has facilitated technical assessment of Mavuso Sports Centre to determine its suitability to serve as a 2010 training venue as well. The facility has been found fit for hosting World Cup finalists and has been included in the list of facilities that will be used when hosting any of the 32 teams that will play in the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals. The assessment and approval of the pitch is a great milestone, particularly because of its natural turf, which provides a suitable alternative for Somhlolo National Stadium for those World Cup finalists that prefer natural grass as opposed to artificial turf. The sports centre was used in a pre-AFCON preparatory match between the Black Starts of Ghana (World Cup finalists) and the flames of Malawi in January 2010. Both teams gave the facility thumps up.

Technical Sports Centre One of the challenges that the country has faced over the years in the sporting industry, is the absence of residential high-performance training centres. Such centres are used for nurturing sporting talent for both athletes and administrators alike. The 2010 Committee and the National Football Association, in partnership with FIFA, are currently constructing a technical sports centre next to the Somhlolo national stadium. The centre will compose of camping facilities for players, gym, medical facilities, kitchen and dining hall, lecture theatres and open naturally-turfed football pitches. The facility is 60% complete.

The open football pitches to be turfed with top-class natural grass, will provide another alternative to the artificially-turfed Somhlolo national stadium because of proximity. The technical sports

PRE-TRAINING CAMPS The rules of the World Cup are such that all World Cup finalists are to be resident in South Africa from the 5th of June 2010 in readiness for the World Cup kick-off on the 11th of June 2009. But from the 1st of April 2010 to the 5th of June 2010, World Cup finalists are free to set pre-camps anywhere around the world. This is the period which has been targeted for providing pre-camp offers and friendly matches with our national team to the World Cup finalists.

Requirement for facilities The 2010 Committee secured proper briefings from the 2010 FIFA World Cup LOC in South Africa regarding the requirements for a venue to qualify as a pre-camp for the World Cup finalists.

An appropriate pre-camp should include appropriate hotels, a football pitch with proper lighting system and safe turf, safety guarantee, not more than 20-minutes driving distance between the base hotel and the training stadium, safe air access facilities, and other considerations. Swaziland has all these facilities. The 2010 Committee packaged the Mavuso Sports Centre and the Royal Villas to provide a competitive pre-camp training venue.

Country progress in securing teams for pre-camp For starters, the 2010 Committee developed a comprehensive offer, which takes into account all the requirements stipulated above, and sent it to all the World Cup finalists. This was done even before they qualified, and was intensified through follow-up visits and correspondence after they qualified. Countries that responded include Argentina, Uruguay, Japan, Slovakia, USA, England, Serbia, Ivory Coast and Ghana. The responses were mixed; some have undertook to bring inspectors to test the local facilities, others requested to return to us after they had provided feedback to their principals on the results of the Final Draw that was held in Cape Town on the 4th of December. The likes of England, USA and Japan were clear in ruling out possibilities of their pre-camp in Swaziland.

The Committee had secured one of the 32 World Cup finalists for a pre-camp in the Kingdom, however, after thorough assessment of the costs associated with hosting, and the amount of time the team was to spend in the country, all parties, including central government, were in agreement that it will not make business sense to host the finalists. The Committee quickly changed focus then to other more practical and feasible undertakings.

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LOCAL SERVICE INDUSTRIES PREPAREDNESS

A wide range of interested stakeholders in the 2010 preparations continue to mount different efforts to get in tune for the coming football showpiece.

Accommodation The lead agencies in the tourism and hospitality industry are currently registering all available accommodation establishments in the country, in respect of the institution of standards in the industry. This is partly in furtherance of a meeting that the 2010 Committee and Swaziland Tourism Authority held to prepare accommodation establishments in the country for 2010. The meeting was facilitated by MATCH, the agent appointed by FIFA to handle issues of accommodation, ticketing, transport and accreditation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The agent signed provisional contracts with many of the accommodation establishments for provision of rooms in 2010. Competent role players in the tourism and hospitality industry, led by the Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs, are handling this matter.

We are confident that all accommodation establishments in the country will benefit during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. This is more so because Nelspruit, the nearest 2010 host city to Swaziland, could not, alone, meet the 55 000 beds required by MATCH, and has provided only 48 000. The balance of 7 000 beds will have to be provided by Swaziland and Mozambique. This presents a huge opportunity for local accommodation establishments to take advantage of the said gap. Swaziland has around 3 000 total hotel beds. The local accommodation establishments have already been made aware of this opportunity, and individual accommodation

owners, of all categories are already gearing themselves to take the opportunity.

Transport Almost all the 10 stadiums in the 9 host cities for the 2010 FIFA World Cup are within an average of 5 hours from Swaziland by road. Again this presents an opportunity to business people in the public transport service industry. The 2010 Committee has on several occasions, engaged the transport operators, through their associations, to present the opportunity and spell out the requirements and logistics. During the Confederations Cup in June 2009, an initiative to test feasibility of using public service vehicles for organized groups of fans was successfully implemented. This gave us the confidence that come the 2010 World Cup, Swaziland’s public transport service industry will be ready to ferry local and travelling soccer fans to and from the 2010 venues in South Africa.

A comprehensive transport operation plan has been completed for travellers between Swaziland and South Africa for the duration of the World Cup, with particular emphasis on the 2010 stadium in Nelspruit. All parties involved in the transport industry, including operators, traffic police, road safety agencies and similar stakeholders have strengthened initiatives towards ensuring seamless mobility of tourists and football fans between Swaziland and South Africa.

Safety and security One of the major aspects of preparations for the World Cup is safety and security. The Royal Swaziland Police Service has scaled up recruitment of police officers to ensure that the country is safe in 2010 and beyond. Programmes of cross-border patrols, visible policing in specific areas, human and drug-trafficking surveillance, and many others, are all initiatives that are being undertaken by

the Police Service, as the competent authority in this area. Moreover, there have been concerns in the past regarding the safety of travellers from Swaziland on South African roads. The integration of safety and security operations in the region, through regional and international police bodies, seeks to address this matter.

Over the past few months, there have been several safety and security summits in the region, where the local Police Service has featured prominently. This is an assurance that during the World Cup, elements of crime will be effectively suppressed.

PUBLICITY EVENTS In a bid to create hype and excitement for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the 2010 Committee initiated and executed a plethora of mass mobilization activities.

Mini-World Cup The 2010 Committee organized an international tournament, which featured foreign nationals living in Swaziland forming country representative football teams. Such teams made thirteen countries from four continents registered for the tournament, including Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Nigeria, USA, Portugal, India, Tanzania, Ghana, Cameroon, DRC, Mozambique, and South Africa. The tournament was aimed at exhibiting Swaziland as an ideal 2010 destination for both football fans and teams. The initiative received overwhelming response from the public and attracted foreign media, all who hailed Swaziland for coming up with the initiative. These initiatives are aimed at increasing the number of visitors coming to Swaziland during the 2010 World Cup. In that spirit, all travelling fans and tourists may know that the ideal 2010 fan base and destination of choice is Swaziland.

World Cup Trophy Tour The FIFA World Cup Trophy toured the African continent from Cairo in September 2009, and was in Swaziland on the 30th of November 2009, courtesy of Coca-cola. The 2010 Committee partnered with Coca-cola in this historic event, where the real and original trophy of the World Cup landed in Swaziland and was received by the Head of Government and all key stakeholders. Members of the public also had the opportunity to see and take pictures with the trophy at the Mavuso Sports Centre. This increased the public excitement about the 2010 World Cup. The 2010 Committee also facilitated the coming of the 2010 FIFA Official Mascot, known as Zakumi, to the event.

