USA builds trade, create jobs in Eswatini
EZULWINI – The United States of America is helping to build trade relationships and create jobs in Eswatini. US Ambassador to Eswatini, Jeanne M. Maloney said the Kingdom’s goal of becoming a private sector and export-led economy was being supported by the partnership between the Eswatini Investment Promotion Authority and the USAID Trade Hub. The private sector and export-led economy is mentioned in the Government’s Post-COVID-19 Economic Recovery Plan.
The ambassador said this partnership was taking full advantage of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which provides duty-free access to over 6 000 product lines.
Speaking during the 246th Anniversary of the signing of USA Declaration of Independence held by the US Embassy in Ezulwini on Thursday, Maloney said they were also working to attract USA investment in Eswatini through commercial advocacy and by advancing a level playing field for American companies overseas.
His Majesty the King was represented by Prince Gcina, the member of Ludzidzini Royal Council, Prime Minister Cleopas Dlamini, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Thuli Dladla, Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade Manqoba Khumalo and Minister of Agriculture Jabulani Clement Mabuza.
“This is important; U.S. law prohibits a U.S. person or company to offer, pay, or promise money or anything of value to any foreign official for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. Transparency and integrity are hallmarks of U.S. business,” explained the diplomat
She said the USA Government was also investing in green solutions to institutionalise a culture of sustainability and climate preparedness.
Ambassador Maloney said the USA Embassy in Eswatini was doing its part as its embassy compound, describing it as a beautiful space, has been certified by the USA National Wildlife Federation as a wildlife habitat. “Only 24 other U.S. embassies in the world have this qualification,” she said.
Maloney said the United States was proud to invest in the future of emaSwati through these different avenues – and more.
As Eswatini prepares for national dialogue, the US ambassador hoped that all emaSwati would contribute to a peaceful environment that supported constructive, non-judgmental dialogue, peaceful reform, and healing. “It has been 246 years since the Declaration of Independence was signed, and we recognise that we have often fallen short of the ideals expressed in it. It took almost 90 years and a bloody civil war for America to abolish slavery and another hundred years to pass civil rights legislation,” she said.
143 YEAR STRUGGLE FOR US WOMEN
She said it took 143 years for women to gain the right to vote. She added: “today we are still working to create the “more perfect union” called for in our Constitution.”
However, she said the ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence still reflected their core beliefs as Americans – the lens through which they tended to view the world.
The diplomat said US President Joe Biden has asked USA Embassies to reiterate the importance of these democratic values to their partners around the world – to defend freedom, create opportunity, uphold universal rights, respect the rule of law, and treat every person with dignity. “I believe that our work in Eswatini over the last several years has supported these values, and we look forward to continuing these efforts in the years to come,” she said.
She mentioned that July 4 marked the 246th anniversary of the signing of our Declaration of Independence. “It is an interesting document that laid out a couple of ideas that were revolutionary at the time. One was the concept that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” he said.
Maloney said the second concept was that the reason governments existed (the only reason cited in the Declaration) was to secure these rights for the people. “Interestingly, the Declaration makes no mention of democracy. Our founders did not reject the concept of monarchy.
Their complaint was that their monarch did not respect the rights of the people,” she said. “Although the United States later adopted a republican form of government, we enjoy strong relationships with
countries with a variety of political systems, including monarchies.”
She said: “as an example, we have maintained strong and enduring relations with the Kingdom of Eswatini since its founding in 1968. We value our relationship with Eswatini, which is built on mutual goals.”
In thinking back on the challenges both countries faced these past three years, she said they have been dramatic but was struck by the opportunities for partnership. She mentioned the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and the need for economic growth as major challenges. “And we know that whatever the challenge, working together improves our ability to surmount them and harness opportunities,” the ambassador said.
She highlighted that they had continued to collaborate with government and their network of partners to accomplish mutual goals.
For example, she said this is the 17th year that Eswatini has been a partner under the USA President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). She said PEPFAR has been working with government, health leaders, civil society, and others to combat HIV/AIDS in Eswatini. She described it as an investment in saving lives – a symbol of their friendship as nations and the generosity of the American people.
When PEPFAR began work in Eswatini, she recalled that fewer than 500 people were on life-saving anti-retroviral therapy. “Today, thanks to our partnerships, effective treatment, and a range of prevention tools, Eswatini is in a very different place. Right now, roughly 95 per cent of HIV positive people in Eswatini are on treatment and able to live productive, healthy lives,” she said.
As the COVID-19 pandemic swept the globe, the US Ambassador to Eswatini said the investments made through PEPFAR became instrumental in combatting this new virus. She said PEPFAR-supported public health, clinical care, laboratory, supply chain, and data platforms have been – and remain – vital in the ongoing fight against COVID-19.
The US diplomat said the USA has provided Eswatini with hundreds of thousands of doses of COVID-19 vaccine – at no cost – to help stem the global pandemic. “We have accomplished much together in other sectors,” she said.
Maloney said the USA invested in the future of Eswatini by helping to renovate, expand, and improve a primary school in rural Shiselweni with USA Department of Defence funding.
She said this project addressed student over-crowding and expanded the curriculum and facilities for students.
Through the ambassador’s Special Self-Help Programme, she explained that they had encouraged self-reliance within local communities by providing some of the resources needed to turn a good idea into action. “In just one example, Bhadzeni community to provide funding for materials they then used to construct a block of classrooms. The children of this community no longer have to travel ten kilometers to the nearest high school,” Maloney said.
She said they also provided exchange opportunities for Young African Leaders to visit the United States and learn through USA leadership institutes. She pointed to the fact that the embassy sent 10 young leaders to the USA just last month, and they would return as alumni and engaged young leaders empowered to help drive their own initiatives in the future.
USA THRILLS MINISTER
Manqoba Khumalo, the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade, said he was very excited to hear about the USA’s pledge to assist the country.
Khumalo said government had seen a significant brand, Kellogg Tolaram Eswatini, settling in Eswatini. He said the US Embassy to Eswatini played a significant role in reassuring Kellogg of the positive investment climate in the Kingdom.
Kellogg Tolaram Eswatini is a wholly owned subsidiary of the joint venture between Kellogg Company USA and Tolaram Group of Singapore.
She also said Mondelez, formerly Cadbury, was experiencing growth in their business. “I visited them recently and was impressed with how the operation is growing. I am excited about two new initiatives that the ambassador and I have started,” the minister said.
During its launch in Matsapha in May 2022, the US Ambassador made some remarks whereby she commended Kellogg Tolaram for the vision to invest in the people and country of Eswatini and for embarking on such an amazing and ambitious project. She said Kellogg’s is an iconic US brand, one that she and generations of Americans grew up with. She said Kellogg’s began so many years ago providing breakfast foods to Americans. She said the company is now feeding the globe.
The minister mentioned that CONCO, an American company, is presently investing more than E300 million in its expansion project in the country. He said the project is ongoing.