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Friday 6 September 2024

Swaziland Newsletter No. 843 – 6 September 2024

 Swaziland Newsletter No. 843 – 6 September 2024

News from and about Swaziland, compiled by Global Aktion, Denmark (www.globalaktion.dk) in collaboration with Swazi Media Commentary (www.swazimedia.blogspot.com), and sent to all with an interest in Swaziland - free of charge.


Daughter of South Africa’s ex-president Zuma to be eSwatini king’s 16th wife

By Rachel Savage and agencies, The Guardian (UK), 3 September 2024

SOURCE

Engagement of Nomcebo Zuma, 21, to King Mswati, 56, confirmed at annual Umhlanga reed dance

A daughter of the former South African president Jacob Zuma and the king of Eswatini, formerly Swaziland, have become engaged during a traditional ceremony in which Nomcebo Zuma was among hundreds of women and girls dancing for the monarch.

Zuma, 21, appeared on Monday night at the annual reed dance as the liphovela – the royal fiancee or concubine – and will become King Mswati III’s 16th wife.

The 56-year-old king has led Africa’s last absolute monarchy since taking power in 1986, days after his 18th birthday, and has been criticised for his lavish lifestyle while most of the population lives in poverty.

The days-long reed dance is a traditional rite of womanhood, with young women singing and dancing bare-chested, wearing traditional clothing that includes anklets and thick colourful tassles, some carrying mock swords and shields.

Also known as the Umhlanga, it was regarded as an example of Eswatini’s “graceful” culture, said Bianca Dlamini-Holman, a Swazi influencer, in a 2023 YouTube vlog about that year’s dance. About 5,000 people attended this year’s celebrations at the Ludzidzini royal village in Lobamba.

It is not the first time King Mswati, who has dozens of children, has announced a much younger bride at the Umhlanga. In September 2005, 17-year-old Phindile Nkambule was presented as his 13th fiancee at a reed dance, with the BBC reporting at the time that she had caught his eye at the main dance the previous month.

Just days before, the king had rescinded a ban on sex for and with girls under 18, which he had implemented in an effort to fight HIV/Aids. Two months after imposing the ban in 2001, Mswati fined himself a cow for breaking his own rule by taking a 17-year-old as his ninth wife, according to the BBC.

The king rules the country of 1.2 million people by decree, with political parties banned and elected officials only existing in an advisory capacity.

In 2003, Mswati’s 10th wife, Zena Mahlangu, was abducted, aged 18, while preparing for her A-level exams, her mother, Lindiwe Dlamini, who fought an unsuccessful legal battle to have her daughter returned, alleged.

The king’s latest bride also comes from a large polygamous family. Jacob Zuma, 82, has been married six times and currently has four wives and more than 20 children.

He was South Africa’s president from 2009-18, when he was forced to resign by his African National Congress party after a series of corruption allegations. The shrewd political operator upended the country’s elections earlier this year, when his new uMkhonto we Sizwe party came third, with 14.6% of the vote.

 

Nomcebo Zuma (3rd L) and one of the king’s daughters, Princess Sakhizwe (2nd L), sing and dance with other young women during the Umhlanga reed dance. Photograph: Emmanuel Croset/AFP/Getty Images

See also

Eswatini-Zuma Marriage: political, economic, and social implications for Eswatini and South Africa

https://lansinginstitute.org/2024/09/03/eswatini-zuma-marriage-political-economic-and-social-implications-for-eswatini-and-south-africa/

Political power play or family ties? Views vary on Eswatini-Zuma marriage

https://www.voanews.com/a/political-power-play-or-family-ties-views-vary-on-eswatini-zuma-marriage-/7766067.html

Ex-SA president Zuma’s daughter adorned with emagwalagwala

http://www.times.co.sz/news/146882-ex-sa-president-zuma%E2%80%99s-daughter-adorned-with-emagwalagwala.html

Inkhosikati LaGija spends over ten years without seeing King Mswati, under punishment for previously escaping from the Palace amid allegations of physical abuse by husband.

https://swazilandnews.co.za/fundza.php?nguyiphi=7265

 

eSwatini Government foreign registered rented cars used to hunt and kill human rights defenders

By Musa Mdluli, Swaziland News, 3 September, 2024

SOURCE 

MBABANE: In a country where the law including traffic laws are applied to the ordinary citizens, police officers who are sometimes converted to be ‘hitmen’ for the King Mswati cruel and oppressive regime, are allowed to drive around with foreign registered cars pasted with a police number plate on top.

