Swaziland Newsletter No. 818 – 15 March 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.
Girl sexually harassed in class, cops investigate
By Joseph Zulu, eSwatini News, 9 March 2024
MBABANE:
Sexual harassment is now happening during class time.
In a
disturbing incident that shocked a community in the northern Hhohho, a female
pupil was allegedly subjected to sexual harassment during class time at a high
school near Pigg’s Peak. The incident, which occurred approximately a week
ago, has left the community angry and demanding justice. They are complaining
that the alleged perpetrators of the incident are roaming freely.
According to
reports obtained by Eswatini News, the female pupil, *Dela, was
allegedly fondled by her male colleagues, *Juba and *Joko. It is said the
alleged sexual harassment happened in full view of other pupils. The class
teacher is said to have been away at the time of the incident, but was informed
later. It was said to have all started when Juba grabbed Dela and forced
her to sit onto Joko’s lap. Despite her residences, Juba is said to have forced
Dela, who is said to be a teenager to sit on the lap of Joko. After Dela had
allegedly been thrown onto Joko’s lap, Joko is said to have held her tightly,
ensuring that she could not escape.
While Joko
held her, it is alleged that both male pupils then proceeded to fondle her. It
is alleged that Dela had her breasts, buttocks and even private parts
fondled. After the embarrassing incident, Dela is said to have reported
what had transpired to one of the teachers, hoping that this would result in
the punishment of the two boys but this did not happen. Instead, the
teacher is alleged to have said the school’s authorities needed to be informed
about it.
Upon being
informed about the incident, the school’s authorities reportedly advised that
the alleged assault was a criminal matter relating to the Sexual Offences and
Domestic Violence (SODV) Act. The school is then said to have advised that
the matter should be reported to the police because it was now beyond their
authority to act on it.
An enquiry into the matter is said to have been lodged at the Pigg’s Peak
Police Station by officers under the anti-domestic violence unit.
News of the incident quickly spread beyond the confines of the school, reaching concerned parents around the community where the school is situated. It is alleged that some of the parents expressed dismay and sought answers, demanding to know if any action had been taken against the two male pupils, who allegedly fondled the teenager.
In response to growing public outrage, police officers visited the school last
Wednesday to follow up on the incident and gather further information.
The presence
of the police, according to some of the parents is said to have calmed down
some of the angry parents.
Despite the
fact that the affected pupils are reportedly at least 18 years of age, it was
gathered that the police had indicated that they would also engage the parents
because the incident happened within the school setting.
*Not real name
to protect complainant from victimisation.
To
read more of this report, click here
http://www.times.co.sz/news/144273-girl-sexually-harassed-in-class-cops-investigate.html
See also
Teachers in love affairs with pupils
to be fired
http://www.times.co.sz/news/144274-teachers-in-love-affairs-with-pupils-to-be-fired.html
Heatwave
leaves over 1 000 people hungry, 70 cattle dead
Mthunzi
Mdluli, Times of eSwatini, 11 March 2024
LUBULI: The sweltering heatwave caused the death of about 70
cattle and scorched vast acres of crops and vegetation at Lubuli, leaving over
1 000 in dire need of food.
Lubuli is in the Lubombo
Region. Distraught residents said they were experiencing one of the worst
drought spells, which has turned lush vegetation into arid fields of brown
shrivelled crops, in the region known for poverty and hunger. Lubuli
residents believe they were targeted by the dreaded El Niño, which is a climate
phenomenon causing dry weather conditions, when rains are extremely
scarce. National authorities have said the drought will worsen the ailing
food security by drastically reducing the country’s maize harvest, and potentially
increasing the need to import more food. Residents took the Times of
Eswatini on a field trip, where this reporter was shown carcasses cows and
dried up rivers and dams. Some boreholes can no longer produce
groundwater. Lubuli lies in the Lowveld Region, where on some days,
temperatures soar to 40 degrees Celsius.
Horrified farmers said their
crops started drying up between December 2023 and January this year. They
said the situation worsened last month, when the area did not receive a drop of
rainfall. The farmers said due to insufficient rainfall and extreme
temperatures, it was impossible for them to get any harvest from crops this
year. Some of the farmers lamented having spent their savings growing
crops this season. Ntuthwakazi Bucopho Bonginkosi Mabaso said Lubuli had
been perched in dry weather conditions since September 2023, but the worst was
witnessed in October, when the soil lost moisture, resulting in crops
waning. He said the entire Lubuli Constituency, comprising of Bhadlane,
Sinyamantulwa, Ntuthwakazi, KaMngometulu, Ngonini, Mconcwane, among others,
were affected.
