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Thursday 17 October 2024

Swaziland Newsletter No. 849– 18 October 2024

 

Swaziland Newsletter No. 849– 18 October 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.

 

People survive on boiled leaves - MP Marwick

By Phephile Motau, eSwatini Observer, 11 October 2024

SOURCE 

LOBAMBA: Lomdzala Member of Parliament (MP) Marwick Khumalo says people are surviving on boiled leaves because of hunger.

The MP was speaking at the House of Assembly on Wednesday during the debate on a motion directed to the Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Thuli Dladla on when they would start food distribution to the hungry Emaswati.

In her response, Dladla said food would be availed to 13 of the most vulnerable constituencies. She added that more rice would arrive in the country, and it would be distributed to 250 households per constituency.

The sentiments of the MP were shared by the DPM.  Khumalo said it was a fact that people were hungry. He said in their constituencies, people were calling everyday asking for food.

He said the contents of the DPM’s report were unacceptable as it was imperative that government reviewed the issue because Emaswati would accuse them of being uncaring.

“Unemployment rates have dramatically increased from 10 years ago and so have the poverty levels. People have lost their jobs more than in the past. We cannot then say food relief should be reduced,” he said.

Khumalo said the report was unacceptable, but the DPM should work with what she had. She said the process of distributing the food must be transparent and every MP should know what they would get to feed those in their constituencies.

Khumalo said the DPM should consider the matter when doing the supplementary budget.
“We are not being a welfare state, but it is our reality. People are boiling leaves, just to eat. The little we get must go to the people, but we want more, it is not enough,” Khumalo said.

He said he knew that the response of the DPM was based on available resources, but it was not even meeting half of the country’s requirements of food.

To read more of this report, click here

http://new.observer.org.sz/details.php?id=22738

 

Divert all funds to address health crisis - MPs

By Nonduduzo Kunene, Times of eSwatini, 10 October 2024

SOURCE 

LOBAMBA: Members of Parliament (MPs) have urged government to bring a loan Bill that will address the entire health crisis.

The legislators further called for the health crisis to be declared a disaster and that all funds should be diverted to deal with the crisis in the health system. The MPs noted that despite the E3 billion budget given to the Ministry of Health, there are still financial gaps that have to be filled by the budget, dating back to 10 years ago.  Lobamba Lomdzala MP Marwick Khumalo said there have been a number of loans that government has negotiated and approved by Parliament.  He stated that there was a point in time where government brought a loan Bill that was meant to address the health crisis because it dated back years ago.

The MP said the entire health system needs a revamp and a loan could address the challenges. The call for a loan Bill to address the health crisis was also supported by LaMgabhi MP Sicelo Jele. Mhlangatane MP Madala Mhlanga noted that the minister said he took some medical supplies that were out of stock at Mbabane Government Hospital from lithocholic to continue with dialysis at the referral hospital. He said the rob Peter to pay Paul system will not work in the health sector, hence the need for lasting solutions.Zombodze Emuva MP Ntando Mkhonta urged the ministry to also root out the corruption that engulfs the sector.  He said with the issues that have surfaced regarding the supply of medical drugs and supplies, the loan could be depleted by the corruption within the ministry.  He said before Parliament could pass the loan Bill, corruption in the ministry needed to be dealt with.

Meanwhile, there was tension and emotions in Parliament yesterday as the Minister of Health, Mduduzi Matsebula, gave an update on the renal dialysis, theatre services and CT scan challenges. The MPs have urged government to take up a loan that will address all the health issues and the minister to get rid of heads of department and senior officials who are sabotaging the health system. During the sitting, after the minister’s update, the MPs underlined some points of his update, among them being that he had a busy night sorting out the situation after he learnt through enquiries that were made by the media, the Times of Eswatini, in particular, about the halted dialysis and theatre services.

To read more of this report, click here

http://www.times.co.sz/news/147486-divert-all-funds-to-address-health-crisis-mps.html

See also

Health crisis: nurses to march, petition PM, minister

http://www.times.co.sz/news/147557-health-crisis-nurses-to-march-petition-pm-minister.html

 

 

King Mswati’s Tinkhundla undemocratic regime in the political Intensive Care Unit (ICU), now surviving from hand to month as health crisis worsens

Opinion by Zweli Martin Dlamini, Swaziland News, 12 October 2024

SOURCE

With almost all the critical institutions of the State in crisis, the Tinkhundla undemocratic regime is now in the political Intensive Care Unit(ICU) and chances of survival or recovery are very slim.

The education, health and fire sectors have literally collapsed of course, with demotivated and financially broke civil servants.

But on Thursday, Health Minister Mduduzi Matsebula invited journalists to take him pictures while he was off-loading a small truck with some equipment, in yet another systematic staged political propaganda as the health crisis worsens.

Matsebula appeared to be solving a life threatening situation after kidney failure patients approached journalists of this Swaziland News raising an alarm and this, was after the Ministry of Health told them that, they won’t receive medical treatment amid shortage of drugs and working equipment.

That patients have started to desperately contact journalists is a crisis on its own, patients must visit health institutions with confidence that they will receive health-care but, that is no-longer the case in this country.