Football Friday This nation-wide football celebration campaign was launched in August 2009. During the launch, the 2010 Committee and the Ministry of Sport, Culture and Youth Affairs distributed soccer balls and soccer kits to all 55 Tinkhundla in the country. The aim was to engage communities in all parts of the country to play football ahead of the biggest football showpiece to be held on African soil for the first time in history. The initiative will also help football development programmes at grass-root level.

To keep the spirit of support for football alive among citizens, the 2010 Committee has been encouraging employers to allow their workers to wear football shirts on Fridays. The Committee also shares information on World Cup tickets and World Cup match schedules on the local newspapers on some specific Fridays of each month. The Football Friday initiative has generated interest from different stakeholders, many wearing their football shirts on Fridays.

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OTHER INITIATIVES Tickets for the World Cup Tickets for the 2010 FIFA World Cup are sold through three main channels; a) FIFA website b) First National Bank (in South Africa) c) Tour Operators The process of securing a ticket to watch a World Cup match is cumbersome, particularly for people living outside South Africa. FIFA appointed and accredited over 100 tour operators from around the globe to sell tickets for the World Cup. Many of the tour operators sell the tickets in travel packages, which often prove expensive for ordinary football fans. Tickets are also sold through First National Bank in South Africa. The local 2010 Committee engaged the local First National Bank with the view to secure the same service offered in South Africa. But this attempt proved futile, with the bank arguing that they do not have the facility being used in South Africa to dispose of the tickets. This leaves Swaziland with only one available channel, the FIFA website. The channel has challenges of its own, particularly because internet connectivity in the country is low, and VISA card credit holders are few.

The 2010 Committee has successfully secured some tickets from legitimate ticket distributors, which are now available to the public. The Committee has also secured transport packages for the public, which packages are inclusive of entry into the 2010 stadium in Nelspruit over the four match days. Moreover, the opening of ‘over-the-counter’ sales facility in April 2010 in South Africa has widened the chances of Swazis securing the tickets and be part of the World Cup excitement.

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Tourism Enterprise Project The 2010 Committee is negotiating for inclusion of local small entrepreneurs in the Tourism Enterprise Project in South Africa. The Project aims at giving sales space to 2010-oriented handicraft producers within proximity to the 2010 stadiums. The target handicraft is emagcebesha done in colours and flags of the 32 World Cup finalists, giving priority to the 8 national teams that will play in Mbombela Stadium in Mpumalanga Province.

This project is coordinated in partnership with Khulisa Umntfwana, wherein women in the different Tinkhundla Centres have the opportunity to produce the items, and the Ministry of Sport, Culture and Youth Affairs, together with relevant 2010 role players, will facilitate market logistics. This initiative will go a long way in opening a business avenue for participation of rural women in the benefits of the 2010 World Cup. Integration of 2010 operations with tourism initiatives The leading industry in as far as 2010 benefits are concerned is tourism.

The 2010 Committee partnered with the Swaziland Tourism Authority in the development of a country marketing toolkit to be used post the 2010 World Cup. The 2010 World Cup has assisted in forging such integration, which has seen pooling of resources from different central government agencies for a common objective.

CONCLUSION As the hype and expectation on the 2010 World Cup continue to mount, Swaziland is progressing fairly well in the preparations. Despite all the challenges in the socio-economic landscape, locally and globally, there is hope that some industries will benefit from the 2010 World Cup with visitors coming to Swaziland for a Royal Experience.

WATCH THE 2010 FIFA WORLD CUP GAMES IN NELSPRUIT, MBOMBELA STADIUM

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BUSHFIRE FESTIVAL |

SIGHTS & SIGHTINGS 2009

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NEXT: BUSHFIRE FESTIVAL |

MAY 28-30 2010

SWAZI OBSERVER | STANDARD BANK 2010 SCHOOL SHOES PROJECT

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CHILDREN RECEIVE SHOES Two local corporations got together to help out those less fortunate. This inspired the nation to donate over 2010 shoes for primary school children from all parts of the country.

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AFRICA CEREMONY: REED-DANCE Africa is a mystic continent with thousands of traditions; many however have died out. This disappearance was because their allied institutions declined. The Swazis, however, preserved both aspects.

This cultural grouping has a dual identity, because of the about 4 million, most live in South Africa’s Mpumalanga province, and only about 1 Million live inside the Swaziland boundaries. There are many important Swazi ceremonies, notably the Incwala and Reed Dance.

Media attention has highlighted the girl’s Reed Dance, which is actually a tribute to the institution of the Queen Mother. Incwala is associated with the Kingship.

Most African Royal families actually have two sovereigns: the King

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rules with his Mother. In times when there is no King is old enough to assume the throne, she would assume full executive control, or Regency: for example as the Regent Gwamile, who held that position for about two decade, who gave a substantial financial grant to help fund the establishment of the ANC about a century ago. Today some people, are against the institution of the Reed Dance, they believe that is has no purpose in society.

However we need to debunk a few myths and highlight a few facts which have been obscured in the haze of history.

The first thing to understand about the Reed Dance is that it is an institution and not just that, but an African institution that has effect in every part of the globe, every day it is training children of all colours and creeds. Its educational benefits have led to many great leaders, social, political in every walk of life. It may puzzle you at first sight, you may feel that this is overkill and

that one must be on “someone’s pay-roll”. Let us investigate this a bit closer: Acknowledged as the largest organised gathering of youth in the world, the Boys Scouts and Girl Guides Movement has contributed and continues to contribute to the education of thousands of youth across the world; even the term “Scouts Honour” which is a type of promise, is used as a form of guarantee. You may at this stage be totally lost, but lets connect the dots.

The Scouts & Guide Movement was started by Lord Baden Powell.

He was stationed in Pretoria in the early 20th century and visited the Reed Dance. He didn’t just see bare-breasted girls in brightly beaded micro-mini skirts, he saw the system - or maybe had it explained to him. The Reed Dance and Lusekwane systems were ways in which young Nguni were put in training regiments to learn all sorts of

social skills. These Educational Boot Camps also taught, service, scouting and social organisation; as well as etiquette. In the case of girls particularly, they were educated on womanhood.

With minor modifications Powel copied the model and acknowledged as much. The Reed Dance therefore is the birthplace of the Girl Guides and Boy Scouts. In American culture these would be grounds for a class action intellectual property rights suite, but I digress. Thus it is very interesting that while many have been eager to stir up countless controversies around the Reed Dance, I have never heard anyone complain: “Oh no! What a travesty - the girl guides are gathering again.”

So credit should be given where it’s due. The Swazi system of organising youth, has given birth to “the largest organised body of young people” in the world: There are now over 25 Million Scouts the world over. – [endabah marcomm]

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PROGRAMS OF DISEASE PREVENTION

by The Ministry Of Agriculture

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1. Sanitary controls and inspection at port of entry. The MOA under the Department of Veterinary and Livestock Services conducts regular inspections at ports of entry where upon, imported, controlled products like live animals and meat and other animal products are controlled. These are allowed into the country, they are accompanied by valid import permits and health certificate from state veterinary controls.

Controlled products include raw meat and meat products, eggs, skins, dogs, cats, birds, other live animals as well as grass products.

2. Awareness creation and collaboration with police, customs and immigration at the airport. This is to replicate what happens at border entry points to facilitate controls and monitoring of veterinary controlled products.

