BOY WALKS 10KM TO SEE KING

MANZINI – Distance is just a number. This was proved by an eight- year-old boy, who walked barefoot approximately 10 kilometres to celebrate with His Majesty at the Mavuso Trade and Exhibition Centre. Flavo Mpanze claimed that he walked from Logoba to the trade centre unaccompanied just to be part of the festivities there.

However, the young boy was not in a position to give the time he woke up and when exactly he left home. 
Flavo was spotted by this publication walking aimlessly outside the stadium where festivities were happening.

The Grade II pupil, who was wearing a brown short and a vest, explained that he had no choice but to walk because he did not have the E6 single fare from Matsapha to Manzini.
Basically, this meant Flavo would walk another 10 kilometres back home if he failed to secure a return fare of E6. Even though this reporter gave him E10, Flavo said he would use it to purchase something to eat because he had left home on an empty stomach.

He had embarked on his journey in the morning after his bricklayer father left for work. He claimed his father knew about the trip to celebrate with the King and the nation. About the whereabouts of his mother, the eight-year-old said she was in South Africa.
Asked why he walked barefoot he said, “babe akakangitsengeli ngoba usete imali.”

This is loosely translated, “My father cannot afford to buy me shoes because he is still not yet financially stable.”
He said he was among the top performers in his class as he attained position four out of an unknown number.
Asked if he had seen the King, the aspiring soldier said he saw the King aboard an aeroplane.

Even after being told that His Majesty was not on a plane, Flavo firmly said he saw the King flying around.
If presented with an opportunity to have an audience with the King, Flavo said he would tell him about his bus fare predicament. Verbatim, he said: “Benginga mtjela kutsi ngihamba ngetinyawo, ngite imali.”
Efforts to contact his parents proved futile because he said he could not remember their telephone numbers.

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