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NEW TURN IN PERCEPTION BY 50/50 CELEBRATION

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Sir,

Five beautiful and well blending colours representing past battles, peace and stability, the resources of Eswatini and protection from the country’s enemies respectively. The aforementioned, on April 19, 2018 got an added exclusive  meaning  in my life.


Considering the fact that I am staying about 100 metres away from Mavuso Trade and Exhibition Centre, I had told myself that I was not going to attend this event, I would have to do the house chores and relax afterwards, after all it was a holiday. However, my two children insisted they wanted to go and see how the King celebrates his birthday. Realising that their dad was too busy to take them there and that they wouldn’t stop asking, I then decided to take them.


Just before noon we walked to the stadium and on the way my eight-year-old daughter would read on billboards, ‘50 years of peace, stability and development. Halala Swaziland’. I would just give her that look which suggested she was making noise. But she couldn’t stop as she read almost all the billboards she noticed. Because it was quite late and the King was already delivering his speech, we couldn’t get inside the stadium, we only managed to get through the main gate. After the King’s speech, we took a glimpse of a few performances and then left.


Then there came the moment of truth, the moment where my understanding of the flag and its significance to the Swazi nation took a better turn. God has his own ways!  From my house I could see what was happening in the air above the stadium. The show of airplanes was amazing, especially for children. But when I saw those two planes parading the giant Swazi flag, for the first time, I had confused feelings!


I waved, smiled and cried. I couldn’t figure out what was happening to me. However, in that moment I had a revelation. On September 6, 1968 when the Swazi flag was raised, it was not just a political stance but God Himself  had accepted Emaswati as an independent nation. When the flag was lifted high, the heavens were watching, we were submitting to Him. To me, lifting it up was acknowledging His superiority over us, not any other nation. We allowed Him to be our sole ruler, our source of peace and stability, the provider of resources and our protector.


From there, I felt like getting my own Swazi flag-like garment to cover myself with when I am praying for the Swazi nation. Eswatini is known to the Lord Almighty, and not just that, she also has a special place in His heart. Indeed the prophesy of her being the pulpit of Africa shall come true. Halala Kingdom if Eswatini, may you always have favour in God’s eyes.

N F Dlamini-Mhlanga

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