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.
Alarming rates of teen
pregnancy, HIV
By Nonduduzo Kunene, Times of eSwatini (print edition), 23 July 2024
LOBAMBA:
Lack of proper parenting and poverty have been cited among enablers of the
alarming rate of teenage pregnancy and high HIV rate among the youth.
Also
counted among these are harsh economic conditions, power dynamics, fear of
disclosure and uncoordinated intervention.
This
is contained in a report that was tabled by the Deputy Prime Minister (DPM),
Thulisile Dladla, in Senate. The deputy premier tabled the report in response
to a motion that was moved by Senator Lorraine Nxumalo in May, where she moved
that the DPM’s Office, as the ministry responsible for social welfare, in
collaboration with other ministries, must investigate why teenage pregnancies
and HIV infections persist, despite the introduced interventions.
The
ministries that the DPM’s Office will work with are those of Health, Education
and Training, Home Affairs and that of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs. The
government ministries were given 21 days to report to Senate, following the
adoption of the motion. The motion came after it was reported, by this
publication, that over 1 109 teenagers fell pregnant in a space of three
months.
The
report tabled by the DPM noted that approximately 70 per cent of the total
population of Eswatini comprised of the youth. It says 58.9 per cent of the
population lives in poverty and more than 20 per cent of them live in extreme
poverty, which increases vulnerability to negative shocks. The report states
that there is a lack of proper parenting and a weakening of the institution of
the family, coupled with a lack of parental care and supervision, which is a
major contributor to the increase in teenage pregnancy and HIV rates among the
youth.
New
family structures including single-parent families, blended (step) families and
child-headed families also contribute to the increased rates. The report
highlights that the absence of male role models in single-parent families has
negative impacts on the development of a boy child. In the modern family
setting, parents have to balance work and family time. It says the absence of
proper parenting affects children’s emotional and psychological development.
It
also mentions poverty and harsh economic conditions as contributors to social
ills. “Poverty also provides fertile ground for social ills to be perpetuated.
The lack of access to education and employment opportunities largely
contributes to income inequalities and widening gap between the rich and the
poor.”
It
is also stated that the need to survive leads to unmet social and physiological
needs that force low-income earners to engage in certain activities that may be
detrimental to their health and well-being, which then undermines their quality
of life. Additionally, the report highlights that poverty is not only an
individual, but a broader social problem, not only confronting teenagers, but
the youth and adults as well.
“Extreme
deprivation may lead to crime, illegal activities such as prostitution, drug
abuse resulting in teenage pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases and high
rates of HIV infections,” states the report.
Global Fund approves R768million grant to support eSwatini fight HIV/AIDS
and other diseases, Prime Minister applauds consistent support
By Musa
Mdluli, Swaziland News, 25 July, 2024
EZULWINI: The Global Fund has approved a grant
amounting to R768million support eSwatini fight HIV/AIDS and other diseases,
the grant will support the country until the year 2026.
Speaking at the Royal Villas-Ezulwini on Thursday
during Eswatini Country Coordinating Mechanism, Prime Minister Russell Mmiso
Dlamini applauded the Global Fund for the continued support.
“For the year 2023-2026, the Global Fund has approved
a grant of about E768 million to continue the fight against HIV. His Majesty’s
Government is grateful for this commitment to continue the fight. Through the
Eswatini CCM, grants from the Global Fund for HIV, TB, and malaria have made a
significant impact. To date, the Global Fund has committed about E6.4 billion
and disbursed about E6.2 billion.
This support is received by the Kingdom of Eswatini
through Eswatini CCM and implemented through NERCHA and CANGO as CCM Principal
Recipients. The Global Fund partnership aligns with our national vision, which
presents a unique opportunity to change the trajectory of HIV,TB, and malaria
in our country,” said the Prime Minister as quoted by Government online
platforms.
Education
International launches petition in support of Swaziland National Association of
Teachers
Adult
Education International, 19 July 2024
Education International (EI) launched
a petition
on the trade union platform LabourStart in support of the the Swaziland
National Association of Teachers (SNAT),
its affiliate in the country. EI called on the Eswatini Teaching Service
Commission (TSC) to recognize the SNAT as a partner in social dialogue,
reinstate SNAT President Mbongwa Dlamini to his teaching duties, and pay his
salary arrears as ordered by the court.