An alleged foreign registered Toyota Hilux GD6 with a police number plate GSD 520 PO pasted on top, was seen at the SwaziPlaza Mbabane Police Post on Tuesday morning, these cars are allegedly used either to hunt human rights defenders or kidnap children or ordinary citizens to be murdered for alleged ritual purposes.

Government would then issue a statement blaming foreigners traveling in foreign registered cars when in fact, these are alleged State agents on ‘State duties’.

Senior Superintendent Phindile Vilakati,the Police Spokesperson declined to comment.

Reached for comments by this Swaziland News on Tuesday, Sibongile Mazibuko, the President of the Ngwane National Liberatory Congress (NNLC) first thanked this publication for exposing the suspicious cars, she then urged the public to take pictures and sent to the editor wherever they see these vehicles.

“These vehicles are also allegedly used to kill citizens particularly during Incwala ritual ceremony, so we thank the Swaziland News for monitoring this. We urge citizens to take pictures of these vehicles including their drivers so that, when a child or a citizen disappears, we can ask those people. You will recall that, the vehicle that abducted a child at Nyanyali during Incwala was also foreign registered and the police later came-in to assault and intimidate the mother for demanding her child. There’s absolutely no reason to paste a number plate on top just to cover the original one, it’s illegal and if I can do this, the police could arrest me. Why cover a number plate if the vehicle is clean and used for genuine assignments?”, said the NNLC President.

Tinyanga to hospitals: refer some patients to us

By Thokozani Mamba, Times of eSwatini, 5 September 2024

SOURCE 

SITEKI: Traditional healers (tinyanga) want hospitals to be empowered to refer some patients to them for treatment in healing huts known as tindumba.

Such referral prescriptions have to be authorised by the Ministry of Health. Yesterday, close to 100 tinyanga from across the country converged at the Siteki Town Council Hall, to commemorate the World Traditional Medicine Celebration Day. Chairman of the Traditional Witchdoctors Association (TWDA), Makhanya Makhanya, thanked the World Health Organisation (WHO), Ministry of Health and Georgetown University (GU) for the working partnership with tinyanga.

Makhanya said as traditional healers, they are impressed with the attention and recognition extended by the health organisations. The chairman then requested the ministry to foster a long-term working relationship with them, by ensuring the ministry formulates referral prescriptions to documented tinyanga, so they can be treated at their tindumba. He mentioned that the association will also issue referral prescriptions to health facilities if their patients need the attention of medical practitioners.

To read more of this report, click here

http://www.times.co.sz/news/146937-tinyanga-to-hospitals-refer-some-patients-to-us.html

 

Supreme Court decision upholding repressive security laws is a blow to human rights

International Commission of Jurists, 30 August 2024

SOURCE 

The Supreme Court Judgment paves the way for ongoing repression of freedom of expression in the Kingdom.

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) is concerned that an ill-considered judgment issued on 13 August 2024 by Eswatini’s Supreme Court will allow for the continued overexpansive use of national security and counterterrorism laws to violate human rights and fundamental freedoms.

The Court’s decision in Prime Minister of Eswatini and Another v. Thulani Maseko and Six Others overrules a 2016 decision of the High Court, which had declared draconian provisions of the Sedition and Subversive Activities Act of 1938 and the Suppression of Terrorism Act No. 11 of 2008 to be unlawful.

The ICJ now calls on Eswatini to repeal the Sedition and Subversive Activities Act and the Suppression of Terrorism Act or to amend them to comply with Eswatini’s international legal obligations and ensure full compliance with international law.

“Over a long period of time, the Eswatini government has abused these already problematic laws to criminalize freedom of expression, target human rights defenders, and harass, intimidate, and ultimately silence those who  exercise their right to public and political participation, including the political opposition in the country,” said Kaajal Ramjathan-Keogh, ICJ’s Africa Director.

The ICJ considers that these laws are vague and overbroad, in contravention of the principle of legality, and non-compliant with Eswatini’s international legal obligations to protect freedom of expression, association, assembly, and political participation.

The overbreadth of these laws and their abuse by the Eswatini authorities was in stark evidence by the conviction and sentencing of Members of Parliament Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza to 85 years and Mthandeni Dube to 58 years in July 2024. The charges, which arose in the context of widespread protest for democratic reform in Eswatini in June 2021, have been characterized by the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights as “politically motivated”. The accused had neither committed nor encouraged the commission of any acts of violence but merely had exercised their right to freedom of expression in advocating that members of Eswatini society should exercise human rights and advocate for democratic reform.

