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Friday 25 October 2024

Swaziland Newsletter No. 850 – 25 October 2024

 

Swaziland Newsletter No. 850 – 25 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.


[Serbia] president shares army prowess with King

By Kings Office Respondents, eSwatini Observer, 23 October 2024

SOURCE 

President of Serbia Aleksander Vucic, on Monday hosted His Majesty King Mswati III to a brief ‘army day’, where a glimpse of the Serbian army prowess was put on show.

The army showcased some of its latest technology equipment to the king, demonstrating how artificial intelligence has emerged as the preferred weapon. He also had an opportunity to witness several combat drills by army personnel.

Accompanying the president at the Military Technical Centre were the Minister for Defence Bratislava Gasic, assistant Minister for Material Resources Nened Miloradovic and Chief of General Staff, General Hossilovic.

Later that day, His Majesty visited the Vlatacom Institute, which is a private science and research centre that develops software systems for the military, among other sectors.

It boasts of providing secure information and communication technology, critical asset protection and border control, applied mathematics and electronics with cryptography features, multi-sensor integration, biometrics, image and radio waves, intelligent signal processing, with implementation in identity management and surveillance devices and targeted systems.

Vladimir Cizel, founder of the institute, welcomed the king and expressed his deep love for Eswatini.

After a presentation on the work of the centre, His Majesty King Mswati III congratulated Cizel for sharing their success—having grown from humble beginnings to where they are today.

“This is due to your commitment and dedication. You have a strong, capable team and it is good to see advancement in technology, which is important for such an institute,” he said.

The king said the country looked forward to working with the institute to learn new things, particularly about how to transfer some of this technology back home.

To read more of this report, click here

http://new.observer.org.sz/details.php?id=22846


Is Israel moving its eSwatini embassy back from South Africa?

Middle East Monitor, 24 October 2024

SOURCE 

The tiny Southern African kingdom of Eswatini has diplomatic ties with Israel going back over five decades, Anadolu Agency reports.

Today, as Israel faces growing international isolation for its genocide in Gaza and escalating assault on Lebanon, Eswatini seems to be among the few countries moving ever closer to Tel Aviv.

This could, according to local media reports, soon lead to another major development: the return of an Israeli diplomatic mission to Africa’s last absolute monarchy.

There was an Israeli Embassy once in the capital, Mbabane, but that was shut down in 1994. Diplomatic relations between Eswatini and Israel have since been managed from South Africa’s administrative capital, Pretoria.

Relations between Israel and South Africa are currently strained, to say the least, with the latter leading the international legal charge against Israel’s Gaza genocide.

While that increases the likelihood of Israel actually planning an Eswatini mission move from South Africa, authorities from either side have remained tight-lipped over the plan.

In June, Newman Ntshangase, principal secretary at the Eswatini Foreign Ministry, told local media that consultations on the matter were “at a high level and in early stages”.

Information would be made public once it was “mutually concretised by both states”, he told local publication, Times Sunday, adding that Eswatini would view it as “a positive outcome”.

While there has been no official comment from Israel, Ntshangase told Anadolu that matters were still at the same point as the government has not “received new information with regards to Israeli’s foreign policy decision to reopen (a diplomatic mission) in Eswatini.”

He said Israel has the right to make the sovereign decision of where to station its diplomatic missions, which would be “done through a formal mutual consent process with the host nation.”

“Should there be any (progress), the Ministry will gladly bring it to the public domain,” he said.

Percy Simelane, spokesperson for Eswatini’s King Mswati III, also defended the country’s right to engage with Israel.

“Israel had an embassy in Eswatini even before the incumbent King,” he told Anadolu.

“Eswatini has a sovereign right to choose, which comes into force without having to be passed or approved by other nations. The Kingdom is at liberty to pick its diplomatic partners just like any other country.”

Thokozane Kunene, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Swaziland, slammed the idea and asserted that it was a reflection of the Eswatini government’s level of conflict with Israel.

