By Zweli Martin Dlamini

Commerce, Industry and Trade Minister Mancoba Khumalo must consider securing investors to assist in establishing a factory that will manufacture emahiya and further support the women vendors manufacturing emagcebesha.

Imvunulo is fast becoming expensive for the ordinary Liswati yet a traditional attire should not be an exclusive attire for the rich, it must be produced locally and be affordable.

Emagcebesha are produced locally but we print emahiya outside the country through a local company, the Commerce Minister must prioritize this and ensure that, he facilitates the establishment of the factory before he leaves office.

I am sharing this as an idea and I know the Commerce Minister working with the likes of Business Eswatini Women Chairperson Tokky Hou can implement it, our imvunulo must be a ‘Made in eSwatini’ product.

Furthermore, we must ask ourselves why the local shops selling emahiya are owned by foreign investors, it’s a shame to note that even our own traditional attire is foreign controlled.

Yes, we have professional designers locally but the printing is done outside the country, our traditional attire must be a fully ‘Made in eSwatini’ product.