LUVUMO – Day Two of the ongoing Eswatini Local Government Conference, held yesterday at Esibayeni Lodge, brought traditional leadership and youth development into sharp focus, as delegates explored how to strengthen coordination between elected structures and local chiefs.
Themed “Coexistence and Coordination – Amplifying the Role of Traditional Leadership in a Local Government System”, the day’s discussions drew energetic input from young voices calling for a more inclusive and responsive governance model.
Professor Shabangu, speaking during the morning session, pushed for the integration of Tinkhundla governance education into the secondary school civics curriculum, saying this would help bridge generational divides and build leadership awareness among young people.
He argued that youth participation in local planning processes would benefit from digital tools like GovChat Eswatini, giving the younger generation a platform to share their views and influence service delivery. According to him, meaningful engagement, self-motivation and feedback mechanisms should become central features of local government to combat what he described as “attitudes of hopelessness” among Eswatini’s youth.
Sandile Nsibandze urged government to give priority to youth-led enterprises in public tenders, while also calling for five percent of the national budget to be channelled towards Tinkhundla-based training initiatives.
Joseph Zito Mbowa added to the momentum by calling for a specific amendment to the Tinkhundla Local Government Bill, 2024, that would formally establish Youth Committees within every Inkhundla and define their responsibilities.
Xolile Dlamini, another speaker, framed youth development as a holistic issue that goes beyond education and employment. She called for decentralised resource management to allow communities to respond to the physical, emotional and economic needs of young people.
Citing Chapter XIII of the Constitution, Dlamini said grassroots participation must be more than a principle – it should be reflected in how resources are shared and how decisions are made, especially in shaping the future of Eswatini’s next generation.
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