3. Heightened awareness through intelligent information gathering at the veterinary epidemiology unit inorder to advice and strengthen disease prevention and control interventions.

Information gathered include occurrences of diseases in other countries, more especially those which have close trade and high interchange of human traffic with Swaziland, including South Africa.

4. Training of ports of entry officials on veterinary controls and how they can collaborated with animal health officials.

This is a continual program with one training set for the month of April.

HOW SAFE IS SWAZILAND’S MEAT WITH RESPECT TO FOOD SAFETY IN THE HOTEL INDUSTRY

Swaziland is free of Borine Spongiform Enrepholopathy (BSE) or ‘MADCOW’, and most diseases that may be transmitted to humans by meat or meat products including anthrax.

This issue of pandemic influenza A/H1N1 being transmitted through pigs is no longer substantiated as evidence shows that the current strain causing influenza and deaths in humans does not readily circulate in pigs. Swaziland does not have this strain in her pigs.

Swaziland does not have foot and mouth disease and whenever outbreaks occurs the country has moved to stampout the disease and virus. The last outbreak was in 2001 and currently Swaziland has applied for international recognition as a country free of FM without vaccination.

The country has not had outbreaks of Rift Valley Fever, and the disease does not readily occur in the country. Swaziland meat is safe for consumption since Veterinary Public Health Section of the Ministry of Agriculture conducts meat inspection at the export abattoir (which also supplied local butcheries and supermarkets), meanwhile the Ministry of Health is responsible for

inspection at Municipal, Abattoirs.

Meat supplied to hotels would had therefore undergone inspection.

Other animal derived foods like milk and milk products found in the formal sector is safe for consumption. The farms supplying these plants are tested for contagious abortion disease (brucellosis) and borine tuberculosis. Furthermore, these products are pasteurized and processed as necessary. Such processed further inactivate any potential infective agent.

The Veterinary Public Health section ensures that imported animal products are certified free of potential disease and are appropriately handled for safety to the local consumer.

Swaziland’s disease Management Policy and its Successes

1) Dipping of Cattle and Goats - Promotes and sustains the disease prevention and control activities in the country through regular livestock inspection.

- Assisted in eliminating East Coast Fever and keeps tickborne diseases of livestock under control.

2) Permit System and Livestock Movement Control.

- Ensures animals are not moved indiscriminately from potentially diseased places to diseased free areas.

- Ensures animals are properly inspected before being moved for breeding or for slaughter becoming the first phase of preslaughter inspection.

3) Internal Disease Testing and Vaccination Programs. a) Rabies vaccination campaign – an annual event that involves free vaccination of dogs against rabies in various centres nationally between September and October. Promotes awareness of disease through visible action, radio and field announcements and information dissemination. b) Brucellosis vaccination in young female cattle (heifers) a government subsidized program for all Swazi National Land Farmers. Takes place between February and April and aims to reduce infection and infectivity of female cattle to reduce the prevalence of disease in herds. c) Brucellosis and TB testing - a support program for dairy farms aimed at reducing diseased herds and ensuring disease free dairy and dairy product.

4) Government Clinical and Ambulatory Services This service is provided by Government Veterinaries for food animals, non-food livestock and small animals at approved fees.

The focus is mainly on food animals and assist promote livestock development and disease management country wide.

5) Meat Hygiene Services (MHS) Includes meat inspection and ensures good manufacturing practice of primary meat products (red meat, poultry) in slaughter and raw meat handling facilities. MHS has ensured that export standards are adhered to at the export abattoir inorder to penetrate international markets.

6) General Livestock Surveillance and Diagnostic Activities

Swaziland has been able to maintain her freedom status against enjoy a good and safe holiday whilst ensuring the integrity of major livestock/animal diseases through the combination of an our disease control systems. elaborate network of dipping tanks manned by trained personnel, strict legislation on animal movement, importation and reporting, a ADVISORY good veterinary suport Visitors to the country are advised to apply for necessary import permits for raw meat, poultry, milk, skins/hides, handSwaziland’s Market Position Swaziland has secured and maintains international beef markets in icraft (grass and wooden products). The same approach is the European Union (EU) and in individual countries like Norway necessary when exporting. In this case import permits are and Switzerland. Swaziland’s meat is also exported to neighbour- obtained from the country where the products are destined ing countries although we also import meat from South Africa for (going to). The import permits advise the exporting country local consumption. Imported meat is from locally approved outlets to issue a Health Certificate as per the specifications of the and establishments where sources of the animals and standards of importing country.

production in the plant(s) are known and up to date.

For the protection of Swaziland’s livestock and animal resources, precautions should be taken by these coming from countries with active FMD and High Pathogenic Avian Influenza in that if they have been in direct close contact with potentially infected live animals within the last 30 days, they should not visit a farm with the susceptible species.

In keeping up with these international markets, Swaziland’s disease management standards have to be very high and subject to regular audits that start from primary animal healthcare through the whole food chain ending at bulk meet storage and meat cutting plants. The veterinary services have also been successfully evaluated using the performance, vision and strategy (PVS) tool by the World OrganiFor small consignment s of raw meat and meat products sation for Animal Health(OIE). Swaziland is a member of the OIE suitable for personal consumption, import permits should be which may serve as a reference for animal disease matters of the obtained from Swazi Veterinary Authorities at the Ministry of WTO. Agriculture offices available in each of the our regions of the Is Swaziland’s MOA ready for the World Cup and what can be country. Large consignments are handled by the VPH section and require more elaborate papers since they have possibilishared? ties of affecting more people if infect or not properly handled The MOA Department of Veterinary and Livestock Services is under- during primary processing and storage. taking all necessary precautions to ensure visitors to Swaziland

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Background of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) is an initiative of the African Union (AU) within the context of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). The CAADP framework and process is core to efforts being undertaken by African Governments to accelerate economic growth, enhance food and nutrition security, and eliminate hunger in the continent. It is as a result of high level consultations between the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the NEPAD Secretariat at the FAO Regional Conference (Egypt 2002). CAADP was endorsed by the Heads of State and Government of the AU in what is commonly known as the Maputo Declaration of July 2003. One of the major resolutions taken by the Heads of State and Government was to effect policy changes that will improve agricultural and rural development in Africa. These included African Governments’ commitment to allocate at least 10 percent of national budgetary resources for agriculture and rural development.

In an effort to address the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), particularly MDG 1, which aims to reduce hunger and poverty by 50% by 2015, the AU through NEPAD has mandated the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) to implement CAADP in their respective Member States. In this regard, The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) is authorized to coordinate and harmonize implementation of CAADP in the region, as a partner of National Governments reflecting the principles of mutual review and dialogue, accountability and partnership.

SHAPING SACU TO FACE THE DAUNTING CHALLENGES AHEAD

By Musa Ndlangamandla HIS Majesty King Mswati III joined other leaders in Windhoek, Namibia, in celebrating 100 years of the existence of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), which His Majesty described as having been prosperous and harmonious. In this historic meeting of SACU’s Heads of State, the King said as leaders and member states pride is realized in the recognition that SACU is the oldest Customs Union in the world, older than the European Union, and it has been able to deliver the desired results.

