[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 168 (Thursday, December 22, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2633-E2634]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        WELCOMING THE NEW SWAZI AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED STATES

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 22, 2005

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to welcome the new 
ambassador of the Kingdom of Swaziland to the United States.
  Ambassador Ephraim M. Hlophe presented his credentials to President 
George W. Bush at the White House on Monday, October 3.
  A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, Ambassador Hlophe was 
principal secretary for his country's Ministry of Economic Planning and 
Development, and has served as Swaziland's National Contact Point for 
the Southern African Development Community and as a member of the 
Swaziland Investment Promotion Authority (SIPA).
  Ambassador Hlophe told President Bush that he hopes to see 
``increased attention in the United States toward trade and investment 
opportunities in Swaziland. Our country welcomes American firms to 
explore the many possibilities Swaziland has to offer in mining, 
tourism, manufacturing, agribusiness, and international services.''
  Swaziland, Ambassador Hlophe has explained, ``is working with the 
United States in developing an investment code, and the United States 
is working with the Swaziland Investment Promotion Authority to help 
attract foreign investment. We appreciate the work USAID is doing to 
develop an `investor road map' to identify barriers to foreign 
investment and to form the basis of a new investment code.''
  Mr. Speaker, the lively monthly publication, The Washington Diplomat, 
recently published a profile of Ambassador Hlophe in its biweekly 
``Diplomat Pouch'' newsletter. With no objection, I ask that the 
article by correspondent Anna Gawel be entered into the Record as a 
welcome to Ambassador Ephraim Hlophe.

              [From the Washington Diplomat, Dec. 1, 2005]

              New Swazi Ambassador Hits the Ground Running

                            (By Anna Gawel)

       Shortly after presenting his credentials to President Bush, 
     Ephraim M. Hlophe, the new ambassador of Swaziland, got to 
     work promoting his small Southern African kingdom to 
     Washington audiences.
       Shortly after his arrival, Hlophe met with Rep. Christopher 
     H. Smith (R-N.J.), chairman of the House International 
     Relations Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and 
     International Operations. The ambassador also plans to meet 
     with other members of Congress as well as officials from 
     USAID in the next few weeks.
       Hlophe, a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, is 
     trying to boost foreign investment in areas such as 
     manufacturing, particularly in sugar and textiles, as well as

[[Page E2634]]

     tourism, which is a major draw for Swaziland. ``I'd say the 
     whole kingdom is a tourist attraction area,'' Hlophe noted.
       The ambassador is also working to tackle the more serious 
     issues that his country faces, namely the HIV/AIDS epidemic 
     that continues to plague much of Africa. Swazi King Mswati 
     III is expected to visit Uganda early next year to examine 
     the successful ``ABC'' model (abstain, be faithful and use 
     condoms) that Uganda has been using.
       Like its neighbors, Swaziland has an especially high rate 
     of HIV infection. ``We've seen some significant improvement 
     in terms of people who are willing to be tested so that they 
     benefit from these drugs that are made available through the 
     Global Fund,'' the ambassador said, referring to the Global 
     Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. But as a small 
     kingdom, Hlophe said an aggressive approach that encompasses 
     all the methods of prevention and treatment will be crucial 
     to the king's efforts to combat the epidemic.
       In addition, Hlophe must address the backlash that often 
     stems from the king's rule of what is Africa's last absolute 
     monarchy. Swaziland has been criticized for its lack of 
     democratic reforms and human rights record, particularly with 
     regard to women's rights.
       But Hlophe, a jovial and easygoing man, prefers to 
     highlight the positive advancements his country has made. He 
     pointed to the new constitution scheduled to take effect 
     early next year--Swaziland's first in more than 30 years--
     explaining that the entire country had a hand in its 
     drafting. ``I think that instrument is not the king's 
     instrument. It is our instrument; it is every Swazi's 
     instrument.''
       The king has also been heavily criticized for his many 
     wives, which he often picks out from among a lineup of 
     topless virgins at an annual dance. On the topic of women's 
     rights, Hlophe noted that when he served as principal 
     secretary for the Ministry of Economic Planning and 
     Development, he took over from a woman--a ``visible effort'' 
     that is reflective of the drive to include more women in 
     decision-making roles, something that is often overlooked by 
     the media. ``People always highlight the negative and not 
     highlight the good points,'' he said.

  Mr. Speaker, I invite my colleagues to offer their own expressions of 
good wishes to Ambassador Hlophe as he takes up his post to represent 
Swaziland in Washington. I am certain that he will enjoy a major 
measure of hospitality on the part of the American people.

                          ____________________