His Majesty King Mswati III has hailed the appointment of Dumisani Masilela as Executive Secretary of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), describing it as a proud and historic achievement for Eswatini.
Speaking during a media briefing following his return from the 9th SACU Heads of State and Government Summit in Cape Town,
South Africa, the King said one of the highlights of the summit was witnessing an Liswati officially open the meeting in his capacity as Executive Secretary. 
His Majesty said Masilela’s appointment was the result of years of dedication, hard work and professional excellence.
The King noted that Masilela had previously served in various government ministries before gaining experience in international organisations,
where his capabilities earned him the opportunity to lead the SACU Secretariat.
“We are very happy as Eswatini that we are being represented. We believe that through his work he will put much effort that will leave a blueprint for his name and Eswatini in history,” His Majesty said.
The King expressed confidence that Masilela’s leadership would contribute significantly to strengthening SACU programmes and advancing the organisation’s developmental agenda.
His Majesty said the appointment demonstrates that emaSwati professionals can successfully compete for leadership positions in regional and international institutions.
Masilela becomes the first emaSwati to substantively serve as Executive Secretary of SACU, marking a historic milestone for the Kingdom in the world’s oldest functioning customs union.
The King said the appointment comes at a crucial time as SACU seeks to deepen regional integration and implement initiatives aimed at addressing unemployment, poverty and other socio-economic challenges facing member states.
