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RUSH FOR REFRESHMENTS

21/06/2018 08:35:00 BY KWANELE DLAMINI

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LUDZIDZINI – No sooner had acting Ludzidzini Governor Lusendvo Fakudze finished making the announcement for refreshments after the King’s speech, a great number of people were already on their feet and sprinting to the exit points.

Fakudze tried in vain to call everyone to order and to remain seated while His Majesty exited the cattle byre. The acting governor’s plea fell on deaf ears as almost none of those who were already dashing to the exit points turned back. They were rushing to the serving tables.

“Hlalani phansi bekunene. Inhlonipho phambili bekunene, hlalani phansi kuphume emakhosi kucala (sit down and let Their Majesties leave first),” Fakudze’s plea was in vain as scores of people crammed mainly the exit points on the East of the cattle byre. Due to the narrow entrance to the cattle byre, some people tried to climb up on the sides of the opening in order to jump out ahead of others and members of the armed forces had a tough time dealing with them.
The more they pushed and shoved one another in an attempt to quickly get out of the cattle byre, the fewer people managed to exit at a time. An attempt to bring them to order by security forces did not yield any positive results, as it seemed that what was in most of the people’s minds was to get to the serving points ahead of others.

When the King finished making his speech, the time was 2:40pm. Among those who heeded the King’s call and descended to the National cattle Byre were general members of the public, ministers, Members of Parliament, senators, judges, lawyers, government officials and a group of tourists from Belgium.

Some of the people arrived at the royal residence as early as 7am and earlier. They travelled from areas as far as Timphisini in northern Hhohho and Ngudzeni in the Shiselweni Region.
The parking area was littered with government trucks and a few buses in which the public travelled. By 11am, scores of people were making their way inside the premises of the royal residence.
As the public shuffled up the road from the parking bay, a group of jubilant women sang a song with the words, “Asiketi kuwe site eNkhosini yetfu (We have come to our King and not to you)”
Vendors displayed their wares near the parking area. Some sold bottled water, roasted chicken and pap (popularly known as chicken dust), fruits and vegetables, among other food items.

Inside the royal residence, police officers, Correctional officers and USDF members directed the public to sit on the lawn outside the cattle byre. By 11:40am, a significant number of people sat on the lawn while an almost similar number of others seemed to be comfortable standing under the nearby trees as they chatted among themselves.

This was despite that the security officers who maintained order directed them to go through the security check-point and join those who were already sitting on the lawn. It appeared as though they thought the business of the day was not yet about to begin. A police officer who ordered everyone to keep a distance from the road kept persuading the people to get inside the enclosed area outside the cattle byre, to avoid a stampede when His Majesty arrived.
Most people formed groups and continued to chat among themselves and ignored the officer. Others took the officer’s advice and walked in.

Despite that the time of arrival had been set at 11am, people were still pouring in at 12:30pm. Some of those who arrived towards the lunch hour were surprised that people were still waiting outside.
“Hawu, solo kute emalayini ekudla,” a man who arrived at the royal residence with three companions just before 1pm said, meaning that there were still no queues for refreshments.
The crowd was jolted into action when His Majesty arrived at the royal residence at around 1:10pm and everyone was ordered to enter the cattle byre. After close to an hour later, the King made an entrance to the cattle byre to much ululation from women and whistles and praises from men.