Swaziland is a small kingdom in Southern Africa. Natives to this kingdom are called Swazis, of which I belong. I’m a Statistician by profession and have done several courses in research, quality of service and development. Forums where all nationals can voice their general opinions are very scarce and if for any reason such an opportunity arises, the opinions that are normally given are biased. Sometimes, the opinions are incentivised to produce desired results. So, this is then no at all quality information.

 

However, there is one forum I have identified to be an agent of quality information from the Swazi people. This is where the public calls on the radio station on air to discuss on a chosen topic for the day. I shall discuss in the next section on the nature of topics. This is normally from 13h15 to 14h00 on week days on Swaziland Broadcasting and Information Service.

 

The reasons I conclude that information from the lunch hour discussion is quality encompass the following:

 

  1. It is a national coverage discussion
  2. No age restrictions
  3. No incentives on contributing
  4. Anonymous callers are allowed

 

Possible limitations could be the following:

 

  1. Language barrier, as the programme is purely in SiSwati
  2. Even though it’s not verified, it’s still possible to have areas where the SiSwati Radio channel cannot be reached.
  3. Middle class to top class people may not be keen to participate.
  4. Some people could be engaged over lunch

 

The Nature of Topics

 

I don’t have a strong background on the set up of the programme. However, I did have a conversation with the Station Manager who indicated that the purpose was to engage the public as some other broadcasting services often do.

 

Based on my experience listening to the programme, topics that are covered are based on social environment. Discussed are surface issues that affect the Swazi community. From these topics, one can get insight on tradition, culture, beliefs, politics, etc.

 

What to Expect

 

Basically you can expect anything from this discussion. Some people try to divert the topics to suit their needs, some try to introduce their own topics and many uncalled for comments. But at the end of the day, the information you get is more than valuable. Even though its common understanding that one doesn’t have to use strong language on air, but sometime you do hear it.

 

The Benefit

 

These haphazard topic discussions could seem aimless and time wasting, but I have a surprise for you, its vital and useful information for many focus groups.

 

First, the politicians. It doesn’t matter the system of governance, but politicians play a similar role in all countries. They therefore need this information for decision making and policy formulation. This also puts them in good position to serve their constituancey.

 

Second, the researchers and scholars. I strongly believe that this information can add value to a research paper assignment of any size. This could be for international and local organizations that plan to initiate or in their daily implementation of their plans.

 

Third, the religious leaders. It’s a given that religion plays a very important role in harmonizing the social status of a nation. For example, information on beliefs may mean churches need to change their focus from one subject to the other.

 

Finally, the entrepreneurs. Swaziland is a tricky market. For some reason, some business ideas don’t do well or even fail to work in the Swazi market. The information can help entrepreneurs make informed decision for their projects. For example, lotto failed within the first year of operation.

 

Data Collection Method

 

This is undoubtedly raw data that can be manipulated in any way that suits the user. When the show is running in SiSwati, I record the views of callers in English. My vocabulary is no way questionable because I’m native Swazi and am skilled in interpreting from either language to the other.

 

Your Gift

 

This information is free for use and available online right in this blog. Follow this link to see the information.

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