“The newly rendered Supreme Court ruling, along with the prosecution and conviction of Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube for the exercise of their rights, represents a continuation of the weaponization of the law in Eswatini to suppress political opponents and human rights defenders,” added Ramjathan-Keogh.

To read more of this report, click here

https://www.icj.org/eswatini-supreme-court-decision-upholding-repressive-security-laws-is-a-blow-to-human-rights/

 

Sex workers hold indaba, fear monkeypox

By Sabelo Ndzinisa, eSwatini News, 31 August 2024

SOURCE

MBABANE: As the kingdom prepares for what promises to be a hectic weekend of events, there are health concerns related to sex workers and the monkeypox threat.

The country will be hosting a triple-header of high-profile events, including the Reed Dance Ceremony, Eswatini International Trade Fair and the bike event to be hosted at the Rider’s Ranch at Sidvokodvo. It is anticipated that a number of visitors from different countries will attend some of these events. There was an indaba for sex workers in the country yesterday, at SibaneSami Hotel, in Ezulwini, where they raised a number of concerns. They complained of being excluded from important health discussions, alleging that they are not educated about how they can protect themselves from diseases like HIV/AIDS and Mpox formerly known as monkeypox. Important to note is that the Ministry of Health was represented during this indaba, along with the Human Rights Commission and Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.

It has also been gathered that police were invited to be part of the meeting, but allegedly did not show up, according to Lungile Khumalo, who handles sex workers’ issues in the country.  

Khumalo admitted to Eswatini News that sex workers are vulnerable to diseases because they are not educated or capacitated on how to protect themselves. She said due to financial vulnerability, some sex workers are allegedly raped and abused by clients, exposing them to infections like HIV/AIDS. “Socially, sex workers are treated badly, which explains why they are not included in educational health programmes. We have noted a sharp rise in HIV/AIDS infections among them, because they are not educated on health preventative measures,” she said. Khumalo said it was time for government to change the mindset towards sex workers and embrace them  as part of society. She stated that during the indaba, the sex workers admitted that they feel left out, not just on health education, but job opportunities as well.   

To read more of this report, click here

http://www.times.co.sz/news/146866-sex-workers-hold-indaba-fear-monkeypox.html

 

SWAZI MEDIA COMMENTARY

Find us:

Blog: https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/

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Friday 30 August 2024

Swaziland Newsletter No. 842 – 30 August 2024

 Swaziland Newsletter No. 842 – 30 August 2024

News from and about Swaziland, compiled by Global Aktion, Denmark (www.globalaktion.dk) in collaboration with Swazi Media Commentary (www.swazimedia.blogspot.com), and sent to all with an interest in Swaziland - free of charge.

 

Army ready to prevent unrest - minister

By Siboniso Nkambule, Times of eSwatini, 27 August 2024

SOURCE 

LOBAMBA: The Acting Minister of National Defence and Security, Pholile Shakantu, has assured senators that the Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF) remains vigilant to prevent a recurrence of the June 2021 unrest. While emphasising the military’s readiness, Shakantu highlighted that the true priority lies in fostering peace among emaSwati. She also stressed the importance of promoting peace across all sectors of the nation’s structures, urging collective efforts to ensure stability. This was disclosed yesterday, when the Ministry of National Defence and Security was presenting its first quarter performance report for the year 2024/25 financial year before its Senate portfolio committee.

The committee members had questioned the minister about the army’s readiness to protect the country against foreign elements that would want to disturb peace. Senator Fezeka Dlamini said there were elements that infiltrated the country in 2021.Dlamini asked for the ministry’s assurance, questioning what they were doing to ensure that what happened during the June 2021 unrest was not repeated. She said emaSwati love peace and they appreciate it in the country. Adding, Dlamini mentioned that they were happy to see that the national airspace was safeguarded, both in peace and wartime. She, however, raised concerns about the aircraft that need to undergo major servicing, but due to a lack of budget, that mandate was not achieved.

