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SWAMA PRESIDENT ‘ZOX’ RESIGNS!

10/12/2019 23:48:00 BY PHUMELELE MKHONTA

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MBABANE – Shocking! Barely four days after hosting the third annual MTN SWAMA Awards successfully, the President of the association, Melusi ‘Zox’ Dlamini, revealed that he has resigned with immediate effect. He revealed this shocking information yesterday.

SWAMA is an acronym for Swaziland Art and Music Association. SWAMA has also been referred to as Eswatini Arts and Music Association.
Dlamini came into office in 2017 and his term was supposed to end this year. SWAMA National Executive Committee (NEC) stays in office for three years.
Dlamini’s vice was Lindelwa Mafa, who is well-known for promoting the arts and music in the country.

The statement said that this communication served as his official resignation as President of the Eswatini Arts and Music Association, effective immediately.
“2020 is a big year for setting the right course for the next decade in order to ensure that our professional lives remain viable. I have made a conscious decision to channel all my focus towards personal obligations and as such, I feel I will not be able to continue serving, efficiently, the functions of the President’s office which require from one, a lot of time, intensity and accessibility,” reads the statement.

It also read that when he took up this enormous challenge, two years ago; the intent was to re-establish SWAMA, a 40-year-old association as a vibrant and attractive brand – to artists, the public and private organisations.

“It is without a doubt that there have been many difficulties, but I am proud of the fact that we have made great progress. To date I am content to say that we have been able to sustain the SWAMA Office for a full two years without artists paying any subscriptions and without receiving any sort of government subvention.”

The statement also stated that during his time in office, the NEC took silent steps to expand opportunities for artists and created constructive relationships with His Majesty’s Government, Industry Captains and the many corporates and individuals who have opened their doors and coffers to arts development.

History

“We also made history together as more than 400 local artists digitally registered with us, for free - the biggest number in the history of the organisation.
“It is also under my leadership that SWAMA announced a patron of the arts who is young and equally passionate about the industry HRH Princess Sakhizwe, that the Copyright Act was enacted by His Majesty the King Mswati III and that the Intellectual Property Bill was passed by our Parliament. Such milestones are crucial to the future of the music and arts business in Eswatini,” read the statement.

In an interview, Dlamini said he was satisfied with what they had accomplished and hopefully his resignation would open up an opportunity for another proficient and passionate executive member/industry player to take over presidency and move the association forward.
“It is time for new leadership, a new strategy and fresh ideas. I would like to express my uppermost appreciation to everyone for the support in helping to make my short-lived term of office a joyful, audacious and successful one.

“My aspiration has never been to be SWAMA President. It was first and foremost my love for this country and the arts that led me to accepting this challenge,” said Dlamini.
Dlamini said he was always driven by his passion and vision to build successful businesses and events within the arts industry, so that artists and the many behind the scenes contributors like himself could make a good and sustainable living like other fully-fledged local industries in Eswatini.

“I would like to assure everyone that this is not the end of the journey for me, but it is only the beginning. The pursuit of building our music industry is much bigger than any individual, it is a vision for Eswatini that I will continue pursuing for as long as I have air in my lungs,” he said.

He also said he wished his successor all the best and humbly asked artists to support his successor the same way which they have afforded him.
That would really bless my heart. Ngiyabonga Bekunene (Thank you). Nkulunkulu anibusise Nonkhe (God bless you).”
Effort to get a comment form members of the National Executive Committee proved futile by the time we went to print.