Speech of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Senator Pholile Shakantu, at the Official Launch of the October Festival on 10 September 2026
Today is a milestone for our creative industry.
Long before formal stages and theatre buildings, performance in Eswatini lived through oral storytelling, music, dance and traditional ceremonies, preserving the nation’s history, identity and community values.
During the colonial period, European residents introduced Western-style amateur drama, operetta and musical theatre in Mbabane, presenting productions in community spaces, including Coronation Park. This movement led to the establishment of the Mbabane Theatre Club in 1963, providing a permanent home for rehearsals and performances. Tom Bailey produced and directed works such as Macbeth and A Doll’s House. Richard E. Grant performed in productions including WaWa, while Dieter Abb, Clemence and Steve Mitchell contributed through lighting, set construction and other technical roles.
Eswatini’s theatre history also belongs to Emaswati who entered these spaces and told their own stories. In 1989, Matiwane Manana established People’s Educational Theatre, creating productions rooted in siSwati language, culture and community life. That year, Modison Salayedvwa Magagula founded Siphila Nje Drama Society, taking theatre into schools, communities and Tinkhundla centres. The Siyavuka and Matiwane Manana festivals created platforms for local performers and new audiences. Sindi Nxumalo and Khethabahle Mthethwa were among the pioneering black members serving on Theatre Club committees.
The journey continues onto Dzeliwe Street, formerly Johnson Street and renamed after Queen Regent Dzeliwe Shongwe. Today, Bahle Gallery, Embiveni Meat Plaza and Genesis Ekucaleni Media help make it a vibrant creative corridor. During the October International Theatre Festival, the street will become an open stage, uniting theatre, music, dance, visual art and community together.
May I extend a special thank you to the CEO of the City of Mbabane and the entire Mbabane City Council for agreeing to host the festival. Mbabane is the home of theatre in our country, and it carries a proud history that everything about the resilience and spirit of artists in this city.
I also want to recognize the founding Director of the October Festival, Mr. Larry Mhlanga.
Larry is an accomplished Actor, Creative Director, Arts Manager, Producer, Choreographer, and Performing Artist with more than 25 years of experience. His expertise spans event management, theatre, film, television, radio production, talent development, and international touring.
He currently serves as Operations Manager for the SABC Crown Gospel Music Awards and Operations Manager for the NACA Awards. Larry founded the internationally acclaimed PelePele Arts Academy, which has put Eswatini talent on global stages. He has directed major productions both locally and internationally, including Maria The Musical, Makhanda Khanda, and the King’s Birthday celebrations. He has trained community and school groups across the country, and for the past three years he has served as Chief Adjudicator for the Inyatsi Schools Drama Competition. Larry also coordinates international cultural exchanges, and he develops creative projects that empower African artists, promote cultural identity, and strengthen communities.
Thank you, Larry, for conceptualizing this brilliant idea. The October Festival has come at exactly the right time, when our nation needs a revival of its theatre.
His Majesty recently opened the ICC, which houses a state of the art theatre. That venue now needs quality local productions to fill it, to challenge it, and to make it come alive. The October Festival is positioned to do that work.
We also appreciate the training our local artists will receive from visiting artists during the festival. Exchange is how we grow. When our performers learn new techniques, when our directors work with new methods, and when our technicians share skills, the whole ecosystem gets stronger.
To our partners, sponsors, and audiences we invite you to partner with the October Theatre Festival. To our artists: this is your stage. To Mbabane: thank you for once again opening your doors to theatre.
May I now take this opportunity to declare the October Theatre Festival Officially launched !