“Israel has always had an important role in defending the Swazi regime, protecting its economic interests and helping it accumulate strategic territories,” Kunene told Anadolu.

He asserted that Israel has also “supported the regime by placing its agents in the executive, judiciary and security agencies.”

They have increased their “presence in the country, becoming more dominant to a point that they are literally running the regime,” he said.

The accusations have been denied by the Eswatini government.

To read more of this report, click here

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20241024-is-israel-moving-its-eswatini-embassy-back-from-south-africa/

 

Mzansi accuses Jacob Zuma of selling his daughters soul with marriage to King Mswati III

By Nomonde Simelane, Bona (South Africa)

SOURCE 

In September it was revealed that 21-year-old Nomcebo Zuma, the daughter of former president Jacob Zuma, was to become the 16th wife of Esatwini’s Monarch, King Mswati III. Upon the revelation of the news, some South Africans condemned both Mswati and Jacob Zuma for this, as they believed the marriage was purely transactional.

Seeing that King Mswati III is 56 years old, the age gap between Nomcebo and himself is a whopping 35 years, and although Nomcebo is of legal age, netizens have expressed their concern over the problematic nature of the union. Their traditional matrimonial ceremony took place at the Ludzidzini royal village in Lobamba, where approximately 5000 people were in attendance.

King Mswati has often made headlines and was criticised by his opposition and citizens of Eswatini for leading an extravagant lifestyle, including all 11 of his wives, while the people of Eswatini live in extreme poverty. The announcement of his marriage to Nomcebo has furthered the agenda of his villainous nature, as some have highlighted that the decision to marry someone 35 years his junior must not be taken lightly.

Coming to the King’s defence, Eswatini’s spokesman Alpheous Nxumalo claims that the King and his wife connect on a romantic level, and dismissed any suggestion that the union is for political gain between the two families.

“Love has no eyes to see or count age. Love happens between two people. It can happen between a person who is 100 years old and a person who is above the average of what is permitted constitutionally,” Alpheus says.

Unconvinced, netizens are adamant that the relationship is problematic and question how much of a say Nomcebo had in choosing her husband. Others cite the significant age gap as a cause for concern.

Speculations about Nomcebo’s eagerness, or lack thereof to marry the King have already begun, as users analyse the body language in any media of the couple that circulates, concluding that Nomcebo is not happy with the decision that was made to marry her to the King.

 

Billionaire King Mswati and his new wife Jacob Zuma’s daughter splash over R1million cash in Serbia

By Musa Mdluli, Swaziland News, 21 October, 2024

SOURCE 

SERBIA: King Mswati splashed over R1million cash on over one hundred(100) eSwatini University students studying in Serbia including those from South African and Burundi.

Each student who attended a party organized for the King to meet the students received eight thousand Rands(R8,000.00), the State owned Eswatini Broadcasting and Information Services(EBIS) reported on Monday.

The King and his new wife Inkhosikati Nomcebo Zuma, the daughter to former South African President Jacob Zuma are in Serbia for a State visit.

On another note, eSwatini is facing shortage of drugs in public hospitals, dozens have died since the crisis erupted. 

The country is also facing an education crisis, schools are facing shortage of teachers and working equipment while University students in eSwatini are committing suicide amid Government failure to release allowances.

The University of Eswatini (UNESWA) was recently closed after the Eswatini Water Services Corporation(EWSC) terminated water supply pending payment of outstanding invoices.

But apart from that, the country is also facing a cash flow challenges, most civil servants are financially broke while Government struggles to pay suppliers, resulting to the collapse of indigenous businesses.


Billionaire King Mswati and his new wife Jacob Zuma’s daughter splashed over R1million cash in Serbia, gives each eSwatini, South African University students R8,000.00 amid shortage of drugs in public hospitals


Pensioners plan march against drugs shortage

By Siboniso Nkambule, Times of eSwatini (print edition), 24 October 2024 

MBABANE: The Swaziland Public Service Pensioners Association (SPSPA) General Secretary (GS), Dominic Nxumalo, says there is a need for pensioners to take a stand and march against the ongoing shortage of drugs in the country’s health facilities.