Mabaso said some farmers
resolved to plant afresh, with the hope of rains falling towards the end of
2023. “Kushe konkhe emasini (everything was scorched in the fields). We
will not harvest anything this season. Even in 2014, this area was not spared
from El Niño since crops, livestock and rivers dried up. I presume that
farmers will only harvest one or two per cent of what they initially expected,”
said Mabaso. Those likely to reap anything, he said, were those who had planted
crops much earlier, in October last year. Mabaso said when the heatwave
started, he had assumed that it would be a temporary condition, not knowing
that El Niño had struck the whole area. He said: “When some of the rivers
and boreholes dried up, we thought it was the work of the proverbial snake
haunting the area (kunenyoka kulendzawo). The majority of farmers who planted
their fields in December will harvest nothing, since the moisture had long
dried up.”
To read more of this
report, click here
http://www.times.co.sz/news/144300-heatwave-leaves-over-1-000-people-hungry-70-cattle-dead.html
Cyclone Filipo
impact felt in Lubombo
By Wonderboy Dlamini, eSwatini Observer,
14 March 2024
THE eastern part of the Lubombo
region experienced torrential rains in the early hours of yesterday [Wednesday
13 March 2024] as the effects of tropical Cyclone Fillipo which dominated in
Mozambique overlapped to Eswatini.
Many parts of the Lubombo
region, in general, received significant amounts of rainfall between Tuesday
night and yesterday.
The heavy rains were
accompanied with strong winds, which left a trail of destruction in some parts
of the region. As a result of the cyclone, some places and essential centres
were inaccessible due to overflowing rivers and streams. Some of the areas which
were affected included Ka-Langa, Sitsatsaweni, Makhewu and Lomahasha.
Some members of the public took
caution and stayed home after government issued a warning on the cyclone
impact. The overflowing streams and members of the public having opted to stay
away saw Siteki town deserted as some shops were also closed. Siteki Bus Rank
was almost empty as more than 80 per cent of public transport vehicles were not
available. Secretary General of Lubombo Kombi and Mid-bus Association, Cromwell
Shongwe said some public transport operators opted to park their vehicles due
to the unstable weather conditions. Shongwe said most routes; especially gravel
ones, were inaccessible.
Almost all public transport
vehicles that service rural communities were not on the road for the better
part of the day. Shongwe said this was also because some people had opted to
stay home. These included pupils, who commute to school on a daily basis. Most
schools had advised pupils to stay at home.
Meanwhile, Lugongolweni Indvuna
Yenkhundla Jabulani Mamba said there had been minimum damage caused by the
heavy rainfall and strong winds under the inkhundla. Mamba said two homesteads
around Makhewu had their stick and mud houses destroyed by the rains.
Moreover, Mamba said some areas
under the inkhundla were inaccessible due to overflowing streams and
footbridges.
"We currently have a
challenge at Sitsatsaweni whereby residents are unable to cross the Manzamnyama
stream which usually overflows during rainy days," said Mamba.
He also reported that most
parts of the constituency were without electricity for the better part of the
day after some poles were destroyed by the strong winds.
Similar situations were faced
at Maphungwane, Tikhuba and Mambane communities under Matsanjeni North
Inkhundla. The inkhundla experienced an electricity blackout since the early
hours of yesterday. A resident of Maphungwane, Sabelo Matsenjwa said they also
experienced networks blackout as a result of the unavailability of electricity.
To read more
of this report, click here
http://new.observer.org.sz/details.php?id=22179
By
Zweli Martin Dlamini, Swaziland News, 11 March, 2024
MBABANE: Eswatini Queen Ntombi Tfwala
allegedly violated international and the country’s laws protecting children by
exposing young girls to a traditional alcohol drinking ceremony held at Hlane
Royal Residence last weekend.
The Buganu Ceremony is an annual event
hosted by King Mswati and his Mother Ntombi Tfwala where thousands of women
come together to drink alcohol and socialize with men.
Efforts to reach Dumsani Mnisi,the
Director of Save the Children eSwatini proved unsuccessful at the time of
compiling this report.
