King urges traditional leaders to value education

King Mswati of Swaziland has urged traditional leaders to encourage communities to value education. Officiating at a SADC human rights seminar in Manzini hosted by Women for Change, Mswati said that education would empower people to participate in entrepreneurship: "It is at this stage of successful empowerment of people that traditional leaders would be able to take control and utilise to the fullest for their benefit of their people, the natural resources that are found in many parts of our continent, Communities must be encouraged to value education which enables them to access the rest of their rights." According to him, people looked forward to traditional leaders promoting and protecting their rights, especially that people were attached to them.
Mswati further noted that it was incumbent upon all traditional leaders to be concerned with the rights and welfare of people. "Our struggle for their liberation so that they could pursue happiness and the fulfilment of life by accessing good shelter, health services, proper education, prosperity and unhindered participation in governance," he said and added that human rights had always been part of African traditional systems and customs especially in the caring for orphans and vulnerable children. "I therefore, urge all traditional leaders that whilst modernising, we must not lose our cultural values. Tradition and modernity have never opposed each other but it is a question of how best we integrate these two." (The Post, Lusaka)