To read more of this report, click here

http://www.times.co.sz/news/146800-army-ready-to-prevent-unrest-minister.html

See also

Foreign Affairs Minister Pholile Dlamini-Shakantu says army ready to ‘shoot and kill’ those who might trigger another political unrest.

https://swazilandnews.co.za/fundza.php?nguyiphi=7235

 

International team of investigative journalists to take over human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko’s assassination case as a ‘special project’

By Musa Mdluli, Swaziland News, 28 August, 2024

SOURCE 

MBABANE: A team of highly skilled international investigative journalists is expected to commence a high-level investigation into human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko’s assassination.

This was confirmed by Zweli Martin Dlamini, the editor of this Swaziland News who urged the public to assist in ensuring the success of the investigation.

“I was contacted two weeks ago by an international human rights organization and formally informed that, the investigation by the international investigative journalists will commence soon. We urge the public to assist the journalists with any information, potential sources will be contacted anonymously and the journalists are skilled in the gathering of information and protection of sources”, said the editor.

Dlamini said the assassination of the human rights lawyer, remains an unresolved case of international interest, he urged more human rights organizations, including those under the United Nations (UN), to consider commissioning more independent investigations to investigate the death of the lawyer.

Maseko, the Chairperson of the pro-democracy MultiStakeholder Forum (MSF) was assassinated at the peak of the political unrest and, at the time, he was preparing for a political dialogue as recommended by the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

 

The late human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko


eSwatini to roll out first women-controlled HIV prevention product

News Release, IPPF, 26 August 2024

SOURCE 

IPPF’s [International Planned Parenthood Federation] Member Association in Eswatini, the Family Life Association of Eswatini (FLAS), is soon to roll out the first women-controlled HIV prevention product, the dapivirine vaginal ring (DVR). FLAS will be among the first organisations to offer the DVR outside implementation or pilot studies anywhere in the world. Made of flexible silicone, the ring is inserted into the vagina by a woman and slowly releases the antiretroviral drug dapivirine in the vagina over a one-month period, helping to reduce a woman’s risk of acquiring HIV.

In 2023, in sub-Saharan Africa, women and girls accounted for 62% of all new HIV infections and every week, 3100 adolescent girls and young women aged 15–24 years [LM5] became infected with HIV. Therefore, there continues to be an urgent need for HIV prevention methods that females can use to protect themselves.

The DVR is a product women can control themselves and use without the knowledge or consent of their partners, unlike condoms, which men often refuse to use. The DVR is inserted into the vagina and left for a one-month period, where it can then be replaced each month for continued protection. Unlike daily oral PrEP, the DVR does not rely on remembering to take a pill each day and is also discreet as it stays inside the vagina throughout the month.

The DVR does not prevent pregnancy or other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), so women choosing to use the ring may want to consider combining it with condoms and methods of contraception.

The availability of the DVR is an exciting step in supporting women’s autonomy and choice in HIV prevention. This need for women-controlled HIV prevention products has long been advocated for, with the African Women Prevention Community Accountability Board launching the HIV Prevention Choice Manifesto in early 2023. The Choice Manifesto prioritises the principle of choice to ensure that women and girls have the right to choose which HIV prevention methods work for them. Currently the ring is available at selected facilities through implementation studies across six countries in East and Southern Africa; South Africa, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini, and Uganda.

To read more on this, click here

https://www.ippf.org/media-center/eswatini-roll-out-first-women-controlled-hiv-prevention-product

 

Arrests looming in home affairs investigation

By Ntombi Mhlongo, Times Sunday, 25 August 2024

SOURCE 

MBABANE: The net is closing in on civil servants who are implicated in the fraudulent activities at the Ministry of Home Affairs.

This is because the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), which has been conducting investigations, has reportedly completed its work. This publication has gathered that the ACC has completed its work and around 10 officers are set to face the music. Having concluded the investigation, it was gathered that ACC officers were already working on an application to obtain warrants of arrests for the implicated individuals. Sources revealed that if all goes according to plan, the arrests would be effected in the next coming days. Called for comment, ACC Acting Commissioner Maphevu Mkhatjwa said while the commission has completed its investigation, he could not say when the arrests would be effected. Mkhatjwa argued that it was not wise to reveal anything, as such would jeopardise whatever investigation they carried out. He then referred this reporter to ACC Spokesperson Jabu Phakathi who, however, told this reporter that she was not aware of any planned arrests.

Phakathi reminded this reporter that the entity operates within the ambit of the law which prohibits the disclosure of information or details of any person who is the subject of an enquiry or investigation. The ACC has a three-pronged legal mandate of prevention whereby it is supposed to examine practices and procedures and advice on ways of preventing corruption.

