BY KING’S OFFICE CORRESPONDENTS
HARARE, ZIMBABWE: Eswatini is officially off the SADC Organ TROIKA agenda.
This comes after SADC Heads of State and Government adopted a recommendation to this effect at the 44th SADC Summit yesterday.
The Kingdom had formally submitted a request to be removed from the SADC Organ Troika agenda, following last year’s submissions by His Majesty the King to SADC leaders, to the effect that the issues leading to the June 2021 unrest were completely addressed and the situation normalised.
The request was presented by Deputy Prime Minister Thuli Dladla, who represented Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Pholile Shakantu here in Harare ahead of the SADC Summit of Heads of States and Government starting yesterday.
In her motivation, the minister said: “In light of the progress achieved and the ongoing stable political and security situation in Eswatini, I wish to reiterate our government’s request for the Kingdom of Eswatini to be favourably considered for removal from the agenda of the Organ Troika. We are confident that the measures undertaken and the progress reported on align with the shared goals of regional stability and prosperity.”
She stated that the success of the 2023 national elections, which were overwhelmingly supported by all voting age emaSwati, under a climate of peace and stability, and the positive assessment of foreign observer missions like the SADC Electoral Observation Mission, the African Union, the Commonwealth and the Russian Federation affirmed this progress by the Kingdom.
The minister added that the successful Sibaya (People’s Parliament), where citizens engaged directly with the leadership on national issues, highlighted the nation’s commitment to a consultative and inclusive approach to governance.
“This process, this time-honoured method of dialogue, deeply rooted in our culture, has once again demonstrated the resilience and unity of the emaSwati people,’ she said. The foreign minister said the Kingdom remains steadfast in its commitment to multilateralism and collaboration with its neighbours and the broader region.
She said the principles of peace, democracy and good governance, as enshrined in the SADC Treaty and Protocols, continue to guide Eswatini’s actions, as its principles are guided by the Constitution of the Kingdom of Eswatini Act (2005).
