Mbabane – Pan-African advocate and former Ghanaian Member of Parliament Ras Mubarak was received by Her Excellency Jane Mkhonta-Simelane, acting Deputy Prime Minister of the Royal Kingdom of Eswatini, on Friday, 10 October 2025. The meeting was held on behalf of His Majesty King Mswati III and the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister.
Her Excellency Mkhonta-Simelane who also serves as Minister of Environment and Tourism, engaged Mubarak in discussions on shared interests in the Pan-African initiative to unite Africa through a visa-free policy. Mubarak described the discussions as productive and said the campaign is gaining growing support and endorsements from governments across the continent. “Eswatini is amazing,” he said.
Friday marked day 54 of Mubarak’s 163-day road campaign across Africa. Eswatini is the 14th country he has visited out of 39 planned stops. After an event-filled schedule on Thursday, Mubarak took time to explore Eswatini’s rich cultural heritage and concluded the day with dinner with Her Excellency Mkhonta-Simelane.
The meeting built on Mubarak’s earlier engagements in Lobamba on Thursday, where he met Senate President Lindiwe Dlamini and Speaker of the House of Assembly Jabulani Mabuza. The Pan-African initiative seeks to promote the free movement of Africans to strengthen trade, tourism, and continental unity.
Mubarak noted that visa restrictions continue to slow economic and cultural exchange among African nations. He called on governments to prioritise local trade and production rather than relying on imports from outside Africa. Addressing security concerns, he cited Rwanda and Kenya as examples of countries that have successfully implemented visa-free policies without compromising border control.
Senate President Dlamini expressed support for the Pan-African movement, while Speaker Mabuza welcomed opportunities for collaboration between African legislatures, including potential memoranda of understanding and exchange programmes. Mubarak added that several African governments, including Angola, Namibia, Botswana, and Congo, are committed to rolling out visa-free policies in the coming years, reinforcing the vision of a unified Africa.
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