The number of deaths from coronavirus in Swaziland
(eSwatini) has broken through the 100 barrier to 101. Meanwhile, the number of
test results announced by the Ministry of Health is falling.
Three new deaths were reported
by the Ministry on Monday. The number of tests reported over the seven days
ended 14 September 2020 were 1,751. This compared to 2,365 over the previous
seven days and 2,306 for the last week of August.
To date 5,104 people tested positive for coronavirus
(COVID-19), according to official Ministry of Health figures. Of these, 4,374
had recovered.
Minster of Health Lizzie Nkosi reported on Monday a
further three people – all aged in their sixties – had died of the virus,
taking the total number to 101.
The number of deaths has risen slowly over the past
weeks. On 1 August the total number of deaths was 43.
Swaziland has failed to get a grip on coronavirus. In
March King Mswati III, the absolute monarch, ordered a partial lockdown of the
kingdom. School and businesses were closed and restrictions on gatherings and
travel were put into place. Many
of these have since been eased.
The economy is broke and in early August
Swaziland secured a US$110 million loan from the International Monetary
Fund to help keep the kingdom going. It also got similar loans from the World
Bank and African Development Bank (AfDB).
To secure the IMF loan the Swazi Government in a
letter promised the IMF, ‘We will contain public wage spending, continuing our
policies of gradual employment reduction and lower-than inflation salary
adjustments. We have commissioned an external review of the extra budgetary
sector with the aim of rationalizing spending and transfers to key state-owned
entities and merge entities with similar mandates over time.’
Later in August, Prime Minister Ambrose Dlamini
announced a
strategic economic recovery plan that would cost E30 billion (US$1.73
billion). The Swazi
Government wants E23 billion of this to be privately financed.
The plan listed 97 specific projects across eight
sectors of the economy that ‘are ready to be implemented within 18-months
beginning of 1 July 2020.’ It said 40,126 jobs would be created.
Observers were sceptical that the plan could be
realised. Swaziland has been trying for more than a decade to reduce the
government’s spending and to encourage private investment, especially from
outside the kingdom. To date these efforts have largely failed.
Swaziland continuously scores poorly in surveys
for the ease of doing business in the kingdom.
See also
Swaziland’s plan to revive
economy after coronavirus ambitious, but unrealistic
Swaziland pledges public
sector job cuts, below inflation wage increases to secure IMF loan
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