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“We are living in a dynamic world that requires us to re-engineer our organisation in order to be able to meet the challenges of the 21st century. We warmly welcome the idea that there is a need for our organisation to develop a vision, mission statement and strategy to achieve our agenda of deeper regional integration in Southern Africa through an approach to common policies, establishment of SACU structures, consolidation of SACU and enhancement of industrialization,” the King said; He added that, Swaziland believes that the new vision for SACU will embrace the principle of prospering one another which ensures sustainability of the organization with emphasis on a Monetary Union and Economic Community.

He noted: “Inspite of the diversities among our economies our unwavering unity continues to be our strength as we work together

for the benefit of our peoples. It is pleasing to note that the benefits accrued from SACU have contributed immensely to our national programmes which are aimed at improving the lives of our people in our respective countries.” His Majesty added that Swaziland remains committed to SACU programmes and activities aimed at country and regional prosperity and a wish for SACU’s longevity as it strives to work for the sustainability of the Region.

HOW SACU WORKS SACU consists of Swaziland, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa and its Secretariat is located in Windhoek Namibia.

Historically, SACU was administered by South Africa through the 1910 and 1969 Agreements. The customs union collected duties on local production and customs duties on members’ imports from outside SACU, and the resulting revenue collected was allocated to member countries in quarterly instalments utilizing a revenue-sharing formula. Negotiations to reform the 1969 Agreement started in 1994, and a new agreement was signed in 2002.

The new arrangement was ratified by SACU Heads of State. The Economic structure of the Union links the Member States by a single tariff and no customs duties between them. The Member States form a single customs territory in which tariffs and other barriers are eliminated on substantially all trade between the member states for products originating in these countries; and there is a common external tariff that applied to non members of SACU.

ROUTES AFRICA | INFO ROUTES AFRICA - IMPRESSIVE AIRLINES LIST An impressive number of airlines are registering ahead of this year’s Routes Africa event. The 5th Routes Africa forum to be held in the majestic Ezulwini Valley, Swaziland this year has so far attracted strong interest from airlines. Registrations have been coming in thick and fast - and over 20 airlines have now enrolled.

The variety of carriers registered is especially impressive as the list includes low-cost carriers, flag carriers, regional airlines and tour operators from around the globe. Neighbouring Mozambique and South Africa, Swaziland is ideally placed to host the Routes Africa event as the Southern Africa region prepares to welcome thousands of fans to the 2010 World Cup in June and July 2010. Routes Africa 2010 promises to be the best attended Routes Africa forum to date, and is an opportunity for anybody operating to, from, or within Africa, and is not to be missed.

According to Adam Smith of Routes Development Group, Airlines already registered for this year’s Routes Africa include: Air France, Cathay Pacific, Swaziland Airlink, Comair, Egyptair, Kenya Airways, Malaysia Airlines, South African Airways, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, Air Namibia, South African Airlink ROUTES AFRICA - BROCHURE LAUNCHED The 2010 Routes Africa brochure, which is written in both English and French, has now been developed and launched. The brochure includes information about Swaziland, as well as the target audience and details of the various networking opportunities.“The brochure also provides the programme of complimentary tours available to all delegates (which includes a golf tournament and tour of the Sikhuphe International Airport), an update on sponsorship and exhibition opportunities, information on the venue and official hotels, and, of course, the event programme”, says Flavia Ferrandin, Event Leader.

DEBATE KEY ROLE AT ROUTES AFRICA STRATEGY FORUM

For the first time at a Routes Africa Strategy Forum there will be a panel debate session. Leading aviation industry experts will come together at the Routes Africa Strategy Forum to debate some of the challenges facing aviation in Africa today. The Forum will open with a number of presentations exploring key industry issues, followed by an interactive panel debate with the audience. A Route Development Workshop, led by industry leaders in air service development, ASM, will also be held on the Sunday afternoon.

SWAZILAND TO WELCOME ROUTES DELEGATES Superbly placed at the heart of an emerging economy within Southern Africa, Swaziland’s Sikhuphe International Airport will become operational during 2010. Sikhuphe International Airport will provide modern airport infrastructure for Swaziland and alternative capacity to the existing airports in the region. Sikhuphe International Airport is an initiative of the government of the Kingdom of Swaziland. It has been designed and built in partnership with both international and regional project managers and consultants. It will be a new gateway to the region, providing a convenient base for exploring the region, with Kruger National Park to the North and KwaZulu-Natal to the south, each within an hour’s drive.The Kingdom of Swaziland is focusing on the expansion of its tourism infrastructure and the continued conservation of Swazi culture. By taking steps to develop and increase its business and tourism industries, the completion of this airport will be key in attracting significant investment to this peaceful and unspoilt country.

ROUTES AFRICA NOW OPEN FOR BOOKINGS

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Swaziland is ready to welcome delegates to Routes Africa, as the whole Southern African region gears up for the World Cup. Delegates can continue to book for the 5th Routes Africa forum, which will be held at the Royal Swazi Spa, located 15km from Swaziland’s capital Mbabane, in the Ezulwini Valley. The forum will be hosted

by Sikhuphe International Airport, headed by the Swaziland Civil Aviation Authority (SWACAA) and is expected to attract up to 200 delegates from across the region. Routes Africa is supported by AFRAA, ACI Africa and AASA. The event programme includes exciting wildlife tours and opportunities to explore Swazi history and culture.

MALARIA CONTROL PROGRAMME

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The latest world tourism figures show an increase in the share of Swaziland’s visitors in a slumped global tourism market. While this may be attributable to the long standing “royal experience” campaign, the minimsed threat of malaria is a key contributor in the country-product-package marketed to the world.

Achieving the mean feat of being declared a “malaria free zone” is a daunting one in the African continent where the leading killer disease is undoubtedly malaria, a disease that persists to detract both leisure and business visitors to these otherwise inviting parts of the world.

Swaziland is and continues to be a shining example in sub-Saharan Africa in the fight against malaria. The Swaziland government, through the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) and social partners, has worked tirelessly and with positive results in eliminating the malaria threat. The kingdom is over 95% malaria free, and can be viewed as a “malaria free” destination.

The National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) Annual Report presents an overview of the major malaria control interventions implemented and outlines the progress made during the year reviewed (2008-2009) in achieving WHO-recommended targets, and provides an epidemiological analysis of the malaria situation.

This information reveals the implementation of five (5) major malaria thematic intervention areas, i.e. epidemiological surveillance, case management, vector control, community mobilization, and programme management.

EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SURVEILLANCE The NMCP continues to monitor malaria cases via a weekly surveillance system. The surveillance system involves more than 90% of clinics in malaria areas of the country and outside these areas.

The number of reporting facilities has increased to include government, mission and private hospitals, health centre’s and clinics in all four regions in the country. The regularly reporting of cases by the weekly surveillance programme allows the NMCP to detect and respond to malaria epidemics within fourteen (14) days of outbreak onset.

An analysis of outpatient and inpatient data indicates that there was a significant decrease in the incidence of malaria-related morbidity, admissions, and deaths. The observed reductions can be attributed to a number of factors including improved case management at health facilities, consistent availability of drugs in health

facilities, improved health-seeking behavior, effective implementation of other control interventions, strong regional collaboration with neighbouring countries, such as through the Lubombo Spatial Development Initiative (LSDI), and unfavourable climatic and environmental conditions for malaria transmission.

To improve disease surveillance, which is critical for early detection and response to malaria epidemics, the NMCP extended epidemiological surveillance activities to all the regions. During the year under review (2008-2009), there were no epidemic situations detected or reported. However, the programme had prepared adequate resources (human, equipment, transport, drugs, and insecticides) to respond to any epidemic situation.

