Reported earlier that His Majesty Ingwenyama Mswati III was attending Global Fund in France hosted by H.E President Emmanuel Macron, aimed at raising funds for the replenishment of the Global Fund which helps to combat HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria strains, increase medical resources.

On Thursday October 10th, addressing the entire congregation, Bayethe firstly expressed gratitude to France for hosting and seeing to it that the fight against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria continued. He noted how since the creation of the Fund, there has been a significant impact in Africa, the Southern African region and the Kingdom of Eswatini saying that prior to this, many people were dying due to the lack of facilities and basic necessities required to ensure that all suffering from this diseases were properly taken care of.

He told the conference that there had since been a dramatic drop in the number of deaths and many lives have been saved. During that he on behalf of the nation pledged US$6 million(E91 million) to the Global Fund.

The kingdom was one of several African countries to make pledges. Other countries like Zimbabwe, Mali, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia, Cameroon, Burundi, Uganda and South Africa also pledge. The kingdom has been a beneficiary of Global Fund assistance since 2003, having received E3, 9 billion (US$265,893,078) about 14 grants.

The Fund's target  of US$14 billion was surpassed as US$14.02 billion was raised after the pledges. Other pledges came from President Macron, Microsoft founder and Bill and Melissa Gates co-founder Bill Gates, as well as from Awards wining singer, songwriter Bono who, on top of a US$60 million they each pledged, announced a further US$100 million commitment which they would raise during the replenishment period. The Replenishment Conference is held every three years and the current cycle will run from 2020 until 2022.

On the sidelines of the Fund's conference, Bayethe met with Japan's Foreign Affairs Minister Keizuke Suzuki. Both His Majesty and Minister confirmed bilateral relations amongst both kingdoms. They held and discussed various issues of mutual interest between the two countries.

I am not sure if His Majesty reconfirmed his presence during the talks at the October 24th's enthronement ceremony of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Naruhito in Tokyo and the dinner which the Imperial Sovereign couple will be hosting after.

Return to the Kingdom:

His Majesty, HRH Inkhosikati LaMahlangu and the Eswatini delegation return to the Kingdom on Saturday where he addressed the kingdom about the pledge at Ludzidzini Royal Residence.

His Majesty explained how important it was for the kingdom to make its first pledge to help other nations as the kingdom has been a recipient of pledges for many years now. He said that "It is all about saving people".

He continue by saying that the conference was attended by the United Nations, Heads of States and business people as well as institutions who wanted to help fight epidemic diseases