It also has an education role of empowering the public and private bodies and the general public on the forms and dangers of corruption.  Furthermore, the ACC has the function of investigation which is to receive and investigate complaints of alleged or suspected corrupt practices made against any person, and refer appropriate cases to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).  

To read more of this report, click here

http://www.times.co.sz/news/146757-arrests-looming-in-home-affairs-investigation.html

 

Imbali warned against same-sex relations

By Sibusiso Shange, Times of eSwatini, 28 August 2024

SOURCE 

LUDZIDZINI: Imbali has been warned against engaging in same sex relations during the course of the Reed Dance. The annual Reed Dance, known as Umhlanga, is an annual event where maidens from all four regions of the country assembly in one place, for the fetching of reed from swamps, with instruction from His Majesty King Mswati III. The reed is then used to cover enclosures (emaguma) in the country’s royal residences and royal kraals.

During the event, which is aimed at encouraging the girl child to preserve her purity, the young girls are afforded the opportunity to showcase their chastity before Their Majesties and the entire world.  The event is not limited to emaSwati, but open to other African tribes with the same belief. The maidens were yesterday warned against engaging in the act, upon arrival to register for the event at Ludzidzini Royal Residence. “You are warned against engaging in same sex relationships during the course of the event. War unto those who will be found to have engaged in same sex relations here,” said one of the tindvuna repeatedly.  

[…]

The young girls were also warned against singing vulgar songs during the event. They were further warned against artificial hair and urged to maintain natural hair.The indvuna went on to warn the maidens against wearing leggings, sun shades and miniskirts, as well as going to other events, such as the Trade Fair.

“You are strictly warned against loitering. No one is expected to be found at the Gables without valid reasons. You are also warned against littering,” warned the indvuna.

The young girls were also warned against engaging in sexual relations during the course of the event. 

To read the full report, click here

http://www.times.co.sz/news/146822-imbali-warned-against-same-sex-relations.html

 

SWAZI MEDIA COMMENTARY

Find us:

Blog: https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/

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Friday 23 August 2024

Swaziland Newsletter No. 841 – 23 August 2024

 Swaziland Newsletter No. 841 – 23 August 2024

News from and about Swaziland, compiled by Global Aktion, Denmark (www.globalaktion.dk) in collaboration with Swazi Media Commentary (www.swazimedia.blogspot.com), and sent to all with an interest in Swaziland - free of charge.

 

Uphold rights to freedom of association, expression, and assembly

Human Rights Watch, 16 August 2024

SOURCE 

On August 13, Eswatini’s Supreme Court overturned a 2016 High Court decision that declared several repressive provisions of the 1938 Suppression of Terrorism Act (STA) and 2008 Sedition and Subversive Activities Act (SSA) invalid.

The 2016 High Court decision had declared that several sections of SSA and STA violated the rights to freedom of association, expression, and assembly, guaranteed in Eswatini’s Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, to which Eswatini is party.

The 2016 decision combined four separate applications to the High Court brought by six activists.

The activists, who included the late human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko, Mario Masuku, leader of the banned People's United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), and Maxwell Dlamini, leader of PUDEMO’s youth wing, had been separately charged under the SSA for allegedly making subversive statements and sedition. They had also been charged under the STA for allegedly “chanting slogans of a terrorism nature,” “wearing t-shirts which bore terrorist demands at the back,” and participating in a demonstration calling for a boycott of elections.

The activists argued that the STA, which criminalizes support for a proscribed entity and prevented individuals from challenging that label, infringed on their right to due process and administrative justice.

Political parties have been banned in Eswatini since 1973.

The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the High Court’s ruling will embolden the government to ramp up its ongoing crackdown on opposition, human rights, and pro-democracy activists and weaponize the criminal justice system. This ruling is the latest in a worrying trend of authorities employing vague and overly broad provisions of terrorism laws to suppress freedom of association, expression, and assembly. In July, two former members of parliament, Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube, were sentenced to prison terms of 25 and 18 years respectively for participating in and supporting pro-democracy protests in 2021.

This week, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), of which Eswatini is a member, will hold its 44th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State in Harare, Zimbabwe. The SADC should prioritize the deteriorating human rights crisis in Eswatini and take decisive action. It’s imperative the Eswatini government repeal these repressive laws and ensure full respect for fundamental freedoms and human rights.