CASE MANAGEMENT Effective case management forms one of the cornerstones of malaria control programmes, as it is able to significantly reduce malaria morbidity and mortality.

The programme has continued to train clinic healthcare workers on malaria case management to improve the quality of care in health facilities. The training included healthcare workers in the Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni and Hhohho regions. The objective of the training was to improve the management of malaria cases at health facility level.

The programme has trained the epidemic taskforces on epidemic preparedness and response (EPR) in preparation for the malaria transmission season. All training was made financially feasible with funding from partners such as the Global Fund.

While pregnant women, infants, and young children in endemic areas and “non-immune” persons travelling to malaria endemic areas have traditionally been considered to be the high risk groups, it is important to note that due to the unstable nature of malaria in Swaziland, most patients presenting with malaria in this country are non-immune regardless of age, sex, or area of residence.

Adequate and prompt management of malaria cases is considered a priority intervention in the country. Malaria case management is integrated in the general healthcare delivery system. Management is carried out at three levels i.e. community level, health facilities and health centre or hospital levels.

As Swaziland targets malaria elimination, the anti-malarial drug policy in Swaziland will change from chloroquine to combination

therapy during 2009 – 2010. The change is not to be influenced by chloroquine resistance levels, but, rather, other epidemiological benefits of combination therapy.

VECTOR CONTROL Vector control remains a major approach to reduce or interrupt malaria transmission in the country. The main interventions include indoor residual spraying (IRS) and distributing long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLINs) to pregnant women and children under five.

The programme continues to maintain high IRS coverage with DDt (75% wettable powder) and pyrethroids (Icon 10cs) of 93% and 96.4% respectively. The programme continues to achieve above 80% population protected by IRS, which is the minimum recommended by the WHO to make impact on the burden of the disease.

Through funding from the Global Fund, the programme continues to scale up the distribution of ITNs in the Lubombo regions and some parts of the Manzini, Shiselweni and Hhohho regions. During the year under review, it is estimated that a total of more than 53 400 bednets. About 1 500 nets were distributed through the child immunization campaigns days. It is worth mentioning that the number of distributed nets could have been much higher if it had not been for delays in the delivery of the commodities. The distribution of LLIN continues to target pregnant women and children under five (5) years in the four regions in the country. The distribution strategy targets antenatal clinics (ANCs), and immunization services for pregnant women and children under five (5) in health facilities.

Because coverage and usage for the two groups still falls short of the Abuja target of 60%, the programme is currently engaged in reviewing alternate distribution strategies to scale up for universal coverage.

The programme conducted a number of operational research studies on vector control interventions. One study determines the ITN coverage among pregnant women and children under five (5) and home based management of febrile illnesses among under five (5) years in the Lubombo region. In collaboration with MRC, the programme also conducted trials on the effectiveness of icon 10cs. The results of the trials were very encouraging in terms of residual effect hence the decision to recommend its use during the 2008 – 2009 spraying season.

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COMMUNITY MOBILISATION Community mobilization activities were undertaken during SADC Malaria Day and in preparation for the IRS campaign. To understand the impact of the community mobilization activities, the NMCP collaborated with Medical Research Council (MRC) to conduct a national study on knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) in malaria control and prevention.

Swaziland did not commemorate Africa Malaria Day internally, but joined other countries in commemoration. The National Malaria Control Programme joined other SADC member states in commemorating Africa Malaria Day that was held in Zimbabwe.

For the first time in the SADC region, a Global Malaria Day was held in Zambia. The theme for the event was “Malaria” – a disease without borders”. The Minister of Health and the NMCP Programme Manager joined other SADC member states in commemorating SADC Malaria Day. The countries involved in the commemoration included Namibia, Angola, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT In improving programme management, consistent progress had been made on systems development following successful recruitment of an Information officer.

In October 2008, the programme was awarded a US$13.9 million Round 8 Global Fund grant to pursue malaria elimination in Swaziland. The major focus of the grant is to roll RDTs and ACTs, improve vector management, strengthen surveillance, and health promotion. The implementation of the new interventions poses some challenges that the NMCP will work at overcoming in the fight against Africa’s number one killer disease and thus make Swaziland a malaria free haven.

eDladleni Restaurant

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The purpose of eDladleni is to kindle interest in traditional food. By doing this we hope to dispel the notion that we have to import our food in order to offer a tasty, nutritious, and appealing meal that will be enjoyed by Swazis and visitors alike. Through the carefully chosen dishes on our menu, we are exploring the possibility of our own crops.

Our intention is to encourage the cultivation and preparation of local food with myriad of essential vitamins and medicinal qualities and in turn, to empower and feed our people based on their existing indigenous knowledge systems.

Intensifying and promoting cultivation of local crops and vegetables and providing a market for this produce will empower poor land-owners and inspire them to increase their production in order to satisfy the ensuing demand.

The nutrient rich crops are a necessity in the fight against hunger and an important weapons in the war against HIV and AIDS; the money generated from cast crops, when circulated through the communities helps to alleviate the growing poverty facing the rural people. The most compelling argument for eating our locally grown food is that it is both readily available and affordable.

Improving The World We Live In In this age where products are made and consumed not just across a village but the world, standards have become a very important factor in assuring consumers of set product quality and safety. As goods and services are traded in the global economy this assurance is placed on globally accepted certification standards, the lack of which minimises any product and economy from participation in the global arena. The Swazi economy seeks to increase involvement and benefit of local products in world commerce, while ensuring the safety of those imported, through the establishment of its own standards authority.

The Swaziland Standards Authority (SWASA) was formed by the Government of Swaziland through the Quality and Standards Act (10) 2003, and is under the auspices of the Ministry of Commerce Industry and Trade. The Act gives SWASA the mandate of promoting standards and quality in local industry, commerce and the public sector and also empowers the Authority to be the sole custodian of all issues regarding standards and quality in Swaziland. SWASA was established in 2007 and has since then worked on establishing its processes and overall competence to be better placed to deliver on her mandate.

Standards in Swaziland The need for standards in Swaziland was first felt in 1982 when the country could not export timber for use in the South African mines due to lack of certification. Swazis have since embraced the concept and are gearing themselves to move towards a standards driven culture. Quality practitioners from various sectors of industry have over the years put in place some basic quality infrastructures and have made means to gain some technical insight to a wide range of quality management systems, the most common being ISO9001:2000. With SWASA having been established, the focus is on the adoption of standards that will effectively address key quality issues in Swaziland and will further enhance the formulation of legislations that will protect human and animal life and the environment. The adoption of these standards is in line with guide-lines set by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), the International Electro-Technical Commission (IEC), the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), and CODEX Alimentarius. This is to enhance their acceptability in all countries whose trade policies have been aligned with WTO Agreements.

Why Standardise?

The advantages of Standardisation touch on everyone from Government, manufacturers, SMEs, individuals, animals and plants to global trade players. Standards give developing countries a basis for making the right decisions when investing their limited resources in local and international projects. For businesses, it is through the use of standards that manufacturers can base the development of their products and services on specifications that have wide acceptance in their sectors. The use of internationally recognised standards also guarantees that products are fit for use by human beings and animals, and that processes used by manufacturers will cause no strain on the natural environment. Swaziland is a developing country which has a lot to benefit from active participation in global trade. Local SMEs are thus faced with the challenge of strategically positioning themselves so that their products are competitive enough as well as readily acceptable to compete in global

markets. Through the use of standards and certification SMEs will be better placed to make a meaningful contribution to the country’s economic development.

