REMEMBERING DR SIMON SISHAYISEDOLO NXUMALO, THE VISIONARY WHO GAVE US MATSAPHA INDUSTRIAL SITE AND SEBENTA
Dr. Simon Sishayi Nxumalo was a prominent Swazi businessman and politician who played a pivotal role in Eswatini's economic development, particularly in the growth of the Matsapha Industrial Site.
Born on May 2, 1936, at Nkambeni Nxumalo gained prominence through his involvement in politics, where he served as a Member of Parliament and held various leadership positions, including serving as Minister of Natural Resources, Minister of Finance and acting Prime Minister in 1996. He was also appointed by the late King Sobhuza II as Chief Executive Secretary in the formative stages of Tibiyo Taka Ngwane.
The development of the Matsapha Industrial Site, which began in the 1960s, is a key part of Nxumalo's legacy. Recognizing Eswatini's need to diversify its economy beyond agriculture, he advocated for the establishment of a major industrial zone near the town of Matsapha, close to Manzini. The site was designed to attract foreign investment and boost local manufacturing, which was crucial to the country’s efforts to industrialize and create employment opportunities for its citizens.
Dr Nxumalo was educated at Manzini Central School, then St Joseph's Mission School at Mbuluzi and finally at Matsapa Swazi National High School. There is no record of Dr Nxumalo´s higher education training yet he held prominent positions in government and influenced the country´s economic development. The development of Matsapha industrial site is a testament of his visionary leadership.
For four years he taught in schools at Nkambeni and Mhlambanyati, from 1954 to 1958, then he crossed into South Africa to work in the Johannesburg gold mines. In February 1960 he returned to Eswatini and went into business as a livestock dealer. His campaign against adult illiteracy began in December 1961 when he arranged a public meeting and formed a committee which established the Sebenta National Institute.
Initially supported by private donations later aided by the Eswatini government and UNESCO, the Institute organised volunteers to go to villages teaching peasants to read and write. Dr Nxumalo subsequently became Director of the Sebenta National Institute and in 1971, even though then a cabinet minister, he became chairman and launched a seven-year programme aimed at eliminating adult illiteracy completely.
From 1965 to 1967 he was a King’s envoy, journeying to many countries in Africa as well as Europe, Asia and America. On April 20, 1967, he was elected to Parliament as an Imbokodvo candidate and became a junior minister as Minister of State for Finance, Commerce and Industry. At independence on September 6, 1968, he joined the cabinet as Minister of Commerce, Industry and Mines.
He was the Swaziland delegate to the meeting of the Organisation of African Unity at Addis Ababa in 1971. He led the delegation for the important mineral negotiations in England in June 1972. After a successful election campaign he became Minister for Industry, Mines and Tourism in the cabinet formed on June 2, 1972. His political career started when he founded the Swaziland Democratic Party in 1962.
The following year his cousin Dr Allen Nxumalo joined forces and became President of the SDP while he ran the party organisation as Secretary General. He took part in the constitutional conference held in London in January and February 1963. After defeat in the first elections for the Legislative Council in June 1964 he left the Swaziland Democratic Party in October 1964.
The party was dissolved in April 1965. Nxumalo was instrumental in creating policies that encouraged investment, and he worked with international stakeholders to secure funding and infrastructure support. The Matsapha Industrial Site soon became the hub of Eswatini's industrial sector, home to numerous factories and businesses involved in textiles, food processing, and other manufacturing industries.
This industrial base helped the country reduce its reliance on imports and provided a steady source of revenue and employment. Dr Nxumalo's contributions to the Matsapha Industrial Site, combined with his broader efforts to modernize Eswatini's economy, solidified his reputation as a pioneering figure in the country's development. His legacy remains tied to the economic transformation of Eswatini and the rise of its industrial sector.