BY SIFISO NHLABATSI
MANZINI– His Majesty King Mswati III has called on emaSwati to unleash their talents and embrace innovation, saying the country has demonstrated throughout its history that its people possess the ability and vision to create products and inventions capable of contributing to national development.
Speaking after touring exhibition stalls at the 58th Eswatini International Trade Fair, the King reflected on the variety of products, skills and talents showcased at the annual event.
He said the trade fair provided an important platform for people with different abilities to display what they could do and called for those who showcased their talents to be supported.
According to His Majesty, the support of talented individuals and companies was important because their growth would also contribute towards the development of the country.
The King said this year’s trade fair featured a wide range of products, including clothes, fertilisers and products from people living with disabilities who had also been given an opportunity to showcase their skills and talents.
He said the country needed to support such exhibitors and innovators.
His Majesty said the need for innovation was not new to Eswatini, recalling a time when products were manufactured locally.
He reflected on the days when the country produced tractors known as Tinkhabi and television sets called Salori.
The King said these products were functional and served the country well.
“We grew up watching those Salori TVs and these tractors did a lot of work,” His Majesty said.
He said the experience of locally produced products demonstrated that emaSwati were capable of innovating and producing.
His Majesty said there was a need for the country to revive that innovative spirit and encourage more people to develop their ideas and talents.
The King also recalled the story of a Liswati who built a helicopter which landed at a stadium.
He said the helicopter demonstrated the vision and ability of its creator, particularly because the inventor had not relied on books or other formal references in developing it.
Although the helicopter later did not take off again, the King said it had successfully flown from Zabeni to the stadium, which demonstrated that the vision and talent were there.
His Majesty said the late King Sobhuza II had recognised the individual’s potential and attempted to take him to other countries, but a language barrier presented challenges.
The King said the story was evidence that Eswatini possessed talented people whose abilities needed to be identified, supported and developed.
He said the country’s challenge was to ensure that such talents were given opportunities to grow.
His Majesty said the Eswatini International Trade Fair was one of the platforms through which innovators, entrepreneurs and talented individuals could be exposed and supported.
He said the event was no longer limited to the showcasing of conventional commercial products.
Instead, it had become a platform where different forms of innovation, creativity and talent could be displayed before the public, businesses and potential supporters.
The King said the country had capable people and urged emaSwati to embrace the spirit of innovation demonstrated during the country’s earlier years of local manufacturing.
He said the examples of the Tinkhabi tractors, Salori television sets and the locally built helicopter showed that talent and vision had existed in the country for many years.
His Majesty said there was therefore a need to develop that talent and create opportunities for innovators to turn their ideas into products and enterprises.
He said the growing trade fair could play an important role in this process by giving talented emaSwati a platform to showcase their abilities and connect with people who could support their development.
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