Council of Swaziland Churches
Annual General Meeting – 26th May 2021
Welcoming Remarks by the Chairperson Rev. Ven. B. Magongo
Annual General Meeting – 26th May 2021
Welcoming Remarks by the Chairperson Rev. Ven. B. Magongo
Your Excellency the United Nations Resident Coordinator, Make Ndongo-Seh,
The Chairperson of the Council of Elders,
Members of the Council of Elders
The General Secretary of the Council of Swaziland Churches
Distinguished Delegates
CSC members of staff
Members of the media
Introduction
It is my honour and privilege to welcome you to our 2021 Annual General Meeting here at the Kukhanyokusha Zion Church. We want to thank the Kukhanyokusha Church for hosting us this year as we all know that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed many things in the way we conduct our business. Last year we were at the St Paul's Methodist Church for our 2021 AGM and was for the same reason that we need to meet in a place that will allow the required social distancing.
Let me highlight some of the things that are affecting the church today which I hope this AGM will discus and take actionable resolutions
1. Covid-19
The pandemic has affected all of us in a way that is unprecedented and as a church we have been struggling to cope with the changes it had brought. We have heard so many theories about the origin of the pandemic and why it is here. These theories are challenges us as a church to have clear theological positions and education so that our members are not misled. On the vaccine we must speak out and encourage our members to take the vaccine. While doing that we will also be monitoring the roll out of the vaccine by the government so that the most vulnerable members of society are not left out. As we speak, we are already concerned about when the country will have the next consignment of the vaccine, so that those who got the first shot will receive their second doze.
2. How the pandemic has affected our children
a. Teenage pregnancy
One of the ugly effects of the pandemic has been the increase of GBV and teenage pregnancies. The stress that came with the lockdown and loss of income in families contributed to the rise of Gender Based Violence and many other forms of abuse in families. Teenage girls have fallen pregnant and some could not return to school when schools reopened.
b. Education
The Council of Swaziland Churches values education and as such most of our member churches have schools. We currently have about 115 Primary Schools and 32 High School. The pandemic has had a negative impact on our education, further compromising the quality of education in the country.
3. Concerning situation in our tertiary institutions
After losing some months in their education calendar, students in our tertiary institutions are not learning these days as most institutions are on strike. We believe that the grievances they are striking for can be amicably resolved without closing the institutions or students engaging in violent protests.
4. Police Brutality
As the Council of Swaziland Churches we are greatly concerned about reports of police brutality that we see in the media lately. around the death of the University Student Thabani Nkomonye. This came almost at the same time as the video of police officers who are seen assaulting a kombi conductor. Before that we were talking about an alleged poacher who was killed by Game Rangers. We have heard similar stories even during the lock down last year where members of the public got injured during police raids. What we must condemn in the strongest terms as the church in eSwatini is the invasion of a memorial service by the police last week Friday. Again, this is not an isolated incident as we have seen the police stopping church services in the past. We cannot allow this to happen and for that the reason we are engaging the Royal Eswatini Police on this matter.
5. On going inquest
While appreciating that the government has instituted an investigation into the manner in which members of the Royal Eswatini Police Service handle themselves, we are asking ourselves if this will be different from other inquests. In the past not all reports presented to the government by the Coroners were shared with the public so that members of the public could engage and hold government accountable for the implementation of findings and recommendations. This leads us to conclude that may be there is a need to have an independent body or institution to investigate law enforcers.
6. Ritual murders
We are also concerned about the ritual killings that seem to be on the rise lately, which undermines the right to life. This is not only a matter of spiritual concern but criminal offense. We expect that there will be proper investigation by the police so that those who are implicated are brought to justice. Our biggest concern is that such cases hardly reach the point of conviction even when they are taken to the court of law.
I hope that in the discussions today the AGM will be able to advise on these issues as they impact on the lives of emaSwati.
At this point I want to thank you your Excellency for accepting our invitation to be our guest speaker today and look forward to your address. The CSC has always had a good working relationship with the different UN agencies and hope that this will be strengthened during your time.
Thank you
