Our core mandate

You will no doubt be aware that in the past two years our mandate of advocacy has evolved organically in our quest to respond appropriately to the emerging challenges and socio-economic developments in the country. This evolution has not changed our core values as an organization but only ensured that we remain ideally poised to provide the needed services to the private sector as enshrined in our core mandate. As such, we have been able to achieve relevance even in the changing fortunes of time for which we are most grateful to you for your tireless support.

Changes in the business environment….

I’m sure you will also agree that the wider environment in which the private sector operates is fast-changing and it is our considered opinion that it would be unwise to assume that our operations will be impervious to these changes. This being the case, therefore, we feel it would be devoid of wisdom and good judgment on our part to ignore these developments especially at this time. We say this without equivocation because the private sector, being represented by BE; as well as our workers as represented by their various labour unions, are critical stakeholders in the socio-economical dimension of this country. It goes without saying that without the business formations and the workers who tirelessly ply their labour and craft in these businesses, the economy can only grind to a halt.

It bears reiteration, however, that underpinning our organization’s core mandate is economic development and job-creation in our desperate bid to deliver the opportunities desperately needed by the country’s workforce, especially our vibrant youth whose unemployment bracket demonstrates an alarming figure.

Stating this in blatant language as we hereby do is not meant to diminish, or even relegate, the critical importance of your organization’s duty to meet your own shareholders’ expectations of a fair return on investment.  Much to the contrary though, it is simply meant to vitalize the view that our responsibility as a private sector extends beyond the boundaries of our business compounds.

Cottage industries for economically disenfranchised villages

In recent months we have embarked on planting cottage factories around the country in order to empower especially women and the youth under our business expansion program.

Vukani Bomake projects has been the vehicle exploited for our business model of expansion. We continue to pursue these programs so that no one in the country, especially in remote villages, is economically ostracized as to be left without a stake in the larger national economy.

In tandem with the business-planting programs for disenfranchised Emaswati we are also dabbling in poverty alleviation programs as we have begun distributing food parcels to desperate communities around the country on behalf of the private sector. The cost of doing this has been extremely prohibitive just like our vaccination exercise. However, we remain resolute and undeterred. These are very difficult economic times for many families and communities around the country and it would be immoral of us to decide to look the other way at this time.

Peace and stability key to economic transformation

Furthermore, and over and above the aforementioned, it has to be mentioned that the principles of peace and stability; the rule of law; independence of organs of state; accountability and transparency, as well as equity and benevolence, have always been, and continue to be, the ideals for which we stand as Business Eswatini. For better or worse, we have dutifully abided by these ideals for decades and have exemplified them in every assignment we have pursued together. A recent example is the major investment the membership of BE made at the dawn of this pandemic and the millions of Emalangeni we are now spending as a partner in the rollout of the national vaccination initiative. It is this sort of compassion that best describes who we are and what we stand for as Business Eswatini.

Request for an expanded mandate by BE Secretariat

It is against this backdrop that the secretariat, duly authorized to approach you today, seeks your mandate to get involved in the national conversation that is about to be convened in the country. As a critical stakeholder we feel that we cannot afford not to get involved in a national dialogue. Alternatively, as captioned above, we seek to hold your watching brief at the very least. Arguably, our request is premised on the view that this national conversation and its outcomes will have ramifications for the private sector’s economic agenda as well as our programs of empowering urban and rural communities in need.

Please indicate your approval through our normal channels of engagement.

We thank you in advance for your commitment and support

Business Eswatini Management