The newly opened Ezulwini Palazzo Convention Centre will today host its first major international conference, barely a week after its official inauguration.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Pholile Shakantu confirmed that the facility is ready to welcome delegates attending the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) Parliamentary Assembly, which runs from today until May 14.
The high-level meeting will bring together legislators from 79 OACPS member countries alongside representatives from 27 European Union (EU) States.
It marks the first Africa–EU Parliamentary Assembly under the new Samoa Agreement, strengthening parliamentary cooperation, trade, and political partnership.
Speaking during a media briefing, Shakantu described the event as a major opportunity for the country following the recent opening of the International Convention Centre (ICC) by His Majesty King Mswati III.
“This is a great opportunity for the nation following the opening of the ICC by His Majesty. This will be our first conference hosted in this newly opened facility. It gives us great pleasure as government,” she said.
She urged citizens and business owners to extend a warm welcome to the visitors:
“We are requesting citizens to welcome all delegates arriving in the country. Business owners, including hotels, restaurants and other service providers, will have the opportunity to interact with these visitors. Let us give them the warm hospitality experience we are known for.”
Shakantu noted that the conference marked only the beginning of what is expected to be a steady stream of international events at the new facility.
“Conferences require accommodation, meals and transport. All these services will be provided by citizens, opening great opportunities for the business community and contributing to the growth of the national economy,” she said.
She also highlighted the demand for specialised skills such as translation and interpretation.
“People with language skills will be needed. There are translation services that must be provided, and this opens opportunities for individuals with those capabilities.”
Eswatini Parliament representative in OACPS Prince Lindani expressed pride that the first international conference to be hosted at Ezulwini Palazzo is one in which he is directly involved.
He said this during a press briefing on the OACPS Africa Region Parliamentary Group meetings and the first Africa–EU Parliamentary Assembly. The official opening of the conference will take place on May 12.
OACPS Secretary General Moussa Batraki was also present at the briefing and said the meeting would discuss important aspects involving member states.
The OACPS, a 79-member group, focuses on sustainable development, poverty reduction, and trade.
The hosting of the assembly builds on the kingdom’s international engagement efforts in March whereby His Majesty attended the 11th OACPS Summit in Equatorial Guinea, where he raised over €15 million in less than 30 minutes to support the organisation’s institutional resilience and financial sustainability.
The Ezulwini conference is therefore seen not only as a logistical achievement, but also as a continuation of the country’s active participation in international diplomacy and development initiatives.
‘Conference an opportunity to market country’
Senate President Lindiwe Dlamini says the conference affords the country with an opportunity to market itself to the world.
“As a kingdom, we pride ourselves in being able to share with the global community even our Tinkhundla system of governance where tradition and modernity merge so that the lives of citizens are improved.”
Dlamini emphasised that while citizens’ lives would certainly improve, the nation’s identity should not be lost.
She added that Their Majesties had aptly ensured that the nation was firmly grounded in traditions and embraced modernity so as to ensure that there is progress.
On another note, Dlamini said during the conference, issues to be discussed included fair trade for Africa and the Caribbean countries.
“We need to sit at the table as equal partners making decisions that will impact our citizens positively,” she said.
This morning, the conference would kick-off with discussions by the West African countries and the Southern and Eastern group later on the day.
“As Parliament we are excited about this meeting where we will be represented by MP Prince Lindani,” she said, adding that other parliamentarians would also be in attendance.
