Her Excellency the Right Honourable Constance T. Simelane | |
---|---|
Deputy Prime Minister of Swaziland | |
In office 2006–2008 | |
Monarch | Mswati III |
Prime Minister | Themba Dlamini |
Education minister | |
In office 2003–2006 | |
Monarch | Mswati III |
Prime Minister | Themba Dlamini |
Personal details | |
Political party | None |
Constance Simelane is an Eswatini politician who rose to become the first female Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Swaziland. Appointed to the Senate in 2001,Simelane became Minister of Education in 2003. [1] In October 2006 Simelane was appointed Deputy Prime Minister by King Mswati III,succeeding Albert Shabangu who had died a month earlier. [2]
Simelane was born to Funwako Simelane,a teacher from Swaziland and his wife Judith (née LaNkonyane). [3] Judith,who was born in Amsterdam,Mpumalanga in South Africa,met Funwako,who was originally from the KoNtshingila community of Shiselweni while he was teaching at Kington High School in Vryheid,South Africa. [3] The two married in 1940,after Judith had finished high school. [3] Simelane was the second eldest of six children. [3] Her elder sister,Thandiwe Dlamini,was the longest serving executive director of the Red Cross in Swaziland. [3] [4] She has two other sisters,Nomcebo and Zandile and two brothers,Dumisa and Sifiso. [3]
In 1958,under an order by King Sobhuza II of Swaziland,Simelane's father was recalled to Swaziland to work in the district capital. He taught at a number of high schools before becoming an ambassador for a number of countries,returning to Swaziland to act as a minister for finance. [3] He died in 1980. [3]
After leaving high school Simelane gained a scholarship from the African scholarship program of American Universities and became a student at Roosevelt University in Chicago where she studied for a degree is social sciences. [5] From Chicago she undertook a Master of Business Administration from the University of Washington before studying advanced purchasing strategies in Austria. [6]
Simelane worked as a credit researcher in Chicago. Before moving back to Swaziland where she took on the role of assistant secretary in the Deputy Prime Minister's Office. She then moved to Ethiopia where she worked for the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa. [6]
In 2003 Simelane took her place as a member of the House of Assembly of Eswatini as one of the ten ministers constitutionally allowed by the monarch,then King Mswati III. [7] She was given the post of minister of education from the date of her appointment. [1] During her time as education minister,Simelane introduced a scheme to allow all vulnerable and orphaned primary and secondary school children to be able to attend school,despite the nation demanding a fee for basic education. [8] With a national HIV infection rate of roughly 40%,the highest in the world,many children fell under the category that Simelane was attempting to address. [8] She pledged to release $6.4 million to pay for the children effected and ordered that all children who presented themselves to schools should be accepted. This was undertaken by schools despite concerns that the government would not fulfill its pledge. [8] These fears were realized and despite the government releasing the funds at the end of the academic year,the damage was done and many of the children taken in had already been released and many school heads threatened to strike over the issue. [8] Further education programs introduced by Simelane included free school text books for vulnerable children,but this was deemed as a failure due to many of these children being unable to attend school due to the lack of available fees. [9] She also called upon pregnant girls to be re-admitted to education,as since independence in 1968,standard practice was to expel girls from school if they became pregnant. Although not a governmental law,she gave her backing to the decision made by the Swaziland Schools Headteachers Association. [10]
In 2006,following the death of Albert Shabangu,Simelane was given the position of Deputy Prime Minister,the first woman to hold the role. [9] Although welcomed by gender right groups,the role of deputy had become mainly ceremonial after responsibility for the national development authority was removed from the portfolio and handed to the Regional Development and Youth Affairs. [9] She remained in the post until 2008. [1]
Since leaving her post in the government,Simelane has continued to be a vocal supporter of both education and women's rights and speaks on a wide range of issues regarding the empowerment of women in Swaziland. [11]
From 2004 to 2005 Simelane held the position of Chairperson of the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. [12]
Eswatini,officially the Kingdom of Eswatini and also known by its former official name Swaziland and formerly the Kingdom of Swaziland,is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered by Mozambique to its northeast and South Africa to its north,west,south,and southeast. At no more than 200 km (120 mi) north to south and 130 km (81 mi) east to west,Eswatini is one of the smallest countries in Africa;despite this,its climate and topography are diverse,ranging from a cool and mountainous highveld to a hot and dry lowveld.
The Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF) is the military of the Southern African Kingdom of Eswatini (Swaziland). It is used primarily during domestic protests,with some border and customs duties;the force has never been involved in a foreign conflict. The army has struggled with high rates of HIV infection. Since measures were put in place the rate is dropping.
Mswati III is Ngwenyama (King) of Eswatini and head of the Swazi royal family. He heads Africa’s last absolute monarchy,as he has veto power over all branches of government and is constitutionally immune from prosecution.
