We can end Eswatini poverty in 5yrs - UNDP’s Eziakonwa

NEW YORK, USA – The United 1ations Development Programme U1DP is committed to ending Eswatini’s poverty within five years. This commitment was made by U1DP 5egional Director for Africa and U1 Assistant Secretary-*eneral Ahunna Eziakonwa to His Majesty King Mswati III on Friday in 1ew

She said this vision resonates with the King’s vision and desire to leave a legacy to lift the kingdom out of poverty, given his commitment and love for his people.

“I have been fully educated about this amazing country, I have absolutely no doubt in my mind, that with your heart for your people, your passion, your intelligence, your visibility, your power to influence, with a cabinet of conscience, people like Senator Khumalo, with the knowledge of how the world works, the world of business, with partners like -oe Caldeira and the :orld %ank, with U1DP and the rest of the U1 system in five years, we can lift all of the Eswatini people out of poverty. Let’s get the work done,” Eziakonwa told His Majesty the King.

She narrated her experience of the kingdom, which she first visited in 2011 from her workstation in Lesotho, where she was U1 5esident Coordinator.

“It is hard not to love Eswatini. :hen I arrived, I felt a sense of deep peace. I was struck by the beauty of the country, not only of the physical landscape, but also of the humanity landscape, the beauty of the people they were polite, happy, and patient,” she said. The U1DP 5egional Director said her second personal contact was in 2019 and this time it was virtual because of CO9ID-19.

MEETING

“My team on the ground was insisting that I visit the country, and in my virtual meeting I was able to meet all the Cabinet ministers and the experience felt like I was already on the ground.”

I had a moment of reflection after that and it did not strike me to think about what we were dealing with. I said this was a country of just over a million people with good infrastructure.

I saw the best roads in Eswatini, good electricity coverage where 97 per cent of the population has access to electricity,” she said. The U1DP Africa boss further noted that this was a country with one language, which she hoped worshipped one *od and the people were subject to one King.

“I asked myself why we still have an over 50 per cent poverty rate. It did not make sense to me. :e have 16 U1 and other international organisations who have been in Eswatini for 30 years.

“I said there was something wrong with this picture, and as we have heard from other presenters here today, Eswatini is not a poor country. This is a country at peace with itself and its neighbours. I asked myself what’s the problem" I still keep asking myself that question, because if there is one thing that keeps me awake in my journey in Africa, it is how to lift the people of this continent out of poverty. The numbers are staggering and I am looking for islands of hope, where I can tell a good story. It looks like Eswatini came to mind, as I consider it a low-hanging fruit,” she told the King.

She said with all the above ingredients in place, they U1DP give themselves five years to get the entire population of Eswatini out of poverty. Enziakonwa said this was possible.

She said last month she met His Majesty the King for the first time in Tunis, Tunisia in the margins of the 8th Tokyo International Conference on African Development TICAD8 and they had a candid conversation about Eswatini.

“I looked at a man who had a heart for his nation. :hy" %ecause with his status, he did not need to listen to me, but he sat and listened to every word that I said and what U1DP was about and what we could do to accompany his country to prosperity.

“%ut he did not stop there, he challenged me by saying we needed to continue with this conversation in 1ew

The U1DP Africa boss said she is inspired by the King’s commitment to want to see his people lifted out of poverty.

She said His Majesty’s speech to the United 1ations a few days ago was quite compelling.

“:e heard in that speech a real hunger to move in an urgent way not only to bring prosperity, but to consolidate the peace that is already there in terms of the peacefulness of the people to ensure that it does not run away,” she said.

FLAGSHIP REPORT

Eziakonwa said the U1 has recently released its flagship report, the Human Index 5eport and the picture is not so good, hence its title µA :orld of :orry, A :orld of Uncertainties, an unsettled :orld.’ She said in it they talk about the heightened insecurity all over the world.

“It is the first time we produce a report that shows everyone in the world feels insecure. %efore we used to talk about insecurity in pockets of countries where there were conflicts.

“This report generalises insecurity because of what has happened in the last few years. The CO9ID-19 pandemic uprooted a lot of the security that people had. :e saw how mortal we are as human beings. How life can end in a flash. It humbled the world and also heightened the sense of insecurity,” she said. Eziakonwa further stated that the war in Ukraine is affecting so many countries across the world, resulting in food and fuel insecurities.

“The core message is that we can shift from these threats and turn them into opportunities. :e can turn this anxiety into action. I think this very much applies to Eswatini. The otherwise peaceful people of Eswatini were faced with hardships such as a sense of insecurity and uncertainty. :e saw the restlessness and disturbances that hit the country. :e can turn this energy into an opportunity to reset this country,” the U1DP Africa chief told His Majesty the King.