Home | News | No impromptu speeches here

No impromptu speeches here

18/11/2012 00:00:00 MBONGENI NDLELA

Font size:

MANZINI – Church representatives and civil society members who wanted to greet the newly ordained Bishop Ellinah Wamukoya were strictly warned not to say any other word(s) except for a prescribed greeting.

Those given the strict instruction included the woman of the moment herself, Bishop Wamukoya.

The warning was announced by Archdeacon Bhekindlela Magongo during the greetings and expressions of loyalty to Bishop Wamukoya.

This was item 17 of yesterday’s consecration and enthronement of Bishop Ellinah Wamukoya who became the fifth Bishop of Swaziland.

The historic event, which was attended by over 1 000 Anglicans and the country’s whos who, was held at Mavuso Trade Centre. Warning the representatives, Magongo said: "I would like to ask all the representatives who will come on stage to pass their greetings to Bishop Ellinah Wamukoya to strictly say the words that will appear on the screen. We ask that they say nothing more."

The prescribed greeting read as: Bishop Ellinah Wamukoya, on behalf of… I greet you and pray that Almighty God will bless your ministry abundantly. It was stated that Bishop Wamukoya would then respond and say, "I thank you all for your greetings. I pray that by God’s Grace I may do all that is within my power to promote the Kingdom of God among us,"

First to take to the stage was Lungile Dlamini, Manzini City Council Chief Executive Officer.

She passed her greetings as prescribed on behalf of the Manzini town.

Dlamini was invited on stage after representatives from the royal family and government did not show up.

Dlamini was followed by Bishop Mnisi, the Chairperson of the Council of Swaziland churches. Bishop Mnisi was accompanied by Reverend Margaret Dlamini who also passed her greetings. Reverend Johannes Mazibuko represented the Swaziland Conference of Churches. He also passed his greetings as prescribed.

Attendees of the event cheered Sibongile Mazibuko, president of the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT), when she stood up and headed to the stage to pass her greetings. Sibongile represented civil society.

"Bishop Ellinah Wamukoya, on behalf of civil society I greet you and pray that Almighty God will bless your ministry abundantly," she said, reading from a prepared brief speech beamed from a large television screen.

She then handed the microphone to Archdeacon Magongo.

Notably, Sibongile’s greeting was ceremoniously received by the audience as it was received with a loud round of applause. After taking the microphone from Sibongile, Archdeacon Magongo said "The president is so respectful today." The last person to pass his greetings was Gideon Mhlongo, Chief Executive Officer of the Mbabane Municipal Council.

Immediately he went off stage, the Anglican Youth Choir took over and rendered music.

This session, dubbed sharing of peace, saw everyone in the building dancing, hugging and wishing the Bishop well.

The woman of integrity

MANZINI – Bishop Ellinah Wamukoya says she will bring back vibrancy and integrity to the Anglican Church.

"I just want to thank God because this is not my doing. I think this is a calling by God and all I can say is that I am just open to be a vessel and servant of God," she said after her consecration and installation yesterday.

"What I can say to the woman who is out there in leadership is that just be there, be a woman and use whatever God has given you, the attributes that God has given you to be a woman. I am going to try to represent the mother attribute of God. A mother is a caring person but at the same time, a mother can be firm in doing whatever she is doing," she said. "The crowning is not special for me. I consider myself a servant of God and for me to be able to do my ministry, I had to go through the service that I have already done. It is also humbling and challenging because I know that the whole world is looking up to me to see if I would deliver and to what level I am going to deliver."

"My deliverance is to bring back the vibrancy and integrity to the church and again, to look after the finances of the diocese in Swaziland then find ways and means to make the church sustainable," she said.

She noted that the church had social responsibility.