BY MFANUFIKILE KHATHWANE
KWALUSENI- The Minister of Information, Communications and Technology Senator Savannah Maziya has challenged young emaSwati to use science, technology and innovation to create solutions that can transform the country, saying the future of Eswatini depends on a generation that dares to imagine, innovate and build.
The Minister made the remarks on July 10,2026 during the closing ceremony of the Eswatini National Science Month 2026 held at the University of Eswatini (UNESWA), where she also highlighted the importance of mental wellbeing among young innovators.
The event, which ran alongside a Mental Health Awareness programme, brought together learners, teachers, parents, partners from the private sector, academia and development organisations to celebrate achievements in science and innovation.
Senator Savannah Maziya said the launch of National Science Week last year had grown into a national movement, with young people demonstrating that the country’s greatest resource was found in classrooms.
“Today, we do not just close the curtain on National Science Month, we celebrate a generation that has dared to imagine, innovate and create,” she said.
She said Eswatini’s youthful population presented a major opportunity for the country’s development, noting that more than 70 per cent of the population was below the age of 35.
“Eswatini is not waiting for the future. We are the future,” the Minister said.
She said government was working towards transforming Eswatini into a regional innovation hub where young people would not only consume technology but create, commercialise and export it to the world.
The Minister pointed to initiatives such as Government in Your Hand, which aims to make public services simpler, faster and more accessible, as well as Coders Eswatini, which seeks to develop future software developers, artificial intelligence engineers, cybersecurity experts and technology entrepreneurs.
She encouraged learners who participated in the science activities not to measure success only through awards.
“Whether you walk away with a trophy or not, you are already a winner. Every idea you developed, every problem you solved and every question you asked has brought us one step closer to building the Eswatini we all dream of,” she said.
Minister further challenged young people to overcome limitations by focusing on learning, leadership and creating opportunities for others.
“Never let your circumstances become your excuse. Your background is not your limitation. Your greatest asset is your mindset,” she said.
The closing ceremony also highlighted the connection between innovation and mental health, with the Minister emphasising that building a technology-driven nation requires supporting the wellbeing of the people behind the ideas.
She said science was shaping the country’s future, but the wellbeing of innovators, researchers and young minds driving that future was equally important.
Senator Savannah Maziya officially declared the Eswatini National Science Month 2026 closed, saying the next great African innovator could be among the young people who participated in the programme.
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(Courtesy Pic)
