By Musa Mdluli

MBABANE:Business Eswatini (BE) and the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) have ignited a formal collaboration aimed at safeguarding the nation’s economy and communities, the organization for businesspeople said through a press statement sent to this Swaziland News on Tuesday.

“The high-level engagement, held at the BE offices, moved beyond ceremony to establishing a concrete, action-driven partnership, setting an optimistic and collaborative tone for the year ahead. The meeting, led by REPS’ Deputy National Commissioner and Director of Community Safety, Ms. Wendy Hleta, on behalf of the National Commissioner of Police, began with a profound expression of gratitude. REPS took time to reflect on BE’s recent “Appreciation Event of the Malagwane Cooling Station,” which, according to them, had served as a critical morale booster for a police force that has often felt underappreciated. This gesture of recognition from the captains of industry was described as a pivotal moment; warming relations and creating the foundation for transparent dialogue,” reads the statement in part.

Business Eswatini Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Nathie Dlamini was present during the collaboration meeting.

“With a shared vision for 2026, the two entities agreed that sustainable economic growth is inextricably linked to national security and social stability. The dialogue swiftly progressed to substantive issues, with REPS raising the alarm on evolving criminal trends that directly threaten business integrity and continuity. Key concerns highlighted include the surge in cyber-crime and hacking, which undermines digital business infrastructure, and the dangerous emergence of imposters purporting to be police officers, which erodes trust and enables crime,” Business Eswatini said through the statement.