His Majesty King Mswati III has blessed next Friday as the official date for the State opening of the 3rd session of the 12th Parliament.
This was announced by House of Assembly Speaker Jabulani Mabuza during a press conference held in Parliament yesterday.
The Speaker highlighted that the opening of Parliament is marked by the Speech from the Throne, which signifies the formal resumption of parliamentary business and outlines government’s policy direction for the year ahead.
“We are pleased that this year’s event is in line with the commemoration of 40 years of the distinguished leadership of His Majesty King Mswati III,” Mabuza said.
He also stressed the importance of invited guests carrying their invitation cards to the event, as sitting arrangements will follow colour-coded designations — from the chamber up to the marquee, where Their Majesties will host lunch for invited guests.
All attendees are expected to be seated by 10am and must be dressed in formal Western attire or traditional regalia.
“Final rehearsals and a stakeholder meeting will be held on Wednesday. The media dress code is formal and all practitioners are expected to parade their tags, which will strictly designate where they should sit and conduct interviews with parliamentarians and invited guests,” he added.
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Mabuza said the aim for this year’s event is the preservation of its dignity and the smooth flow of proceedings.
“Emaswati are internationally recognised for their respect and decorum. All attendees are implored to uphold these values to ensure the success of this important national ceremony,” he said.
His sentiments were echoed by Senate President Lindiwe Dlamini, who announced that proceedings will be broadcast live on EBIS and Eswatini TV.
“The King spoke about the importance of getting the correct information to the people during last year’s Speech from the Throne,” she added.
