Swazi Observer

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CHANGE TO ESWATINI

By Alec Lushaba | 2018-04-21

His Majesty King Mswati III on Thursday officially announced the change of name from Swaziland to eswatini to mark the country’s 50th independence celebration.

He said the name change is with immediate effect, which means the country’s official seal have to change to eswatini.

Until Thursday, His Majesty the King has been toying around with the name change, as he begun substituting the name Swaziland with eswatini in his speeches.

He waited for a milestone moment like the double 50 years of the country’s independence and his own 50th birthday to announce the name change.

A lot has already been said in social media about what it means. The King said Swaziland has been confused with other countries, (Switzerland), hence the name change to eswatini will give us a proper identity.

Swaziland has been nothing but a colonial name ascribed to us during independence. It meant nothing but land of the Swazi, hence the name Swaziland.

eswatini is more possessive. It goes beyond just the land of the Swazis. It speaks direct to who we are, emaswati.

If for the next 50 years we needed a name that defines who we are and what we are about, there is none that goes further than eswatini.

Thank you

Thank you to the Swaziland generation; it is now time for the new generation of eswatini to take the country forward. The vision is clear, to be a first world country by the year 2022. Let’s hope the new name, coming at the time when we are about to change government, will inspire many of us to do more and ensure that the next phase of our development is realised.

If for 50 years we were happy to be confused with Switzerland or even ascribed to ourselves to be the Switzerland of Africa, now is the time to make a clean break.

Let there be no confusion about who we are, we are emaswati and proud to be citizens of eswatini.

The next time I fill a document that seeks my nationality, I will be proud to write liswati instead of Swazi.

The letter ‘Z’ in our identity spoilt everything. Our dialect emphasises the letter ‘t’ but the ‘z’ gave a Zulu tone. Yes, we maybe Nguni, but we want to have our own identity and the name change gives us that now.

What His Majesty King Mswati III did is nothing new, but in keeping with our traditions. During the time or era of our founding father, Dlamini, we were identified as ‘BakaNgwane’.

Historians would give us a lecture on our evolution. But King Mswati I and Mswati II came. It was during the era of King Mswati II when we were on the mission to expand the Kingdom that we were to be known as emaswati.

King Mswati III, when celebrating the country’s 50th independence, saw it fit and in keeping with long held royal practice of changing the name to eswatini.

Changing a country’s name is a big deal, not only in terms of the resources it will take to ensure that all books and papers are in order.

It is a big deal to the leader, in this case, His Majesty King Mswati III. This is a total departure from the legacy of King Sobhuza II.

This is a big statement that appreciates the work done by those before him, but now says I have to take responsibility for my own actions, hence the name has to change.

Not change just because we are being confused with others, but because he commits to make something different.

My wish is that those around him and those he will appoint, come October, appreciate the responsibility upon his shoulders.

If King Mswati III is the biblical Moses in the Holy Bible, he has promised to lead us to the Promised Land which is a first world status by the year 2022. In his view, a first world country is one where people have decent jobs, where we have opportunities to create jobs, in good health and we live in peace.

working

We can, working with him, make the Kingdom of eswatini a better place for all. The challenges faced by this outgoing government should the things of the past. Let’s believe that we now have the pillars to create a better future for our people.

Out with the old Swaziland! Let’s hope that the eswatini will inspire us to do more. eswatini represents a brighter future. It is time we become Africa’s New Promise.

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