Swaziland Newsletter No. 809 – 12 January 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.
Govt
faces cash flow crisis, failing to pay E700m arrears
By
Stanley Khumalo, Times of eSwatini, 8 January 2024
MANZINI: There is a cash flow crisis in the country, which
has led to government failing to pay arrears reportedly in excess of E700
million.
A cash flow shortage,
according to Growthforce, happens when more money is flowing out of a
business and or an establishment than it is coming in. As such, the website,
which offers expert information on financial management, states that this means
that during a cash flow shortage, an entity might not have enough money to
cover payroll or other operating expenses.
According to impeccable sources, government has in recent weeks been stretched
in meeting its financial obligations, which include settling arrears for local
private hospitals and doctors of over E220 million for services rendered under
Phalala Fund.
The sources claimed that there
were arrears of over E480 million, which were owed to suppliers and service
providers as well. They supposed that the debts had accrued in the third
quarter of this financial year as most of the resources needed in the country
had been poured towards resuscitating the collapsed health sector. This is
because in recent months, government has been settling arrears of the Ministry
of Health to ensure that suppliers were catered for while also ensuring that
there was activity in the economy. The sources proximated the arrears to be in
the region of E700 million and claimed that the delay in their payment could
lead to long-term challenges.
“Inasmuch as government
budgets for each financial year, the revenue inflow is not consistent with the
demands,” the source said. The source explained that when government set
its budget for the year, it projected on revenue collections, which included
the Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU) receipts, which were received
quarterly, tax collection and other streams of income, like fines. The
source explained that currently, the demands by the various sectors of
government were beyond what was available. He said the demands were in all the
sectors government rendered services in and included the payments of grants
(elderly, disability, free primary education (FPE) and the orphaned and
vulnerable children (OVCs). The source said there was also the issue of
scholarships and ensuring the smooth flow of government operations, which
needed to be catered for at all instances.
The source said all these
services needed government to regularly disburse money towards ensuring that
they were flowing without hindrance and when a cash flow crisis ensued, it
destabilised these services. “If the cash flow challenge persists for a
longer period, it leads to issues like schools complaining that they have not
been paid their grants and or other sectors voicing out their challenges in
terms of financing,” the source explained.
The Minister of Finance, Neal
Rijkenberg, acknowledged that there was a cash flow crisis, but said it would
be sorted out this week.
To read more of this
report, click here
http://www.times.co.sz/news/143323-govt-faces-cash-flow-crisis-failing-to-pay-e700m-arrears.html
eSwatini struggling to pay salaries for contract teachers amid
collapsed education system, Union says Government promised to pay on Monday
By Colani Khulekani Maseko, Swaziland News, 6 January
2024
MBABANE: Life is literally a
struggle for qualified contract teachers here in the Kingdom of eSwatini, they
were employed in October 2023 but three (3) months later, they haven’t received
their salaries.
Eswatini is ruled by Mswati
as an absolute Monarch, the country is struggling with the high poverty and
unemployment rate and is among the most unequal countries in the Southern
Africa.
A questionnaire was sent to
Owen Nxumalo,the Minister of Education and Training, however, he had not
responded at the time of compiling this report.
Reached for comments on
Saturday morning, Lot Vilakati, the Secretary General (SG) of the Swaziland
National Association of Teachers (SNAT) confirmed to this Swaziland News that,
contract teachers who were employed in October 2023 have not received their
salaries in three (3) months, Government promised to pay everyone by Monday.
“Contract teachers were
employed in October not December, all contract teachers were invited into a
meeting where everything was addressed. Otherwise government promised to pay
everyone by Monday," said the SNAT SG.
On another note, the
eSwatini Government has been postponing dates when asked about the delayed
salaries, in a previous report published by this Swaziland News, the Government
had promised to pay before Christmas.
12-year-olds exploited in illegal gold mining
By Joseph Zulu, eSwatini News, 6 January 2024
NTFONJENI: The Lufafa Mountain was once revered for painting the
landscape of Hhelehhele with its natural beauty but today, its image has been
tainted by illegal mining an exploitation of children.
The Lufafa Mountain is situated in Hhelehhele under the Ntfonjeni
Inkhundla. In a shocking revelation by concerned residents, children as
young as 12 years, are being exploited as illegal miners in the
mountain. It was gathered that older teenagers are also being used in the
illegal mining, as it is easier for them to get into the small tunnels where
the gold is extracted. However, it was also gathered that most of the children
assist in transporting the soil that is dug out and contains the unextracted
gold.
Child labour remains a pressing global issue, and Africa is no
exception. In the context of illegal mining activities, the exploitation
of children in hazardous conditions, is a grave concern. Many children are
drawn into the web of illegal mining, due to poverty and limited opportunities.
Due to its rich gold deposits, the gold mountain has attracted illegal miners,
informally known as zama zamas.
The zama zamas are said to have dug makeshift tunnels inside the
mountain, risking their lives including those of children. Unlike a normal
mining conditions which ensures safety of the miners, illegal miners lack the
means and the expertise to ensure safety. It was also gathered that
sometimes, the illegal mining takes place during night time and this
compromises their safety even further.
This publication spoke to some residents and also traditional
authorities to shed light on the distressing plight of these young souls and
the alarming state of lawlessness that persists, despite the presence of armed
forces. It was gathered that some of the children participate in the
illegal mining activities in the presence of their parents. The children are
also used in carrying the soil mixture that contains the gold for extraction of
the mineral at a different site, usually a homestead.