Responding to this publication when asked
to share a comment, Sibongile Mazibuko, a former Deputy Headteacher and
President of the Ngwane National Liberatory Congress(NNLC)said, the country
“has the Child Protection Act” that protects children from being exposed to
harmful environments including buganu drinking spree.
The NNLC President alleged that, the
Buganu ceremony “is sometimes” marred by acts not meant to be witnessed by
minor children.
“It happened during the last event in the
same place where the nearby primary school kids were forced to pick up condoms
from the venue, that’s why we’re disappointed to see young children seating and
slumbering behind the Queen Mother at a ceremony that lasted for very long
hours since they were even deprived resting hours, we condemn such action”,
said the NNLC President.
But King’s Spokesperson Percy Simelane,
when asked by this Swaziland News to clarify why the children next to
Indlovukazi were taken to the alcohol drinking ceremony, held a different view
on the subject matter. He said to the best of his knowledge, children were only
prohibited from drinking alcohol.
“We are aware of a regulation militating
against sale of alcohol to children under the age of 18 years. This regulation ideally
cuts them out of drinking. We are not aware of any piece of regulation that
explicitly says their parents should not take them along when they are going to
participate in traditional ceremonies that involves drinking alcoholic
beverages. We will continue to believe that normal thinking Swati parents are
conscious of keeping their children out of harm during festivals such as this one
and in family households where everybody drinks”, said the King’s Spokesperson.
Give blood, give
now, give often
World Health Organization, 13
March 2024
“Blood transfusion saved my life, so I know how important it is to
donate blood” - Mphikeleli Mlotsa.
In 2023 during school break, Mphikeleli Mlotsa, a Form 4 student at
Nyetane High School was involved in a grisly car accident that almost cost him
his life. The accident occurred at a time when the Blood Transfusion Service
was experiencing a blood shortage topped by inadequate people to donate blood
as school-going children were on break, yet the blood bank targets them during
blood drives. Thanks to the blood donation of well-wishers, Mlotsa was able to
receive blood that played a huge role in his recovery and months later inspired
him to donate blood during a blood drive at his school organized by the
Ministry of Health.
“I needed a lot of blood since I had excessive
bleeding during the accident and without a blood transfusion I was going to
die.”
The blood shortages experienced in 2023 hurt Eswatini’s healthcare
system, increasing morbidity and mortality rates due to delayed medical
interventions. Blood shortages caused interruptions of services leading to
failure in supporting maternal and neonatal cases, renal cases, cancer network
cases, trauma/ road traffic accident cases, and management of chronic illnesses
such as HIV/AIDS and orthopedic surgical campaigns which were being conducted
at the time. To mitigate the effects of the blood shortage in the country, the
World Health Organization Eswatini (WHO) stepped in to support the Eswatini
National Blood Transfusion Service (ENBTS) organize and conduct regional blood
drives in high volumes within 14 days targeting Lubombo and Northern Hhohho
Regions. From the campaign, the Blood Transfusion Service was able to collect
1054 units out of the targeted 2000 units limit they had set.
“I am grateful that I eventually got the blood, and I would like to
encourage school-going children to donate blood because you never know what may
happen tomorrow, one day it may save your parent, your relative, or even
yourself. It always feels good to help someone in need, especially when saving
a life, hence I will continue to donate blood even when I am an adult,-
Mphikeleli Mlotsa.
To read more of this report, click here
https://www.afro.who.int/countries/eswatini/news/give-blood-give-now-give-often
eSwatini
denies reports kingdom faces shortage of men
BBC, 11 March 2024
The kingdom of Eswatini has been forced to
deny reports it was offering citizenship to men from other southern African
countries because of a shortage at home.
A faked viral letter, pretending to be
from King Mswati III, expressed concern over the “scarcity of men” in Eswatini.
The faked letter also claimed the king
would help willing men from southern Africa to marry wives and get free houses
in the kingdom.
“The public is notified that this
circulating notice is fake,” the Eswatini government said in a short statement posted on X (formerly Twitter).
It is not clear who authored the fake
letter which had excited plenty of social media users in the region.
Eswatini, Africa's last absolute monarchy,
has a population of about 1.2 million people.
SWAZI
MEDIA COMMENTARY
Find us:
Blog: https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/142383985790674
X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com @Swazimedia
No comments:
Post a Comment