There are only 16 working
public ambulances to serve the whole of Swaziland (eSwatini). Another 12 are
off the road in need of repair but there is no money to fix them. The news came
at the same time that the kingdom’s absolute monarch King Mswati III spent an
estimated US$6 million buying 15 luxury Rolls-Royce cars for himself and his wives.
Health and other public
services across Swaziland are
grinding to a halt because the government, whose members are elected but
handpicked by the King, has mismanaged the economy for years.
Dr Simon Zwane, Principal
Secretary in the Swazi Ministry of Health, told parliament that there were
shortages of medicines and blood in public hospitals across Swaziland.
He said patients with cancer, diabetes and blood pressure were among many who
were not receiving medication. The Times of eSwatini quoted Zwane saying, ‘We are managing what we have
and anticipating shortages. And honestly, we don’t have everything in stock.’
Zwane also said there were
only 16 working public ambulances for a population estimated to be 1.2 million.
The Times reported he said ambulances were constantly in need of being
fixed as they were old. There were 28 ambulances in total but 12 had been
grounded for quite some time.
The news about the shortage
of ambulances came at the same time it was revealed that King Mswati had spent an estimated US$6 million on 15
Rolls-Royce cars.
A few days later Swaziland took
delivery of a fleet of 84 BMW cars and 42 BMW motorbikes, which were reportedly
for ‘escort duties’. The cost of these has not been revealed.
The King has a long history of lavish spending. He has
two private airplanes, at least 13 palaces and fleets of top-of-the-range cars.
At his 50th birthday in 2018 he wore a watch
worth US$1.6 million and a suit
beaded with diamonds that weighed 6 kg. Days earlier he
had taken delivery of his second private jet. This one, an Airbus A340, cost
US$13.2 to purchase but with VIP upgrades
was estimated to have cost US$30 million.
Meanwhile, seven in ten of the population live on
incomes less than the equivalent of US$2 per day
See also
Swaziland
King’s purchase of 15 Roll-Royces came from private money, not public funds, PM
says
King
of impoverished Swaziland takes delivery of 79 luxury BMW cars worth US$6
million
https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2019/11/king-of-impoverished-swaziland-takes.html
Swaziland cancer patients refused treatment because Govt. has not paid hospital bills
Swaziland cancer patients refused treatment because Govt. has not paid hospital bills
More
deaths in Swaziland as govt fails to pay medicine suppliers
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