Nxumalo emphasised the urgent need for action, stating that pensioners must demand a consistent supply of medications in these facilities. It was noted that the lack of essential drugs has placed many lives at risk, and it is crucial for pensioners to advocate for their right to proper healthcare.

Nxumalo addressed SPSPA members in a meeting held at the Mbabane National Library yesterday.

This comes after nurses’ resolution to march and deliver a petition to the Prime Minister (PM), Russell Dlamini, and the Minister of Health, Mduduzi Matsebula, over the continuing health crisis.

The nurses, who are organised under the banner of the Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU), made this resolution during their recent national general council meeting at Shosholoza Conference Room in Manzini.

According to SWADNU Secretary General Mayibongwe Masangane, the meeting reflected that the issue of shortage of drugs dates back to 2016 and since then, emaSwati have been dying at their hands. He said at their workstations, they no longer treat people but offer words of comfort to those seeking medical attention.

This, he said, is because they do not have working tools and drugs. He said at times they see government issuing statements, which suggest that medical drugs have been delivered. He said those media statements are nothing but political statements. “This is because those drugs do not last even three weeks,” he said.

In that regard, he said the national general council decided that they should petition the PM and minister of Health. He said there was a proposal that they should engage the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA) to lead the petition delivery, so that even the other concerned unions could join.

Nxumalo, when addressing the pensioners, said he thought about the deteriorating health system in the country. According to Nxumalo, when they visit hospitals, they do not get the required drugs.

He stated that this is another issue they would need to stand up for as pensioners.

“We would need to stand up and march to demand drugs and medication to be present at health facilities all the time. We will also be helping the youth,” Nxumalo said.

The GS explained that the health issue belongs to them. Adding, he shared that they need to discuss as the association’s branches, so that they could march against it and deliver a petition, in large numbers.

He mentioned that the recent petitions they delivered to the Ministry of Public Service and the Ministry of Finance went well and showed that they are respected and further feared.

Nxumalo said this meant that they could achieve a lot. Furthermore, he emphasised that members should not have fear when called to marches, as no one would assault a pensioner.

“In the future when we march, we should come out in large numbers,” he said.

 

‘Humanities field saturated, graduates unemployable’

By Sifiso Dlamini. eSwatini Observer, 20 October 2024

SOURCE 

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security says the decision to stop sponsoring the field of Humanities was informed by the National Skills Audit of 2022, which revealed that the graduates are unemployable.

The report, according to the ministry, also revealed that the elasticity of employment to growth appeared constrained by structural factors.

The decision, which comes into effect from the 2025/26 academic year, was announced on Tuesday and only affects students at the University of Eswatini (UNESWA).   

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Phila Buthelezi, said the skills audit outlined the opportunities and saturations in terms of human resource.

The minister revealed that Humanities graduates approached the ministry and complained that they were not employable unless they had a Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), hence the reason to phase out the programme.

He further said the ministry had been assessing priority courses and determined that some of them had to be phased out because they were no longer relevant.

He also pointed out that during the graduation, the Vice Chancellor Justice Thwala, announced about 10 new courses that would be introduced in the next academic year, which was also part and parcel of the recommendations outlined in the skills audit report.

“We are also in the process of aligning with the industry needs,” the minister said.

When making the announcement, the minister said the decision to stop funding Humanities was part of a broader re-evaluation of government priorities in tertiary education funding.

To read more of this report, click here

http://new.observer.org.sz/details.php?id=22817

 

See also

eSwatini university steps up inclusion efforts with the opening of disability support center

https://www.voanews.com/a/eswatini-university-steps-up-inclusion-efforts-with-the-opening-of-disability-support-center-/7827379.

Crisis as UNESWA faces E8m water bill

http://new.observer.org.sz/details.php?id=22833

 

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