For too many years, the Swaziland National
Association of Teachers (SNAT), its President Mbongwa Dlamini, and General
Secretary Lot Mduduzi Vilakati have been targeted by the authorities of
Eswatini. In June 2024, the International Labour Conference expressed “deep
concern over the deteriorating state of public order and its negative impact on
trade union rights in Eswatini, along with a culture of impunity for crimes
against trade unionists.” The ILO urged the Government to take effective,
urgent, and time-bound measures to refrain from violent treatment,
intimidation, or harassment (including judicial harassment) of leaders and
members of trade unions in the education sector conducting lawful trade union
activities, and to conduct independent investigations into the persecution of
Mr. Mbongwa Dlamini. Furthermore, it called for ensuring that workers’
organisations, including the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA) and
SNAT, have the autonomy and independence needed to fulfill their mandate and represent
their members.
Since the ILO recommendations, the
Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Education and his senior management have
met weekly with SNAT representatives. However, the TSC continues to refuse to
release the SNAT President's teacher wage despite two industrial court orders.
The TSC also refuses to meet with teacher union representatives to address key
policies and practices affecting the profession.
In March 2023, an EI High-Level Mission visited
Eswatini to reiterate on-site the support of the global education union
community to colleagues in the country. The EI delegation, composed of EI
General Secretary David Edwards, EI Vice-President Mugwena Maluleke, and the
Director of the EI Africa Regional Office Dennis Sinyolo, urged the national
governmental authorities to put an immediate halt to the persecution of SNAT
leaders.
EI will continue to advocate for the
respect basic human and trade union rights of SNAT leaders and members and for
the introduction of democratic governance in Eswatini.
eSwatini’s
pro-democracy movement undeterred as MPs sentenced to prison
By Nokukhanya
Musi, Voice of America, 18 July 2024
MBABANE: The sentencing Tuesday [16 July
2024] in Eswatini of two former members of parliament to lengthy prison terms
on charges of terrorism marks a significant escalation in the tensions between
the monarchy and those advocating for democratic reform in the southern African
nation. Human rights groups condemned the convictions, saying the court
decision raises questions about human rights and political repression.
Pro-democracy activists say they are undeterred.
The convictions of Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza
and Mthandeni Dube, who were sentenced to prison terms of 25 and 18 years
respectively, sent shock waves throughout Eswatini and the international
community.
The two men were arrested in July 2021
during pro-democracy protests that were violently put down by security forces,
leaving dozens of people dead. Demonstrators were pressing for reforms to a
complex system of non-party elections that ensured Eswatini’s ruler, King
Mswati the third, faced no meaningful dissent.
Rights group Amnesty International urged
Eswatini authorities to immediately quash what it called “the unjust and
baseless convictions and sentences of the former members of parliament.”
Alpheous Nxumalo, a spokesperson for the
Eswatini government, told VOA’s English to Africa Service the convictions were
“discharged through the provisions of the law, which guarantees the rights of
each and everyone who has been sentenced to appeal to a higher court.” He added
that Eswatini’s international partners and friends should respect the country’s
sovereignty and rule of law.
Thantaza Silolo, a spokesperson for the
Swaziland Liberation Movement (SWALIMO), told VOA that despite the harsh
sentences handed down by the Eswatini High Court, the country’s pro-democracy
movement remains resolute in its pursuit of democratic reform.
"These MPs were strong inside the
chambers of parliament and outside in calling to say we need a prime minister
that is elected by the people, not a prime minister that is being appointed by
the King and for that reason, they were sentenced, they were arrested and
charged with heinous offenses as if they were criminals, they were murderers
and terrorists," Silolo said. "Yet, these are just advocates for
change. These are just people who have been calling for freedom and we maintain
as a movement that … we will continue to push for their release.”
Political analyst Sibusiso Nhlabatsi sees
the sentences as a major setback for democracy and human rights in Eswatini.
She said the sentences are a classic example of "guilty until proven
innocent," with mere allegations being enough to secure a conviction.
“You can see that the intention was to
induce fear and I think most of Emaswati will now live in that shadow of fear —
we don’t want to do what these people did and even members of parliament will
say we don’t want to do what the other members of parliament did because we
might follow suit,” Nhlabatsi said. “I think through this judgment the state
has successfully entrenched itself. It has successfully been able to threaten
anyone who may want to raise a voice against the establishment.”
