Africa-Press – Eswatini. His Majesty King Mswati III is grateful to the United States of America for extending support to the country’s elections process.
Speaking through Prince Gcina during the United States’ 247th independence celebration at the US Embassy, His Majesty said the support by the American government contributed to the impressive numbers that registered for the elections.
“We also commend your efforts to empower more women to run for office and believe this effort will help us achieve our national goal of increasing women’s representation in Parliament.”
The King further thanked the US for supporting the country in various areas, particularly in the health sector, highlighting how it has helped the country become one of the first countries to achieve the 95-95-95 UNAIDS target ahead of the 2030 schedule.
“It is also the reason the country received the prestigious pepfar award from the global aid’s coordinator and special representative for global health security for the progress we have made in the fight against HIV/AIDS.”
Additionally, the King thanked the US for its support in the education sector through the US ambassador’s special self-help fund, stating that the country had a strong desire to provide quality education, but was faced with the challenge of limited funding.
“This special fund is going a long way towards helping us overcome this shortcoming as we are appreciative of the notable improvements to some of our schools’ infrastructure and the initiatives enhancing livelihoods in communities.
“Equally important is the empowerment of our graduates who are afforded exposure in the US through exchange and fellowship programmes,” said His Majesty. Meanwhile, the US Embassy to Eswatini Charge de Affairs Earl Miller who had just returned from a trip to Washington the day before, said President Joe Biden asked that he pass on his gratitude to all present at the event for promoting America’s values and aspirations.
Miller said the US was proud of what the partnership between the two countries has achieved, citing the success stories of the PEPFAR, the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief has saved the lives of tens of thousands of Emaswati.
“America has invested over E15 billion in Eswatini to fight HIV/AIDS and one in four Emaswati are touched by the work of PEPFAR,” said Miller.
He also underscored what the embassy has done this year, from sending young leaders to the US on the Mandela Washington Fellowship program, the series of entrepreneurship incubator programs, sending police officers to the US for training, renovating schools to visa programs affording locals the opportunity to pursue their careers in the US “The story of America, of any democracy, is the striving to live up to our founding ideals, to understand our country’s meaning, its promise and possibilities, its suffering and limitations,” said Miller.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
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