Health Minister Mduduzi Matsebula was merely playing politics by inviting journalists when off-loading those few small boxes, very soon the dialysis shortage of equipment problem will erupt again.

In fact, that was a desperate move by the regime to blind and mislead the people as if enough working equipment and drugs have arrived, the health crisis is deeper than we can imagine and this regime in the political ICU.

In fact this regime has been for years, surviving through the alleged ignorance of those who oppose it, some of these Tinkhundla critics fight this autocratic government but, they normally stagger whenever the political ground becomes fertile to enable them to overthrow this undemocratic regime and take over the country.

Now, key State institutions that are the pillars of any country being the health and education have collapsed, not to mention the Fire Department.

This means if another political unrest could erupt with protesters burning structures again, the country is not well equipped to control that situation except to use guns in killing innocent protesting civilians.

I sometimes see political activists shouting “Viva” and ask myself if they understand that, what they have been fighting for is already in their hands.

A majority of emaSwati are financially broke, angry and frustrated and they know that King Mswati’s regime is the source or their plight, all they need now is proper and reputable leadership to usher them into a new democratic dispensation.

I am saying this because as the editor,I interact with almost everyone including the State Intelligence Unit where I normally monitor and source confidential State information, I am privileged to know things that others don’t know, that’s the privilege of being an investigative journalist.

This country is in serious trouble because almost everyone is angry and frustrated against the same Tinkhundla regime, others are working for the same Government but they are against it hence the leaking of sensitive information.

But, let me once again appeal for a political dialogue to resolve the ongoing political crisis, our country is being destroyed because King Mswati is the only human being with a monopoly to think in this country, Government exist to please him.

Before the health system collapsed, Mswati constructed his own Manzana Royal Hospital and further established a Fire Department within his Palaces ,emaSwati are on their own as the socio-economic situation worsens.

King Mswati has literally destroyed this country, the Tinkhundla regime will never announce that it has collapsed, only the intelligent will analyze that based on the collapsed critical State institutions.

 

Draconian laws contributing to GBV – women rights activists

By Sifiso Dlamini, eSwatini Observer, 15 October 2024

SOURCE 

Parliamentarians and women rights activists say the country’s out-dated draconian laws are contributing towards perpetuating gender-based violence (GBV).

They have called for the speedy review of some of the country’s legislations such as the Marriage Act of 1964, Administration of Estate Act of 1902 and the Wills Act of 1955, among other out-dated legislations.

The need for the speedy review of the legislations was also raised during Sibaya, People’s Parliament, by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Pholile Shakantu.

The former minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs said some of the country’s out-dated laws were no longer constitutional as they did not align with the Constitution of 2005.
The minister called for the review of the legislations in order to afford women equal rights to property.

Under the minister’s watch, government through the ministry of justice, piloted two notable bills in Parliament, being the Marriages Bill and Matrimonial Properties Bill, which sought to address some of the inconsistencies.

The proposed bills included provisions to abolish marital power held by husbands over their wives ability to contract and to litigate, as well as provisions for the equitable distribution and equal access of spouses to marital property.

The Marriages Act provides for only two grounds for divorce being adultery and witchcraft. However in the proposed Marriages Bill of 2022 which was piloted during the 11th Parliament, six new grounds for divorce were provided for, among which is impotence.

The National Health Service (NHS) defines impotence as erectile dysfunction, where a person becomes either unable to get an erection or unable to keep an erection for long enough to have sexual intercourse.

To read more of this report, click here

http://new.observer.org.sz/details.php?id=22750

 

King Mswati’s trip with Zuma’s daughter costs taxpayers R200m

Report Focus News, 15 October 2024

SOURCE 

King Mswati and Jacob Zuma daughter


King Mswati III of eSwatini’s upcoming overseas trip, including a visit to Italy, is estimated to cost taxpayers more than R200 million (£8.5 million), according to local media reports.

The king left the country on Sunday accompanied by his new wife, 21-year-old Inkhosikati Nomcebo Zuma, daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma.

The Swaziland News reports that the costs include allowances for the royal delegation, private jet expenses, and spending money for the king and his wife. The royal couple will attend the World Food Forum in Italy before proceeding to other engagements.

When approached for comment, the king’s spokesperson, Percy Simelane, told local media that his office was not responsible for finances or allowances for the king and his delegation. He referred inquiries to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

King Mswati III married Nomcebo Zuma in July 2023, just months after first seeing her at a celebration last year. The marriage has drawn attention due to the connection with former South African President Jacob Zuma.

The cost of this trip is likely to reignite debate about royal expenses in eSwatini, where about 60% of the 1.2 million population lives below the poverty line. King Mswati III, 55, who is Africa’s last absolute monarch, has faced criticism in the past for his lavish lifestyle amid widespread poverty in the country.

Local sources suggest that members of Zuma’s family have been included in the delegation, allegedly to ensure the young wife doesn’t feel lonely during the trip. However, this has not been officially confirmed.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Foreign Affairs Minister, Pholile Dlamini-Shakantu, who is part of the king’s delegation, were unavailable for comment at the time of reporting.

 

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