By Phephile Motau
The deputy prime Minister Themba Masuku is back from Taiwan and he came back bearing good news. The DPM arrived at 3.15 pm through the Ngwenya Border Gate after he left the country on Sunday, June 4.
He promised that there were more jobs for emaSwati in the Republic of China (Taiwan) following fruitful talks with officials including President Tsai Ing-wen, the Minister of Labour and the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Masuku explained that there was a drive to have all Taiwanese become fluent in English by 2030, and this presented a chance for English teachers to teach the language.
He said some teachers were already in Taiwan and more would be employed by the country. The DPM said to alleviate the high rate of unemployment in the country, the government had written to many countries to ask them to consider employing qualified emaSwati.
Masuku said he pleaded with Taiwan to consider emaSwati teachers first before teachers from other countries since the two countries enjoy good relations. He said the two governments are currently working on a memorandum of understanding on emaSwati being employed in Taiwan.
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He further said during his meeting with the Minister of Labour, they talked about strengthening the vocational training program which Taiwan is implementing in the country.
He said that would assist emaSwati who do not qualify for a university to get an education and make a living. Masuku said they were working on a second MoU so that when those who are trained in vocational skills are not absorbed by the Eswatini economy, they can get jobs in Taiwan.
The DPM explained that the MoUs were meant to prevent things like trafficking because employment of emaSwati in Taiwan would be regulated through them. He said it would also assist emaSwati know what to do when their passports expire whilst they are in Taiwan, or when they get sick.
Masuku said during his meeting with the President, they talked about the good relations that the countries share. He added that the president showed her appreciation for the support that Eswatini shows to Taiwan in different forums.
“We also thanked the country for the support we receive from Taiwan, including in electrifying the country and also the work they are doing with our hospitals,” Masuku said.
The DPM further said they met with emaSwati studying in Taiwan and they encouraged them to find work in the country so that they could return to Eswatini with experience.
Masuku said they also talked about the elections, and the students expressed that they wished there could be a way to vote electronically. He said since some of the students are studying technology-related courses, he believed that they would return to the country and implement the skills obtained so that the next election can be done electronically.
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Masuku said having emaSwati working all over the world would be advantageous to the economy since they will bring remittances home and they also get experience, which they use at home.
He further encouraged emaSwati to register, to ensure that they elect people who are wanted by them.
Investors have confidence in Eswatini
The DPM says investors in Taiwan have confidence in the country and more want to come and invest, while others want to expand their investments.
Masuku said during his trip to Taiwan, he met with investors and other players and gave them a proper picture of the current situation in the country. He said the investors were appreciative as they did not believe some of the things they see on the internet.
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Masuku said the arrest of perpetrators of violence in the country has also given the investors more confidence. He said they also showed that the three arms of government worked independently and that the country had a rule of law.
“We showed that we do not interfere, but those who are responsible for bringing justice just do their work,” Masuku said.
He said amongst the investors met were those from the Tex-Ray Group and they showed interest in expanding in the country. He said he was also shown a bakery where parents and their children baked, and the products were then frozen and exported.
Masuku said this gave parents time to socialise with their children.