In the past, this publication has written about children being used in
illegal cultivation of dagga. However, some children are now being used in the
illegal mining of the gold. Some parents are divided about the use of
children in the illegal mining. One of the parents who spoke on condition of
anonymity, said she would never allow her child but *Maluti said poverty
was the main reason she had no problem with her child getting involved.
“We are living a better life than before because we are able to buy some
food and clothes,” said Maluti. She also said she was aware of the dangers of
the makeshift mines collapsing, but they were advised that during the wet
season, they should avoid it. She insisted that poverty was a driving factor
and that if this was not the case, she would not take the risk. A recent
report by our sister publication, the Times of Eswatini, uncovered the illicit
mining operations taking place at the now treacherous mountain. Also, some
of the illegal mining is said to be operated at an old abandoned mine near
Pigg’s Peak, over 20 kilometres from Lufafa Mountain, where more illegal mining
takes place.
The abandoned mine, known as old Pigg’s Peak Mine is also guarded by
members of the Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF) just like the Lufafa
Mountain. However, despite the security measures in place, the illegal
miners are allegedly brazenly pilfering gold right under the noses of the very
soldiers assigned to prevent such activities.
Security guards are placed at the Lomati Mine which is licensed to mine the
gold at the mountain.
This flagrant disregard for the law, by the zama zamas, is said to have
created an atmosphere of audacity and lawlessness, leaving the authorities
grappling for effective solutions, such that others have suggested that the
soldiers should operate under a rotating roaster. “If the same soldiers keep
guarding the mines for a long time, they may end up being influenced by the
criminals,” said a senior resident.
To read more of this report, click here
http://www.times.co.sz/news/143301-12-year-olds-exploited-in-illegal-gold-mining.html
Swazi PM happy after weeding Mswati’s maize fields
By Pholie Maseko, Swati Newsweek, 7 January, 2024
MBABANE: Thousands of needy
people in eswatini are compelled by poverty to go and weed the King's maize
fields.
The destitute young men and
old men then live in the King's compound (emalawini). They neglect their homes
hoping to get food and jobs from the King. Poverty forces them to rely on the
king.
In most case they are given
alcohol, meat and pap when weeding the fields. They also get little cash.
Poverty is caused by misuse of
public funds in eswatini. The Swazi nation fork out E1 billion a year for the
upkeep of the Swazi Monarchy.
The Prime minister said, “Today
I had the great pleasure of joining emabutfo at the weeding of the Mfabantfu
Royal Fields. This is a voluntary exercise in which emaSwati honour our culture
as well as the call to make Eswatini food secure. It is pleasing to see
emaSwati, particularly young people, taking part in such celebrations of our
beautiful culture,” said Dlamini the appointed prime minister of eswatini.
Mentally ill patients kept in police cells
By Sabelo
Ndzinisa, eSwatini News, 6 January 2024
MBABANE: A Ministry of Health
employee has revealed that in Pigg’s Peak, mental patients were detained at the
police station due to, among other things, the shortage of nurses in the public
hospital.
This civil servant, employed as a nurse at Pigg’s Peak Government
Hospital, testified before CMAC Commissioner that he worked at the psychiatric
hospital in Manzini for over 20 years, before being transferred to Mankayane
Government Hospital and finally to Pigg’s Peak. He testified that he was
currently based at the psychiatric unit in Pigg’s Peak.
He was testifying in a matter currently before CMAC, where hospital
orderlies are challenging government’s decision to pay them at different scales
despite that they are doing the same duties. The nurse also testified that the
patients in question were taken to the police cells for security reasons.
Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Senior
Superintendent Phindile Vilakati said the arrangement to keep mentally ill
patients in police cells was not isolated to Pigg’s Peak Police Station. “This
happens in all the police stations where mentally ill patients considered to be
violent are referred to police custody for security reasons before they are
transferred to the Psychiatric Centre,” Vilakati stated briefly.
According to some police officers, who asked not to be mentioned, it is
not unusual for them to house people who were mentally ill at the police
station, pointing out that it was not easy to determine how many people had
been housed there throughout the month or year, as such incidents were
frequent.
“This usually happens when the person who had been admitted became
violent due to mental challenges. Unlike the Manzini Psychiatric Centre, which
is able to house mentally ill patients even when they become violent, this is
not the case at the Pigg’s Peak Government Hospital. It is not safe to house
them in the hospital as they could end up damaging the equipment or furniture
there.”
Further, the officer alleged that most people who were brought in
with mental illness appeared to have a drug use problem, pointing out
that in almost all reports, the medical personnel indicated that the behaviour
was drug-induced.
The witness testified that from his observation, the duties done by the
orderlies between the two different institutions were similar in that it
required somebody to clean. He said the entry requirements were that the person
would be from around that community, physically fit and strong. The nurse said
there were no special qualifications and the work required on-the-job-training.
He further pointed out that the risks varied between the different
wards, making an example that the TB wards carried the risk of exposure to
contagious diseases, while maternity wards carried more risks, as the patients
were inclined to develop mental problems and attempt to manhandle the hospital
personnel, whereas with the mental patients, there was a high exposure of
violence on admission and thereafter, they are sedated and separated
indifferent wards.
Research by this publication revealed that psychological therapies can
be helpful for most people affected by mental health issues. For some mental
health conditions, medications can also be helpful. Other support options
include counselling, peer support, and community support services.
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