BY SIFISO NHLABATSI
MBABANE – Mbabane East Member of Parliament Welcome Dlamini has called for closer public and parliamentary scrutiny of the Samoa Agreement, arguing that Eswatini must carefully consider whether ratifying the international framework could conflict with the country’s traditional cultural norms and social values.
Eswatini has signed the EU-OACPS Samoa Agreement but has not yet ratified it, as the government is currently conducting national consultations and parliamentary workshops to review its legal and constitutional alignment before formally tabling the instrument.
Speaking during the National HIV Prevention Indaba – Regional Dissemination at Mountain View, Dlamini said the debate around comprehensive sexuality education and the Samoa Agreement should not be rushed, but should instead be subjected to robust national discussion.
He said he was encouraged that some participants at the indaba had raised concerns about the impact of comprehensive sexuality education, adding that he believed there was a need for the country to review the approach and guidelines being used.
According to the MP, some aspects of sexuality education required closer examination to ensure that they remained appropriate for the age of learners and were aligned with Eswatini’s values.
“We have a huge challenge ahead of us,” Dlamini said, as he urged the public to pay closer attention to policies and international agreements that could have implications for the country’s social and cultural framework.
Dlamini said the Samoa Agreement, which has been tabled before Parliament for consideration, was among the matters that required careful scrutiny before ratification.
The OACPS-EU Partnership Agreement, commonly known as the Samoa Agreement, provides a broad framework for cooperation between the European Union and member states of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States.
The framework covers areas including trade, governance, climate action, migration, sustainable development and human rights.
However, Dlamini expressed concern that certain provisions and concepts associated with the agreement could potentially create tension with Eswatini’s conservative and traditional social norms if they were interpreted or implemented without sufficient safeguards.
He said Parliament had a responsibility to carefully examine the agreement politically and socially before making a decision.
The MP further raised concern about what he described as the possibility of Western social values being introduced through international commitments, particularly in areas relating to sexual behaviour, same-sex relationships and sexuality education.
Dlamini said such concerns should be openly debated so that the public understood both the potential benefits of international partnerships and the implications of commitments entered into by the country.
He stressed that his position was not against public discussion, saying a robust debate was necessary to ensure that national decisions reflected the interests and values of emaSwati.
“I am an advocate against that law and I will be vocal in speaking against it,” he said, referring to his opposition to ratification without what he considers adequate scrutiny.
Dlamini said the matter had already generated robust debate in Parliament, and he hoped the discussion would continue beyond the legislature to allow the public to better understand what was contained in the agreement.
His comments come at a time when ratification of the Samoa Agreement remains a priority within the OACPS parliamentary framework.
During a recent OACPS East Africa Regional Parliamentary Group meeting held at the Ezulwini Palazzo, Seychelles legislator Churchill Gill encouraged member countries that had not completed the process to either ratify the agreement or initiate the necessary procedures.
The agreement was signed in November 2023 and provides a long-term framework for relations between the European Union and African, Caribbean and Pacific states.
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