Sigwe on fire, more to come
AFTER conquering the notorious Mahamba Gorge, the dynamic Eswatini Sports and Recreation Council (ESRC) team, yesterday delivered a never-to-be- forgotten Shukuma activation at the Sigwe Inkhundla.
We are saying it without any fear of contradiction that this modest inkhundla, located deep in the heart of the Shiselweni Region, will never be the same again after yesterday’s event. We were pleasantly surprised to see such huge numbers being part of this, our mass participation flagship programme, which revolved to become a premium platform for public engagement. It goes without saying that the Shukuma programme now fully encompasses the mandate of our parent ministry, which is that of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs.
We are very happy to note that we were able to continue from where we left of in the delivery of this programme, which does not only encourage mass participation in sports, but also ensures that our people get to benefit from the many basic services which are always on offer whenever we reach out to our people. Like we have always been doing, we ‘invaded’ Sigwe with both our corporate and social partners. The country’s recognised National Sports Associations and recreational bodies were also in attendance. Our corporate partners got the glorious opportunity to propagate their messages in front of a large audience, as the programme never fails to attract the numbers. We always encourage the young and old to take part in the various activities on offer. Our Shukuma is intended to plant the seed of healthy living in our communities. We expect our people to continue training and living healthy lives long after we are gone.
Indeed, Shukuma Sigwe was awesome!
We have already notified our people in other platforms that it is that time of the year again when they are expected to renew their ‘trading licences’ with the ESRC. Before they get their operating licences, however, all the country’s sports associations and recreation bodies know that they have to undergo the mandatory review process. This process is now ongoing. Our associations need to make time for this exercise.
We would like to congratulate the associations that have already undergone the process. The likes of basketball, rugby, cricket and others, to mention just a few, have undergone the review process and some are now awaiting their fate to find out if they make the cut again for the new year. We would like to encourage the rest to get hold of their respective contact persons at the ESRC so they can set dates for this crucial exercise. It is imperative for all associations to be reviewed, so we can assist them. The aim here is to help our associations in the event they encounter difficulties while trying to execute their mandates. An unrecognised association or recreation body is not entitled to any help from the government, be it financial or otherwise. That is why we would like to urge everyone to make sure that they are covered in that regard.
Please be advised that our Facebook page at the Eswatini Sports and Recreation Council (ESRC), has been unscrupulously hacked and tampered with. It pains us to note that some individuals have hacked such an important page, which we use daily to update the sports fraternity of upcoming activities. We condemn such an act and we, therefore, regretfully advise our loyal followers and readers not to respond to any messages from this account. We have already set up a new account, under the same name that of the Eswatini Sports and Recreation Council.
We would like to unreservedly apologise to the entire sporting fraternity for the inconvenience that this has caused. We do remain committed in developing our nation through quality sports and recreational activities.