The SWASA certification mark and the establishment of import inspection schemes will ensure that consumers are better protected from harmful and sub standard commodities. Legislations may be set to restrict the import of such commodities and by using standards in such legislations the country may not worry about contravening the WTO/TBT agreement.

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SWASA, Going Forward SWASA has been working closely with industry and the public sector to identify areas in the local economy that require standardisation as a matter of priority. At least 21 standards are in the process of development and these cover a variety of sectors including health, food safety, HIV/AIDS management and second hand tyres. There are a number of technical committees comprising of experts in the fields covered who have deliberated on the technical content of the standards before they are made available to the public for further scrutiny and comments. Public review drafts of these standards are available on the SWASA website www.swasa.co.sz .

SWASA has recently established its Quality Assurance department under which will be the testing and laboratory services, the certification function as well as the consumer liaison and public interest office. The activities of this office will be of huge interest to especially consumers as it is here that the SWASA quality marks will be managed. The office will also be SWASA’s representative in import inspection schemes as well in operations aimed at cleaning our markets of sub standard commodities. SWASA’s ultimate goal is to position herself so that it remains relevant to all sectors of the local economy and may actively contribute towards improving the world we live in.

2010 WORLD CUP FEVER

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ZAKUMI IN SD

ZAKUMI VISITS SWAZI PRIME-MINISTER & CABINET ZAKUMI WITH SOCCER FAN

VISITING WITH TOURISM-MINISTER

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10 Things to Know for Business Innovation Endabah Marcomm When it comes to launching a new business innovation there are a few things you need to know. If you can answer these key areas, you are half-way to having a successful initiative. If your answers are lacking, then you need to rethink your position. Research and Development (often referred to as R & D) is the most critical part of a business plan, because everything you say and do in a venture will be dictated to a large extent by what your conclusions were at the outset, just as the quote says: “At the outset of every endeavour, you must look to the end of it!”

KNOW THY QUESTION: A while back we were asked by business colleagues what were some of the opportunities of 2010? They admitted that they had considered accommodation, but had no special ideas. ‘The ideas still aren’t coming.’ Naturally being R&D specialists, Endabah had been developing 2010 business intelligence and sharing, both objective and subjective viewpoints. The most significant trend we noticed though was that some people hoped to make money from 2010, but others aimed to boost their business.

There was a big difference: one was speculation, which was based on guessing; the other was calculation, based on knowing. So, in an uncertain business environment, what do you need to know? That is in fact the place to start, ask the right questions.

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KNOW THY TIMING: What most people got wrong was that the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup Finals South Africa ™, actually started in 2009. You may find this confusing, but look closer; the 2009 Confederations Cup was the dress-rehearsal for the big event. From the business venue-point, it needed to be considered carefully. It was an important milestone to know whether you had a winning formula or had over-estimated. It also afforded a chance to adjust your business strategy. If it was not factored into your plans, then your 2010 vision is at risk.

KNOW THY STRATEGY: 2010 is a great opportunity, but you can’t build a corporate strategy on only one year, as that is too much risk.

Furthermore, a SWOT analysis may reveal that barriers to entry were higher earlier, but may become lower, as competitors have better access to event intelligence; so a counter-strategy always needs to be on stand-by. This exercise can be highly valuable; it may even give you new ideas and revenue streams. For example one strategy is to sell your business model just when the excitement is reaching a climax.

KNOW THY BUSINESS: A common 2010 question was, ‘I know there’s opportunity but how does one do it?’ We’ve tried to explain the ‘follow the money-chain theory’ - here is reprise of it. Firstly you should probably stick to what you know. The reason is straight-forward, you can make intuitive projections. A while ago, tourist business recently came on to the market, which was a viable acquisition target on behalf of a client; the figures supplied by the current owners matched our estimates because we knew the sector well. However based on this know-how, we realised the risk-factors were increasing, so even though Tourism was the core of “WC 2010” long term it would not

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have been viable. During any large opportunity like 2010, there are often many speculative pitches, so by knowing your business, you’ll avoid becoming a rip-off statistic.

KNOW THY WEAKNESS: If however, you have a brilliant idea not in your field, then consider hiring specialists: create a new company and get it financed with private or institutional venture capital.

Caution however should be taken as great ideas are everywhere, but great execution strategies are in serious demand. An example also is that if you may have a weakness which will compromise your venture. If, however, you are that weakness, you may create a plan that doesn’t involve you. For example, if you have no, self-control and a soft-spot for Choc-chip cookies and open a cake shop; you could eat your own stock and go bankrupt. That failing, the inner turmoil will land you in the psychiatry ER. So rather hire a toothless Gogo who has long lost her sweet-tooth to run your service.

KNOW THY BUSINESS PROCESS: Understand your sector’s operational processes & chain of supply. Knowing how money flows in your sector is part of the key to determining where cash can be made. We can take leaf out of big business by noting how companies outsource the tedious parts of their process and retain the strategically valuable. For example Boeing aircraft manufactures outsourced almost all its production, cutting a workforce of well over the 150 000 to 30 000; but retained critical technology such as the wings & design. It thereby transformed from being a manufacturing company to an Intellectual Property concern, to yield higher profits & less overhead. Knowing what to keep in your own field is the difference between a windfall and a shortfall.

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A practical example of this was that we all know that about Billions were spent on stadiums alone. However the contractors’ were large, mainly multi-nationals companies which had to conform to FIFA’s international standards, never mind the local Economic Empowerment Codes. Therefore they was sub-contracting of many services, from scaffolding supply to portable toilets. Obviously as an SME, you stood little chance of nailing the big deal. Even getting secondary contracts was unlikely, unless well connected, but with so much simultaneous construction across the region, all normal supply chains were be maxed-out, so there was ample room for small contractors to supply goods & services. Let’s imagine construction site X, what did they need & when? Normal supplies may have been well factored in, but where would the construction people stay? What would they do for entertainment?

Who was supplying medical assistance? What about laundry services? Would they run a night-shift construction schedule?

If labour was drawn from the local township, were transport contracts available? If you didn’t know, then you’d have to do research: visit an average construction site during lunch, talk to the labour & managers & find out. Business to Customer is not the only way to do business – B2B or Business to business is one of the most lucrative areas. So for example a profitable business in construction may be supplying Styrofoam packing for meals; as all that involves is ordering the packets & delivery to the caterers.

KNOW THY BOX: You may wonder how it’s possible to work out that profits can be made from food-packaging? A big building is built by lots of hard working people. Working people have to eat, food needs to be delivered warm regularly. They are in a hurry, so they need to be able to take the food away, and eat

it later if they are running behind schedule. This is pattern of analysis is known as “thinking outside the box”. There maybe times, however, when even unconventional thinking isn’t enough. If thinking outside the box isn’t enough, then consider “selling the box”, as in sell your know-how and expertise. If you know your area well, consider selling that knowledge by consulting. No thinking pattern should be sacred in your SWOT analysis, however. SWOT means = (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & threats) and it is meant to be turned into CASH. KNOW THY BLESSING: This has been a personal lesson. Although our core business is media, 2010 consulting work required explanation on how to minimize risk in a speculative market; this led us to an innovation, which is actually a risk management formulae. (Risk management is normally a specialised area of finance) This was a blessing, failure to recognise it, would not have afforded us vision to continue investing in 2010 R&D, when we experienced some major setbacks. This business innovation was of such future value that even though we were spear-heading the 2010 business intelligence; we were able to that wind-down in late 2008 and focus the new product which will take a few years to fine-tune. Even though it was designed for 2010, it was none the less, project independent. This, of course, is the basic point: To go into business just because 2010 was coming & would probably lead one to insolvency. This is not said out of personal bias, but the statistics indicate that roughly 80% of new businesses go bankrupt in the first 24 months of operation. The reasons range from insufficient liquidity to management indiscipline, but the end result is the same.

