Africa-Press – Eswatini. “The National STI Policy and the Combined 4IR and 5IR Strategy are more than administrative documents; they are the architectural drawings for a new Eswatini.”
These were the remarks of Dr Rejoice Maseko from the Department of Research, Science, Technology and Innovation (RSTI) during the validation workshop of the draft Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Policy and the combined Fourth and Fifth Industrial Revolutions strategy.
Dr Maseko said the workshop marked the culmination of a year-long consultative process. “We are not here by accident. Your presence today is the result of a journey that began a year ago when we engaged many of you to understand how Eswatini can best position itself in a rapidly shifting global economy,” she said.
She explained that her department, working closely with Eswatini Economic Policy Analysis and Research Centre (ESEPARC), had spent months consolidating stakeholder input, global best practice and national priorities into the draft documents.
“We have moved beyond the ‘what’ and the ‘why’ and are now firmly focused on the ‘how’,” she said.
In shaping the policy framework, Dr Maseko said they drew inspiration from renowned scientist Marie Curie, who observed that nothing in life is to be feared but understood. By crafting these policies, she noted, government seeks to replace fear of digital disruption with confidence in digital empowerment.
She explained that while the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) introduces advances such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things, the Fifth Industrial Revolution (5IR) places emphasis on ensuring technology serves humanity.
“In our drafting process, we recognised that technology must serve humanity, not the other way around. We are looking at a future where high-tech automation works hand in hand with the human spirit to solve pressing challenges – from food security in our fields to the quality of care in our clinics,” she said.
Dr Maseko stressed that the validation workshop was about shared ownership. Stakeholders were urged to interrogate the draft, refine its provisions and ensure the strategies are practical, scalable and inclusive.
Quoting American inventor Thomas Edison, she added: “The value of an idea lies in the using of it.”
She said the ultimate goal is to ensure that once launched, the policies are embraced as truly national frameworks owned by every educator, farmer, entrepreneur and technician in the Kingdom.
