Swaziland News
For all your Swazi News
CPA pays tribute to King
Main Section
By Phinda Sihlongonyane - SWAZI OBSERVER-11-May-2010
Acting Vice Chairperson of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Kathleen Casey has paid tribute to His Majesty King Mswati III for the support he has given to them.
Casey was speaking at the official opening of the CPA executive meeting at Ezulwini yesterday. She said she was told that one of the early public engagements in the reign of King Mswati III was another CPA conference when the African regional clerks met at Ezulwini. She said they had also been told that the King met their committee members when they gathered in the country in 1998.
“He again graciously gave his time to meet our African Regional conference colleagues. “The CPA is most grateful to His Majesty for the support he has given to our association,” she said.
Casey, who is also Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Prince Edward Island in Canada, said they were honoured to be in the country to deliberate on matters vital to the advancement of parliamentary affairs, the commonwealth and their own association. She said the invitation to the country was embraced with great excitement as they all looked forward to a truly ‘royal experience’. She further said the CPA owed an enormous debt to the Swazi nation and its parliament for hosting their meeting and for its many contributions to the advancement of parliamentary governance in the commonwealth.
Casey said the country’s parliament hosted this committee once before 1998 as one of their members Lieutenant Colonel Britto has reminded them. “He had the privilege of attending that meeting and he has told us about the warmth of the Swazi welcome that was accorded to all CPA visitors,” she said.
She said this was her first visit to Southern Africa and assured that she would take back the message to all her colleagues in the Prince Edward Island and throughout the Canadian region. Casey said the local CPA branch had also hosted the association’s African regional conference.
“We have all attended regional conferences, so we know how valuable it is to meet and exchange experiences with colleagues who we otherwise would not meet, even though they may be our neighbours, doing the same work that we do only a comparatively short distance away,” she said.
She also paid tribute to the late minister Ephraim Magagula, the first member of Parliament of Swaziland to serve as an officer of the CPA.
She said the government and parliament of the country were setting a positive example for many commonwealth economies like that of Canada which relied on tourism but must at the same time preserve the beautiful environment cherished by all.
Readers Comments :
Note: The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and DO NOT necessarily reflect those of Swazilive.com
Comments:My heart is racing at the honour that Casey has paid to my father. He was remarkable man and most people seem to have forgotten him. E.S.F Magagula! He was a child of Swazi soil. Thank you Kathleen Casey, thank you.
From:Welile - South Africa (22-Jul-2010)
Swaziland News on Swazilive.com
Providing you up to the minute news on Swaziland.
Main Newspapers in Swaziland.