KNOW THY SELF:

‘If you know so much, then why aren’t you

doing it?’ That has been a regular question when I’ve shared intelligence or the results of R&D initiatives. However, an important business principle that you can’t learn soon enough is to; understand both your interests and capacity. Knowing these will help you estimate your own intrinsic market value. Not everything will suit you or your capacities. Some businesses are a net drain on those doing them. They maybe lucrative, but actually degrade your quality of life. Understanding the real values of your own outlook, your institutions and communities, will lead to holistic prosperity. Prosperity is more than just making money.

KNOW THY VALUE: The colleagues who asked me the questions were working in the financial sector & collecting & co-relating investment data from SADC. We didn’t advise her to go into real estate as a primary 2010 venture. Instead, recommended wealth management consulting – that we felt, they’d make a killing. Those who would make money from 2010 projects would need to secure their investments. The competitive barriers to entry in accommodation were low relative to their specialist expertise. They didn’t understand the value of what they already knew. Therefore the real question they asked was what was their real market value? They knew, but didn’t understand how it related to the business of sports. Knowledge & understanding are two sides of the same equation. Knowing what you understand and understanding what you know, may sound like a riddle - but it is a key to diminishing risk in all business innovations, whether you know what the field is about or not.

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FASHION:

THE ART REVELATION

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MODEL: PAPADVU

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BMW 750

PHOTO: DERRICK DLAMINI CARSON WHEELS

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SHOWBIZ CHAT

10 INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT… BUSINESS INNOVATOR Lindelwa aka Papadvu [ Birth date: 03/10/1988] Velizizweni chiefdom

1) Your business icon is? Gauzen who is also in ladies and gents wear 2) Favourite Soccer team? Mbabane Swallows… and World Cup Team? France 3) Started business?

2010

5) Favourite Designer: Lovington Dlamini of The Art Revelation 6) My clothing is for… Genuine Swazi Hotties! ;-) Isn’t it soooo obvious?

8) Does celebrity ever go your head? Hmmm Sometimes!

9) The Future: I would like to own boutiques all over Swaziland, then I can go beyond!

10) Best thing about Papadvu?

Where did it all start? I studied international communications and TV production at “The American University In Paris”, where I graduated with honors and hold a Bachelor of Arts degree. That alone was never enough to make me a filmmaker. In the year 2000, I remember going to the SABC to look for a job in the South African film industry, carrying my degree and had a heart full of hope. The guy who was interviewing me looked at my degree and told me there was nothing he could do for me because I had no DVD portfolio to show what I could do. In this industry, he said, it is not about the degree you have, it is about the work you can show you can do. Many successful filmmakers in Hollywood don’t have degrees. Steven Spielberg dropped out of college in his third year. Quentin Tarantino never went to film school. It is always a safe and good thing to have a university degree, but to be good at making movies, you just have to practice. Just like soccer. Just like dancing. Just like singing. So after that bit of rejection, my mom asked me what I wanted as a graduation present. I said an amateur camera and an amateur editing suite. With these basic tools, I began practicing and creating my portfolio. For five years, between 2002 and 2007, I did work for free. I did music videos for artists, documentaries for corporate clients, and inserts for TV programs. In many of these productions I had to juggle being the writer, the DOP, the director and the editor. It helped me understand all the challenges of the film production chain. It also helped me understand what my strengths are and what I’m better off leaving to others.

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4) Got the idea from? Gauzen

7) Favourite Car?

Swaziland’s film industry beckons to tell the Swazi story in a bid to help sustain both the people’s natural and cultural heritage as well as positively exploit their talents for increased economic returns for all. Proponents of this almost null industry are making strides and calling on the economy to give space and listen. Samkeliso Nxumalo, the Director of Batjele and Bloodlines, is part of a team that has produced noteworthy edutainment short films. These films have received wide approval from the South African film industry, giving a good reason for Swazis to promote the development of this sector.

Samkeliso leads Silungele in this path finding mission to help expose this sector that brought us the landing of the first man on moon and keeps us glued to our TV screens most evenings.

She is …never jealous!

ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS? Raised venture capital from dad, bought five sweaters, shorts, caps & T-shirts. Sold all these in 3 weeks. Then went for a huge stock! Sweaters = E200; shorts = E100, caps E70 & T-shirts = E150, Bag = E50. Cash on delivery. Delivery same week as order. Phone contacts: 76240064 – 76112894 - 76020928

The Soul City Opportunity: In 2007, Soul City began looking for filmmakers in the SADC region, to make edutainment films.

Samkeliso sent in his portfolio and was appointed to direct “Batjele.” The Soul City program was both work and training. As a first time filmmaker, there were mentors from the South African film industry to help with some of the technical aspects of film production. Lessons from making “Batjele” have turned him into a more confident filmmaker. Preparation for the set is sharper, decision making on set is more assured, and the direction of performance is more emotionally honest. Since that project, Samkeliso has gone on to direct a higher quality film called “Bloodlines.” He has also begun to get work that pays. The portfolio he built using basic tools and passion, is now opening doors that his college degree couldn’t open.

What does the future hold? My dream for the future is to build a production house that creates work for many of the talented Swazi actors that need to be given wings to fly in this country. At the moment I am the creative director and co- founder of a small production house called Savusa Pictures. Savusa has done a lot of work for a number of national communications campaign, including the EBC’s Vote Swaziland 2008, WILSA’s Khetsa Make 2008, and SEDCO’s I See An Opportunity campaigns, to name a few. In ten years I hope that an appropriate vehicle to carry bigger production dreams will be in the offing.

E: What can a thriving film industry do for the socio-economy?

S: There are two reasons for national policy makers and investors to take the film industry seriously.

These are: Job creation and control over our cultural identity. As we speak, the country’s economy is in crisis. Long time pillars of our economy, such as timber and sugar, are not doing as well as they used to. These and other traditional sectors have also sheared jobs in response to the general world economic melt down, leaving the country burdened with a youth and adult population struggling to support themselves,

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educate their kids, and live with dignity. This speaks of an economy that lacks of diversity. When traditional economic pillars struggle, there are no alternatives to absorb the people. A diverse economy doesn’t just offer security against unexpected economic shocks, it also gives a nation a chance to utilize the strengths and resourcefulness of every citizen. The film industry is one of many areas that can be developed to inject diversity into the Swazi economy. A thriving film industry can offer jobs and security to many individuals of varying talents, including costume design (or stylist), set design (or decorator), make up artist, lighting technician, camera operator, scriptwriter, actor, director, producer, set manager, sound technician, music scorer, editor, graphics artist, and many other small jobs that often become available to ensure that a production runs smoothly.

For a long time these talents have been ignored in favor of traditional disciplines like engineering, accounting and law. Such negligence has made the Swazi economy ‘small’, and has denied thousands of Swazis the chance to have meaningful careers.

The country needs to recognize the value brought by artistic talents.

E: What cultural & artistic industries are fundamental organs to a fully developed state?