See also

Eswatini upholds contentious anti-terrorism, anti-sedition and subversive activities laws

https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-08-14-eswatini-upholds-contentious-anti-terrorism-anti-sedition-and-subversive-activities-laws/

 

Partnership brings the fire for human rights and the Sustainable Development Goals

By Kaylois Henry, (United Nations) Africa Renewal, 21 August 2024

SOURCE 

A festival in Eswatini provided the perfect backdrop to encourage audiences to learn about and protect their human rights.



Lungile Magagula stands in the Eswatini Legal Aid Office booth, surrounded by pamphlets and booklets, holding conversations on how the laws help people access justice and enjoy their human rights. 

“We have different people coming through our stall and we explain to them our mandate, provide legal awareness information, what legal assistance, including representation, could look like,” said Magagula, who is the director of the Office.

Participants found the Eswatini Legal Aid Office and the numerous other booths like hers as they wandered through the “Bring Your Fire Zone” (BYFZ), in the Bushfire Festival, in Eswatini.

At this year’s festival, the “Bring Your Fire Zone” was situated in such a way that people could wander through it or near it as they made their way from the camping sites for the weekend-long festival. Each person, each conversation is a chance for Magagula and others to remind people that their rights are important.

The MTN Bushfire Festival is one of the largest music festivals on the African continent, with more than 20,000 attending this year’s three-day event. Taking place in late May each year, the festival focuses on music, activism and culture as a means to promote positive social and environmental change.

“I bring my fire for access to justice for all, that’s the most important thing you can do,” Magagula said. “And you can never truly ensure that there’s access to justice unless people are actually aware of their legal rights. Unless people are aware of their rights, they can never be able to claim their rights to access justice.”

For the second year. United Nations Eswatini (consisting of UN Human rights, UNICEF, UNDP, UNFPA, WHO, IOM and WFP) partnered with Bushfire in the “Bring Your Fire” events and zone. 

The events and the zone, provide space for discussions, interactions and exchanges among the public, NGOs, UN and other organisations on a variety of human rights issues aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. 

The BYFZ was a great way of reaching a wider variety of people through various means to promote and advocate human rights, said Laila Nazarali, UN Human Rights Office Advisor in Eswatini. 

To read more of this report, click here

https://www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/august-2024/partnership-brings-fire-human-rights-and-sustainable-development-goals

 

Universities feel financial pinch amid political turmoil

Phathizwe Zulu, University World News, 15 August 2024

SOURCE 

The higher education sector in the Southern African kingdom of Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) is facing tough times with two high-profile universities experiencing financing squeezes.

The University of Eswatini (UNESWA), the country’s largest public national higher education institution, and the Southern Africa Nazarene University (SANU) – also public – are struggling with debts. This triggered protest actions in January – for example, from demotivated lecturers whose salaries have been delayed and part-paid and unhappy students who demanded that their delayed state scholarship allowances be paid.

UNESWA is the kingdom’s biggest university, with more than 7,000 students and about 300 staff. It has three campuses, in Kwaluseni, Mbabane and Luyengo.

On the other hand, SANU – a 2010 amalgamation of the Nazarene College of Nursing, Nazarene Teacher Training and the Nazarene College of Theology – had about 2,300 students in 2020, dropping to 1,700 after COVID-19, with numbers continuing to fall to around 1,400 students today.

Their financial malaise continues, with UNESWA in July unable to pay full salaries to staff, said Acting Registrar Richard Masuku in a memorandum: “We regret to inform you that the university will not be able to pay staff their full salaries on payday due to insufficient funds. Each member of staff will receive a portion (93%) of his or her salary. It is hoped that the balance will be paid before the end of next week. The university asks for your forbearance in these difficult times,” it reads.

Unfortunately, the staff received the same memo in June, following other months when full salaries were not paid.

This has sparked industrial action. In February (2024), UNESWA examinations for the second semester of the entry year classes of 2022 and 2023 were postponed by one week at Kwaluseni and Luyengo campuses after lecturers boycotted invigilation over February salary part-payments.

To read more of this report, click here

https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20240813123330530


Motion for Govt to provide foodstuff for hungry passed

By Ntombi Mhlongo, eSwatini News, 17 August 2024

SOURCE 

LOBAMBA: If a motion passed in Parliament yesterday is anything to go by, government will soon provide foodstuff like maize meal, beans, cooking oil and other basic commodities to needy families countrywide.