The People's United Democratic Movement is the largest opposition party in Eswatini. It is a democratic socialist party. Formed in 1983 at the University of Eswatini,it is led by Mlungisi Makhanya.
Sobhuza I (1788–1850) was king of Eswatini,from 1815 to 1850. Born around the year 1788,his father was King Ndvungunye,and his mother was Somnjalose Simelane. He was called Somhlolo,meaning "Mysterious man",upon his birth because his father,Ndvungunye,was struck by lightning. When Sobhuza was king,Lojiba Simelane,instead of his mother,Somnjalose was Queen Mother because Somnjalose was an inhlanti or support bride to Lojiba. Somhlolo is a greatly revered king of Eswatini. He had his first royal capital or kraal at Zombodze in the Shiselweni region,but moved it north to new Zombodze in central Eswatini. Swazis celebrate Somhlolo Day every September 6 as their Independence Day and the national stadium is named Somhlolo stadium. Sobhuza was succeeded by his son Mswati II and his wife Tsandzile Ndwandwe as Queen Mother after a short regency by Queen Lojiba Simelane. Sobhuza by the time of his death had conquered a country claimed to reach to modern day Barberton in the north,Carolina in the west,Pongola River in the south and Lubombo Mountains in the east.
Lobamba is a city in Eswatini,and is one of the two capitals,serving as the legislative,traditional,spiritual,seat of government of the Parliament of Eswatini,and Ludzidzini Royal Village,the residence of Queen Ntfombi,the Queen Mother.
Prince Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini was a Swazi politician who served as Prime Minister of Eswatini,from 1996 to 2003 and again from October 2008 to September 2018.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) people in Eswatini have limited legal rights. According to Rock of Hope,a Swati LGBT advocacy group,"there is no legislation recognising LGBTIs or protecting the right to a non-heterosexual orientation and gender identity and as a result [LGBT people] cannot be open about their orientation or gender identity for fear of rejection and discrimination". Homosexuality is illegal in Eswatini,though this law is in practice unenforced. According to the 2021 Human Rights Practices Report from the US Department of State,"there has never been an arrest or prosecution for consensual same-sex conduct."
Princess Sikhanyiso Dlamini is a Swazi princess and politician. She is the eldest daughter of King Mswati III of Eswatini,and is the country's former Minister of Information and Communication Technology.
Themba Nhlanganiso Masuku is a Swazi politician who has served as Deputy Prime Minister of Eswatini since 2018 and as Acting Prime Minister from 13 December 2020 to 16 July 2021. Earlier,he served as Deputy Prime Minister from 2008 until 2013.
Sibonelo Mngometulu,known as Inkhosikati LaMbikiza,is the third and senior wife of King Mswati III of Eswatini. Sibonelo married Mswati III in 1986,becoming the first wife he personally chose to marry,following two ceremonious marriages. She is the mother of Princess Sikhanyiso Dlamini and Prince Lindani Dlamini.
Eswatini formerly known as Swaziland now officially the Kingdom of Eswatini is landlocked country in Southern Africa.
Eswatini–India relations refers to the international relations that exist between Eswatini and India. India also maintains a resident High Commission in Mbabane established on 13 August,2019. Eswatini does not have a diplomatic mission in India.
Tsandzile Dlamini is a princess of Eswatini who served as Minister of Home Affairs from 2013 to 2018.
Events in the year 2021 in Eswatini
A series of protests in Eswatini against the absolute monarchy and for democratisation began in late June 2021. Starting as a peaceful protest on 20 June,they escalated after 25 June into violence and looting over the weekend when the government took a hardline stance against the demonstrations and prohibited the delivery of petitions. Lower-level unrest and protests continued until summer 2023.
Capital punishment is a legal penalty in Eswatini,formerly known as Swaziland. Despite its legality,no executions have been carried out since 1983. Therefore,Eswatini is classified as "abolitionist in practice."
Sibongile Ndlela-Simelane was Minister for Health for Eswatini from 2013 to 2018 under the government of Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini. During her time as minister she led calls for lessons from southern Africa's HIV response to be applied to malaria. She also commissioned on World TB Day in 2017 a national drug resistance survey. In 2018 she requested the arrest of an Eswatini Observer journalist who had photographed the cars of government ministers. She also commissioned new offices for the Swaziland Nursing Council.
Nothando Hlophe is a Swazi gospel singer and royal. She was a member of the gospel and worship musical group Women in Praise until she broke out as a solo artist,releasing her debut solo album in 2016. In 2019,Hlophe won Female Artist of the Year,Best Gospel Artist,and Song of the Year at the 3rd Annual MTN SWAMA Awards. From 2019 to 2022,she took a hiatus from her music career. During her hiatus,she married Prince Majahonkhe Dlamini,a son of Mswati III,becoming a member of the Swazi royal family with the title Inkhosikati LaHlophe. Hlophe returned to performing in 2022 with the launch of a live album and a performance at The Great Revival in Mbabane.