Africa-Press – Eswatini. The eco-friendly bags are said to be used to make ropes that will be used by members of the different Jericho churches.
This transpired on April 23, 2025 in the House of Assembly during a debate that led to Members of Parliament (MPs) suspending the ban of plastics for seven years. Khubuta MP Masiphula Mamba, when motivating for the adoption of a report on the plastic ban, said they found out that the eco-friendly bags had no plan in place on how their products would be recycled, more especially because they were also made out of plastics.
The Khubuta legislator, who was chairing the committee probing the country’s readiness to ban plastics, said they were told that the eco-friendly bags would be used by the members of the Jericho Church. This submission provoked laughter among the MPs and all those were present in the House of Assembly during the debate. They laughter was mostly directed at Ngwemphisi MP Bishop Bhekibandla Vilakati, who is well known to be a leader of the members of many different Jericho churches.
Upon hearing the submission, Vilakati stood up on a point of order, calling upon Mamba to withdraw the mentioning of the name of the church. Vilakati did not understand why the name of the church was mentioned during the debate. When House of Assembly Speaker Jabulani Mabuza, who directed the proceedings of the House, called upon Mamba to respond, the Khubuta legislator found it hard to withdraw his statement.
He said upon assuming his role of being an MP, he took an oath to tell the truth in the House and what he had submitted was the truth, as it was what they were told by producers of the eco-friendly bags. Mamba said the company was situated in Matsapha and he offered to take Vilakati there so that the producers could also inform him what they told them during the probe.
Mamba said there were other materials that would be made out of the plastics. Meanwhile, Mamba said products such as bricks and shoes could also be made from plastics.
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