The motion was moved by Lobamba Lomdzala Member of Parliament (MP) Marwick Khumalo, who moved that the Deputy Prime Minister (DPM), Thulisile Dladla, should make it happen that government provides foodstuff like maize meal, beans, cooking oil and other basic commodities. Khumalo said the motion is necessitated by the fact that there are many citizens of the country who are languishing in abject poverty yet the issue was debated extensively by the House during the Budget Speech early this year.

Khumalo moved that the DPM was required to give a report to the House on how government was planning to pursue or execute the resolution of the House on the matter within seven days. When moving the motion, MP Khumalo submitted that the poverty situation was discussed by the House previously, which was a sign that it was a national issue as it affected almost all the constituencies in the country. Also, Khumalo said, he had engaged with the DPM and the latter shared what she was willing to do. Khumalo said the reality in the country was that poverty was persisting and affecting many families.

In vernacular he said, “Live lilambile. Sive silambile,” which means, “The country is starving, the citizens are hungry”. He said if he were to request all MPs to share their experiences with vulnerable citizens there was a lot that would come out. Also, he said he was sure that none of the MPs could come out and say that they had never been faced with a situation whereby they had to take from the little they had just to assist poverty-stricken families. “I would have to clap hands with that MP because it would mean that they are lucky. Where I come from, you witness poverty in the morning when you wake up and at the end of the day. Now, we can only do so much as parliamentarians but there is a government that is in place and has to play its part,” he said.

To read more of this report, click here

http://www.times.co.sz/news/146616-motion-for-govt-to-provide-foodstuff-for-hungry-passed.html

 

eSwatini turns to nuclear technology to transform agriculture, health care, energy

By Nokukhanya Musi, Voice of America, 17 August 2024

SOURCE 

Manzini: Eswatini has launched an initiative to achieve sustainable development by harnessing the power of nuclear technology in such sectors as agriculture, health and energy planning. The plan was developed with the support of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The aim of the Country Program Framework, or CPF, launched two weeks ago by Eswatini Minister of Natural Resources and Energy Prince Lonkhokhela, is to leverage nuclear technology for social and economic development. Its key focus areas are energy security, food security and human health, aligning with the country’s National Development Plan and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework.

Bongekile Matsenjwa, a chemical engineer and engineering manager for the Eswatini National Petroleum Company, believes the partnership between Eswatini and the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA, can help the country make well-informed decisions about its energy future.

“Access to clean, affordable and safe, reliable energy is an important ingredient for the sustainable development of the country,” he said. “I believe that this partnership can help Eswatini to make knowledgeable decisions on energy supply options with the help of energy planning so the country ... can independently chart our national energy future.”

Sonia Paiva, a sustainable agriculture expert and advocate for nuclear technology, who was a panelist at the COP28 U.N. Climate Change Conference, believes Eswatini’s focus on nuclear technology is happening at the perfect moment, as the country has already established policies around the topic and is now moving toward implementation.

“The whole world is looking to see how we can make our planet a better place to live in,” she said.

In addition to its potential benefits in agriculture and energy, Dr. Mduduzi Mbuyisa, a medical doctor, believes this technology has immense potential to improve the health care system in Eswatini.

“Nuclear medicine has a potential to ensure our diagnostic capabilities such that it helps us to take clearer pictures and help us in advanced imaging because we [are] using what we call PET or SPECT, which help to improve the care and overall health care system," he said. It will also ... help develop new skills and open up new career opportunities.”

Eswatini’s venture into nuclear technology is part of a larger trend of African countries seeking to harness the benefits of this technology. Against the backdrop of rising energy demands and climate change concerns, nuclear energy is increasingly seen as a potential solution.

 

Tear gas bus incident, truth can’t be denied

Comment by Thobeka Manyathela, Times Sunday, 18 August 2024

SOURCE 

The events in Eswatini are currently quite shocking.

Allegations that tear gas was thrown into a bus carrying members of the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) to Mbabane in October 2021 have been verified. One of the buses that transported the teachers from Pigg’s Peak to Mbabane was operated by Classic Bus Service and was intercepted by the police at Nkoyoyo. The police then threw tear gas canisters into the bus and shot rubber bullets at the trapped educators when they tried to flee. Despite the long-standing complaints from the teachers’ organisation, the police and government have consistently denied that such an incident ever occurred.

