dyton mupawaenda
Nqobile Tshili-Bulawayo Bureau
BULAWAYO’S Anglistone Sibanda, a dedicated advocate for climate change and a development practitioner, found himself in a situation he could only dream of a few months ago — dining with King Mswati III of Eswatini.
His journey, which began in collaboration with Kwanele Hlabangane through the African Voluntary Carbon Credits Market Forum, has led to amazing encounters with prominent continental leaders.
In a notable event in July, they hosted the former South African President Jacob Zuma in Victoria Falls at the inaugural carbon credits summit.
Cde Jacob Zuma
Zuma has become a close ally in their climate change fight. His support has opened doors, including an audience with Ingonyama, the royal monarch of Eswatini, documented and shared on social media.
Sharing his awe on Facebook, Sibanda described the experience of entering the Royal Palace and meeting King Mswati III as extraordinary.
“Entering the Royal Palace is a very rare opportunity in a lifetime, meeting the Eswatini King, King Mswati III in his Palace, being His Majesty’s special guests, the Presidential treatment with tight security, being chauffeured in the Presidential motorcade, to spice it up; making a presentation and having the King take a decision in your favor instantly takes extra ordinary grace…” posted Sibanda.
In an interview, Sibanda highlighted that their interactions with high-profile leaders weren’t mere coincidences but a testament to their clear vision.
“If you have an agenda that is relevant, a vision that is pragmatic, a vision that is responsive, you find yourself attracting the attention of those that matter. In this case, we had an idea in the beginning of the year where we were talking about climate issues and this idea has seen us engaging with leaders in Africa in a bid to reverse the impact of climate change on our communities,” he said.
Their efforts in climate change mitigation led to a memorable dinner with King Mswati III, whom Sibanda described as both charming and intelligent.
“It was quite an experience meeting King Mswati III. I wasn’t sure what to expect when an appointment was set up to meet up with him. But I later on realised that not so many people had had direct access to him including the Swatis themselves,” said Sibanda.
“Apparently he is a man, an interesting intelligent man, very firm and he has the human side as he could share laughter and jokes as well. He is quite reasonable, yes he is a king, revered and feared. That royalty experience puts you on a certain pedestal where you begin to say wow.”
Former South African President Zuma played a pivotal role in facilitating their engagement with King Mswati III.
The King welcomed them warmly and arranged a meeting with Eswatini Prime Minister Cleopas Dlamini to explore areas of cooperation.
“It was on that basis that we were invited to come and present to his Majesty King Mswati III. We were discussing the impact of climate change and how Africa can transform itself from being a polluter to be a solution to the world. It was an exciting topic for him and he assigned his Prime Minister to have a meeting with us,” said Sibanda.
Their overarching goal is to position Africa to capitalise on the opportunities presented by climate change.
“Our vision is to see African countries playing a major role in the climate economy, by taking advantage of the natural resources that they have. We want to conscientise our African leaders that you can develop your economies around climate space.”
Sibanda said young people can spearhead projects aligned with the climate change agenda, particularly in agriculture, food security, and pollution control.
“There is money out there as a result of Article VI of the Paris Agreement which states that those companies that are polluting have to pay those that are conserving. So the crusade that we launched across Africa is that let’s develop young climate entrepreneurs who will develop projects and get paid by those who pollute. At the same time, this will attract funding into African countries. We no longer need to be going around with a begging bowl, development aid has been provided through VI of the Paris Agreement,” said Sibanda.
To support their cause, they will host another summit in South Africa, shaping their agenda for the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP 28, scheduled for November to December in Dubai.
Online Reporter