According to human rights activist Lucky
Dlamini, the harsh sentencing of the MPs signals a wider attack on democracy
and human rights in Eswatini. He said the country is a dictatorship, with the
monarchy using state security forces to suppress dissent and violate
fundamental human rights.
“We remain under a cruel system of
government which is an absolute monarchy where there’s immunity [for] the
security forces against human rights activists and political activists and
human right defenders, where they cannot be able to access justice in the
courts, where they cannot be able to hold on to demonstration, where they
cannot exercise freedom of the right to political participation, the right to
freedom of expression, the right to freedom of access to the media, the right
to freedom of assembly,” he said.
A lawyer for the two former MPs said they
plan to appeal their sentences.
King
Mswati to pay R2m and 100 cattle lobolo for Zuma’s daughter
By.Mzilikazi
wa Afrika, Sunday World (South Africa), 21st July 2024
Nomcebo Zuma, the sassy 21-year-old
daughter of former president Jacob Zuma was this week unveiled as King Mswati
III’s liphovela – an official girlfriend – and made her first public
appearance in eSwatini along with one of the monarch’s 15 wives.
Three independent sources confirmed
to Sunday World that King Mswati is expected to pay R2-million and
100 head of cattle aslobolo for Nomcebo, the daughter of Zuma and Nonkululeko
Hloniphile Mhlongo, also known as MaMhlongo.
“MaMhlongo’s eyes are on the lobolo price,
which is reportedly to be six figures and about 100 cattle,” said a member of
the Zuma family, who asked not to be named as he isn’t allowed to speak to the
media on family matters.
Nomcebo will now warm the 56-year-old
king’s bed even after her father, Zuma, stormed out of the lobolo negotiations
two weeks ago.
After Zuma walked out, MaMhlongo, who has
two children with the former president, apparently told everyone that the
negotiations would go on with or without him.
She and Zuma couldn’t be reached for
comment.
Nomcebo, dressed in red Swati regalia,
made her first public appearance accompanied by the king’s 15th wife, Siphelele
Mashwama, during the opening of a R50-million chicken project in Malkerns,
eSwatini, on Monday.
The king married Mashwama in September
2017. In October 2022, she accompanied him to Zulu King MisuZulu kaZwelithini’s
coronation.
Zuma abandoned lobolo negotiations when it
turned out that the king, who had initially reportedly told him that he wanted
his son, who is in his 30s, to marry the former president’s daughter, only to
be told during the negotiations that the king wanted Nomcebo for himself.
To read more of this report, click
here
https://sundayworld.co.za/news/king-mswati-pays-r2m-and-100-cattle-lobolo-for-zumas-daughter/
King
Sobhuza II birthday celebration
By
Mancoba Shabangu, Swati Newsweek, 22 July 2024
Today, 22 July 2024, King Mswati’s
government and Royal family is celebrating the Birth of the late king Sobhuza
ll.
King Sobhuza formed Tibiyo Takangwane.
When Swaziland (now Eswatini) was still colonised by British, the late king
ordered our grandfathers to sold their cattle and give the money to him so that
he buy back Swaziland from the Britains.
However, when our grandfathers have
already given him the money (or cattle), the Britains decided to give emaSwati
Swaziland back for free. Then Sobhuza said, ‘now that the Britains have given
us our land back for free, the money (or cattle) that was meant to buy back the
land, we will now use it to form Tibiyo Takangwane, it will helps emaSwati.’
But today those who benefits from Tibiyo
Takangwane is only the Royal Family.
When the Britains decided to give emaSwati
their land, they said, ‘We do not want to give the land to an individual
because he will boost and oppress the others saying ‘this is my country.’
Therefore, go and form political parties and vote for them, we will give the
winning party the key to rule the country.
King Sobhuza formed Imbokodvo Movement
(now Tinkhundla System), there was also Ngwane National Congress among others.
Votes were made, the Imbokodvo Movement won. Britains gave the Imbokodvo
Movement (now Tinkhundla System) key to rule. Sobhuza was the ‘President’ of
the Imbokodvo Movement.
While emaSwati were waiting for voting for
their loved political parties in the next elections, King Sobhuza took
advantage of being in power and in 1973 he said political parties devide us as
a nation, so he banned political parties in participating in election. He said
only Imbokodvo Movement will rule. But he said if one day emaSwati decide to
unban, allow the political parties to participate in election, they will do so.
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