Despite all these bare denials, the Commission on Human Rights and Public Administration/Integrity, which was investigating this matter, has finally compiled a report of its findings and went on to make recommendations. Although it took them a whole two years to compile a 22-page report, that is a story for another day. In its report, the commission reveals that it interviewed 18 teachers separately and all of them were in agreement as to what exactly transpired that fateful day. Even the driver of the bus corroborated their story.

According to this report, some buses, including the one in question, had stopped at a certain spot near Nkoyoyo. Officers from the Operational Support Services Unit (OSSU) of the police spotted them and drove at high speed towards where they were, against oncoming traffic. The police did not issue any order or instruction for the buses to turn back. Instead, tear gas canisters were discharged as soon as the police officers were close to the buses. When all the people who were on the bus tried to escape to avoid suffocation, they were shot with rubber bullets. Apparently, after such an inhumane act against unarmed professionals, the police left without assessing if any of them required medical attention. The teachers were only assisted by Good Samaritans who transported them to hospitals.

According to the Human Rights Commission (HRC) report, the Police Commissioner at the time did not deny that tear gas was used against the teachers. The only aspect he did not agree with was that tear gas was thrown into the bus. It has now been confirmed that tear gas was indeed thrown into that bus, in what the Human Rights Commission describes not only as excessive force but also a violation of workers’ rights. The incident was described as inhumane, cruel and degrading. This does not reflect well on the country’s image, especially at a time when the country is trying to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) and aiming to be counted among developed nations in the near future.

No serious investor would want to set up a business in a country where unarmed workers are shot at and tear gas is thrown into a bus while they are inside it! I am aware of the allegation by the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) that the shot workers were unruly and pelted the police with bottles of alcohol. The police also argue that the workers’ union had been warned against organising any gathering at that time and that the means used to disperse the workers were proportionate to the circumstances and ‘within the ambit of the law.’ Is throwing tear gas in a confined space like a bus, where someone with asthma could have choked to death, really within the ambit of the law? The HRC’s report found that the police acted in a manner that threatened or violated the rights of workers, including the right to life and protection from inhumane or degrading treatment.

Comply

Additionally, the report stated that this was a violation of the right to freedom of association and assembly, which workers in all democratic countries are entitled to. The National Commissioner of Police’s assertion about the ‘ambit of the law’ was contradicted by the HRC’s finding that the police did not fully comply with the law, which requires them to give advance notice of prohibition of a gathering, allowing for review by a magistrate. In conclusion, this was an opportunity for the government to reflect and strive to do better in upholding workers’ rights.

Unfortunately, Minister of Labour and Social Security Phila Buthelezi, seems to be ignoring this issue, much like an ostrich burying its head in the sand. It seems that Buthelezi is hoping that the issue of gross violation of the teachers’ rights and their shooting with rubber bullets will be forgotten over time – without any consequences or compensation. How can we trust a government that ignores such blatant issues? It’s a joke that government is not being held accountable for its actions.

This is unfair to the teachers, some of whom still bear emotional and physical scars from this incident. Interestingly, when Buthelezi addressed the International Labour Organisation (ILO) back in June, he vehemently denied that teargas was thrown into a bus with passengers. His exact words were, “It has been alleged that some workers were teargased in the past. Nothing of that sort happened. The government or the police have never thrown teargas at a bus full of workers.” However, he did not specify if teargas had been thrown in a bus full of non-workers, and if so, whether that would have been justified. Nonetheless, he seemed very confident in his statement at the annual conference in Geneva, Switzerland.

It will be interesting to hear what Minister Buthelezi will say next June when he and the representatives of Eswatini workers return to Geneva to attend the same conference.
Will he dispute the findings of the Commission on Human Rights and Public Administration, a reputable government agency? Will he ultimately admit that wrongs were committed, take full responsibility and promise accountability on behalf of the government? Minister Buthelezi, will you take responsibility on behalf of the government and show remorse towards the teachers who were hurt, so that the people may at least see you as trustworthy?

We appreciate the establishment of a task team to work on the recommendations of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) regarding the concerns raised by Eswatini workers during the last conference in Geneva. The timing of its announcement, around the same time the HRC report came out, was interesting. However, we hope that the task team will not contradict the Human Rights Commission report, which Minister Buthelezi says he has not seen and, therefore, cannot talk about. Any contradiction would be scandalous and could result in citizens losing confidence in government structures.

SWAZI MEDIA COMMENTARY

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