S: There is a reason why people buy pirated DVD’s. There is a reason why many Swazi homes have satellite dishes. There is a reason why men and women fight over control of the remote.

People need stories in their lives. Whether, it is around the fire, or on a flat screen TV. On the roofs of many Swazi homes are satellite dishes that provide drama and entertainment from

other cultures. Our streets are littered with pirated copies of movies from Nigeria and elsewhere. Swazi TV is littered with programs it buys from other cultures. All this shows that Swazis want film content, but because we have neglected to develop our own, we sponge off other cultures. Sponging off other cultures may appear to be cheaper on the surface, but when you look deeper, you realize that there is a high price to be paid. Films and TV dramas don’t just entertain, they also shape and define cultural identity.

Today, the values, and forms of behavior, that our kids uphold do not come from any Swazi cultural source. They come from the American movies and dramas we feed them on our screens.

Too often you hear elders complain that today’s young are disrespectful of our culture. Truth is, the young don’t know what our culture is. No one bothers to feed them stories and facts about it. What they know and mimic is what they see on TV everyday. As a people, we are gradually being disconnected from our history, our values, and our customs. That is the price we pay for not developing our own, and sponging off other cultures.

Having a vibrant film industry would help us regain control and celebration of our values and cultural identity. Every nation has the right to shape its own character and destiny. The first step towards shaping your destiny is having control over the beliefs and values of your kids. If you lose the hearts and minds of your kids, you lose control over your destiny. To continue neglecting the storytelling industry will lead to our cultural extinction. When what we are is no longer different from what the Americans are, what reason will we have for calling ourselves Swazis?

To be continued in next issue:

Her story’s in her poetry.

“It’s a powerful tool. One with which I can make you see things you had never imagined, or even see me in a light that you had never seen me before.” This is how twenty six year old poet Bonsile Nxumalo, who goes by the name of Black Note, sees poetry.

A young lady whose relationship with the craft started in high school around 2000, started out with a tone of a more angry feminist, “a hater” in her words. This influenced by how men would come on to her and quickly lose interest upon discovering that she wasn’t easy and wouldn’t sleep with them. The tone took a twist, having found love and also maturity that drew her attention to other things.

“I now write more about love. Love for the self, love for children, nature, lovers, and also about nurturing and caring. This includes issues like HIV. All in all, my poetry, while containing an artistic flair, is straight to the point, since I’m also a straight to the point person.”

When asked about the poetry scene and it’s vibrancy, she related how she started performing in 2003 at tertiary (TUT) where she was studying drama, and after her first big performance at the state theatre, she had gigs every almost weekend, which came in handy for a young girl who’s father had passed away while she was still in high school and was now looked after by her mom. “I’d get about R1000 weekly. “Seriously, you know, I don’t know what my tertiary years would have been like without

poetry.” “My first performance locally was at a spot called Twins, where I asked the owner for a slot while people were enjoying their drinks. I won’t forget that day. I was booed off stage, bantfu batsi bacela…, I don’t remember the song, but it was the hottest dance track at that time.” She did get another chance to perform, this time at a charity event hosted by Gail Mawocha’s REACH OUT. “the audience was practically eating out off my hands. I still perform there every valentines day.” What I’m saying here is, the fact that this genre is not the most popular and well marketed, it’s not the most vibrant but your performance is your marketing tool. As far as I am aware of, Rooted Soulz poetry in Mbabane is the one body that is actively making efforts towards promoting poetry. Other organizations use poetry as fillers during events or use it for sending out messages.

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“The value of poetry, as I just mentioned and at the beginning of our chat, is great as a tool for sending out messages and to give people a said perspective on certain subjects, and based on what some people who enlist our services are willing to offer, I think it’s not everyone who appreciates the potential impact of poetry. There are however those that fully understand, and have reaped the rewards of using this tool to tell a story.”

When asked what’s on the cards for her as a poet, she mentioned that she was soon to go back to school to finish off her studies in drama, then come back to work more on the development of children in the field of poetry and acting. [TT]

TRUE SOUL FROM THE SOUL

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Of the many live performers I’ve heard locally (musicians that is,) very few are as much of a marvel to watch, as to they are to actually hear singing on stage, as the talented Miss Bongiwe Dlamini. I had the pleasure of sitting her down for a Q&A and this is how it went.

Q: Right, a lot of sense. Your audience; who do you generally appeal to and what is it of the elements you’ve just spoken about that you feel they appreciate more?

BONG: Hmmm.., since my music’s not really the clubby, dancy type, but more arty and mature, it follows that my audience is more a mature type Q: Tell me about the nature of your music. Which elements of it that are more open to the message in the song. I do have some dance tracks that have not been performed so I guess that’s more ‘wait and are focused on more? see’.

BONG: Well my music is mostly jazz oriented but has hints and influences of other genres. Lyrically, which is where my Q: Going back to your music, can you give us an example of a song that emphasis is when composing music, I include things that affect depicts your general process of composing. my life, but don’t restrict myself to that since life is so much more than my own little world. Focusing on the melody is also BONG: “Sonini na nini” uh! I wept over that one coz I wasn’t in a good vital since the sound of the word in itself is melodic therefore space and it was a hard one to birth. Uh! the words give you the music, and the music gives you mood, Q: Take me through your process of preparing for a performance. which gives you…, words! I am making sense, right?

Some Dates when talents of Bongiwe and Sprits indigenous will be in action: 21ST MAY: 28TH -29TH MAY: 5TH JUNE:

The Launch of the Temaswati Project at the Mbabane Theatre Club.

The bushfire festival of the arts on the in Malkerns.

Spirits Indigenous dinner/concert on the at Esibayeni Lodge.

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Bong: Rehearsals. Whew. This means you must prepare, (which also means financially,) the venue, sound hire, and all the band members’ traveling fees and food for every day that you rehearse.

Putting a team to play with together is on it’s own a challenge since there aren’t so many instrumentalists and backing singers available but once you find these, it’s great. Basically it’s that and sticking to the program of time and you’re good to go.

goes into preparing for the performance, or the difference that the performance makes in the very occasion you’re hired to perform at, not to mention the fact that this for you is a livelihood. In as much as they are at work, you are working too.

Q: Tell me Bongi, what value do you place on your craft?

BONG: I’ll be performing at the Grahamstown arts festival from 20th June all the way through to 4th July, with Thobile, Fubu and NathiB. Before that, we’ll have a dinner/concert on the 5th June at Esibayeni Lodge. Tickets will be E300-00 including buffet and complementary drink. I’ll be performing with the same people I’ll be going to Grahamstown with. Before that, catch me at the Temaswati Project Launch. This is a compilation of ten local ladies in music, facilitated by the Alliance Francaise, for which we are grateful to Laurance, the director who is very passionate about the arts.

BONG: This craft and the artists themselves my friend are a vital part of society. Through their expressions you as a society are able to view yourselves. We become the voice for those who cannot be heard as well. It’s funny you should ask that because sadly, it’s not everyone that appreciates or values this fact about the art form. For example, corporates at times want to hire you for a figure so low, you wonder if they understand how much effort

Q: What are you working on at the moment and where can we look forward to seeing you.

FASHION: THE ART REVELATION | MODEL: PAPADVU | CARSON WHEELS | PHOTO: DERRICK DLAMINI

VEHICLE:

BMW 750

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Swaziland Civil Aviation Authority P.O. Box D361, The Gables, H126 Kingdom of Swaziland 24 Cooper Centre, Sozisa Road, Mbabane Tel: +268 404 6694

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