When a head of State calls upon our politicians, civil servants and all those entrusted with the responsibility of care or service for the general populace to take an oath of integrity in Parliament for two consecutive years, it is a clarion call that demands more than passive acknowledgment.
It requires a fundamental shift in the standards by which we hold each other accountable for the state of our nation. In 2025, His Majesty the King reminded Parliament of the national call of ‘nkwe’ from Sibaya, emphasising that ‘this requires of us to commit and reaffirm that the civil service is there to give service to the nation, not to be served by the nation.’ He articulated a vision of public service that is active, sacrificial and transformative.
He then called upon all present, as well as those following the Parliament official opening proceedings from their respective locations, to rise and repeat after him in a prayer of dependence:
Lord;
- I am blind without Your leadership,
- incompetent without Your direction,
- insufficient without Your instructions,
- incapable without Your anointing.
- Amen. Together we will make it!
This year, the theme elevated the standard further. “As we enter 2026, let us be reminded that this is a year of Agape love, which calls upon us to demonstrate the highest form of unconditional and sacrificial love. This calls upon all of us to rise and make the following commitment:
- Lord please grant me Agape love,
- May I love my neighbour unconditionally,
- May I uphold respect and honour national interest and not self-interest at all times,
- May I be found pleasing and honest in serving my country. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
The concept of Agape love was first introduced at the Annual Prayer Service the previous week, where His Majesty preached about the negative impact that the absence of unconditional love has had on the nation across several spheres. He cited the worsening cancer of corruption as a direct product of office bearers giving no thought to their mandate of improving the lives of the people, choosing instead to use their positions for self-interest. He said the country needs people who fear the Lord, who are holy and humble, who shy away from evil. Such individuals have no egos and do not undermine others due to social status.
The King emphasised that the nation needs leaders who lead in truth and are not pretentious. Deceitful leaders, he warned, would bear the consequences on Judgment Day. ‘Your Father (God) must always be happy with you,’ he stressed.
The absence of Agape love is not merely a theoretical concern; it is tragically evident in our society. This is a land once blessed with ubuntu, where a child belonged to the community and orphanages were non-existent because every adult assumed parental responsibility. The Church was once a source of peace and a place of reconciliation. Today, the opposite is too often true, with endless conflicts and divisions. Her Majesty the Indlovukazi lamented this sad state of spiritual affairs during the annual prayer, wondering whether the men of the cloth and brethren were still serving the Almighty God or the devil.
Our hospitals and clinics were once blessed with Florence Nightingales, whose love and care healed with a smile. Today, one dreads falling ill because you are punished with ill-treatment and deprived of drugs to prolong your suffering. Crime has escalated and gender-based violence has soared, which are symptoms of the absence of unconditional love. The word ‘unity’ appears to have been deleted from the vocabulary of some high office bearers at Hospital Hill. The list goes on.
In short, before the economy can transform, those required to turn the wheel of transformation must first transform from within. It is their exemplary leadership that the rest of the nation can look up to, admire and adopt. This calls for a rare calibre of individuals with high levels of integrity, who are committed and dedicated to the sacred calling of public office. It requires people who love this country without question and are willing to sacrifice all to see to it that emaSwati prosper. Perhaps, following the oath of integrity, we will finally see the Politicians’ Code of Conduct that has taken over a decade to finalise and take full effect as the guiding policy for ethical conduct. However, policies alone do not transform nations; people do.
The call for integrity in leadership, highlighted by the King’s emphasis on Agape love and selfless service, is exemplified in Singapore’s transformation post-1965 independence. Under Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, the nation, initially resource-poor, achieved remarkable change through a strong commitment to eradicating corruption and promoting meritocracy. Lee’s leadership exemplified living modestly and prioritising stewardship over status, demonstrating that integrity in leadership significantly influences a nation’s progress.
His Majesty has opened Parliament, presenting a pro-poor transformation agenda that requires effective vision carriers, who are able to translate vision into reality through commitment, persistence and inspiration.
Following a Cabinet retreat, the prime minister and Cabinet have developed an action plan to implement the directives from the Throne. The plan is grand, now their hearts must be set on the right frequency - that of people first. They are the vision carriers entrusted to deliver on the Sibaya mandate, among other national goals, both in character and in visible, tangible service delivery.
His Majesty the King reminded Parliament of the national call of ‘nkwe’ from Sibaya.