Search This Blog

Friday, 21 March 2025

Swaziland Newsletter No. 869 – 21 March 2025

 

Swaziland Newsletter No. 869 – 21 March 2025

 

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. The newsletter is also available online on the Swazi Media Commentary blogsite.

 

Female pupils whipped naked

By Joseph Zulu, eSwatini News, 15 March 2025

SOURCE 

LUYENGO: In a shocking incident at St. Christopher’s High School in the Manzini Region, pupils have come forward to allege that they were whipped while naked for noise making.

The troubling episode, said to have occurred last Sunday, has sparked outrage among parents and calls for a thorough investigation into the punishment which they view as alleged abuse. The incident has shed light on deeper issues regarding pupils’ welfare and the need for robust disciplinary practices within the educational system.

The affected pupils are said to be those in the institution’s boarding facility. It is alleged that at the time of the alleged corporal punishment, they were watching television. According to the girls, they were busy in the TV room, enjoying their time when a familiar male voice was heard, complaining about their noise levels. The girls alleged that the official grimly informed them that they would be punished for their behaviour.

The name of the official cannot be mentioned as the matter is still under investigation. “We then begged to at least go and dress up properly, but he refused us to do so,” they alleged. Some of the girls alleged they were naked, others left with only underwear. This was due to the hot weather at the time. There were those who wore towels, they claim. They alleged that the ones with towels were ordered to remove them before being whipped.

Despite the girls’ protests concerning their lack of clothing, the official allegedly proceeded to administer corporal punishment on the pupils. The girls alleged the grim event turned a seemingly innocent gathering into a traumatic experience. This is also said to have led to outrage among the school community.

Immediately after the incident, some of the girls are said to have contacted their parents to report the matter. Concerned parents who spoke on condition of anonymity wondered how this was allowed to happen and why an official who is not authorised to do so had whipped the children.

The parents alleged that it was not the first time such an incident had been reported to the school. They said the girls were also previously assaulted in a similar manner yet no action was taken.

To read more of this report, click here

http://www.times.co.sz/news/149846-female-pupils-whipped-naked.html


EU pumps in R15million in support of eSwatini Small and Medium Enterprise businesses

By Musa Mdluli, Swaziland News, 18 March, 2025

SOURCE 

MBABANE: The European Union (EU) has announced R15million in support of eSwatini businesses within the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) sector, a grant that seeks to assist eSwatini small businesses in adopting renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions. 

Dr. Thambo Gina,the Minister of Economic Planning and Development was present during the signing of the agreement, others include Karsten Mecklenburg, the EU Ambassador to eSwatini and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Resident Representative Henrik Franklin who emphasized the importance of empowering women-led MSMEs while ensuring that, at least 40% of supported businesses are women-owned or led.  

On another note, the project seeks to assist eSwatini achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) particularly Goal number (7) seeking to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all by 2030, focusing on universal access, increasing renewable energy share, and improving energy efficiency.

 

European Union pumps-in R15million in support of eSwatini Small and Medium Enterprises


Poverty does exist in eSwatini

By Sabelo Gabs Nxumalo, Times of eSwatini, 18 March 2025

SOURCE 

ESWATINI is a very unequal country. It has one of the highest levels of inequality in the world after countries like South Africa. What does this really mean? There are very rich emaSwati who can afford to live a life of opulence, a word that also means abundance. Fellow emaSwati who can afford to spend on vanity items they don’t need, but a show of wealth.

A local lawyer I once heard boasting about spending an insane amount on an expensive pen, Cuban cigars and expensive whiskey. A businessman talking about his family holiday in Dubai seems like normal conversation around the high-end restaurants of Mbabane or Ezulwini. Most of the insanely rich emaSwati keep their real wealth in South Africa and even offshore accounts.

The reality is that it is not only emaSwati, but the whole world has gone crazy. Capitalism is a disease which has long infected humanity. We hear of the Americans spending US$300 billion on the Ukrainian war, which has killed Ukrainians and Russians alike, who are ethnic brothers.

This is about five trillion in Rands or Emalangeni. This could end hunger in Africa and empower the African continent in unimaginable ways. The Grand Inga Dam project in the DRC needs only US$80 billion and can produce clean electricity for the DRC and all SADC countries.    

Poverty is very real in the Kingdom of Eswatini. Many fancy definitions are given to poverty, but they never hit the mark like when you see it in person or, God forbid, actually live through it. As one of those emaSwati who have been lucky not to have been through this experience, I found myself vehemently disputing reports that there was serious poverty in my country. As a loyal traditionalist, I took these reports of poverty as negative propaganda narratives being peddled by progressive forces to discredit the government and our Monarchy. Over the years, I have had to change my view and admit that there is indeed severe poverty in my country.

To read more of this commentary, click here

http://www.times.co.sz/feature/149864-poverty-does-exist-in-eswatini.html

 

Government offers hope to healthcare workers displaced by US funding cuts

By Bongiwe Dlamini, eSwatini Observer, 19 March 2025

SOURCE 

Healthcare workers in Eswatini who lost their jobs due to the discontinuation of US-funded programs may find a lifeline through government's promise to absorb them into public service.

Minister of Public Service, Mabulala Maseko, acknowledged that the health sector was significantly impacted by the withdrawal of US funding, leaving many skilled professionals without employment. He emphasized that government recognizes the critical roles these workers played and aims to retain their expertise.

"We will not let go of healthcare workers who held critical positions," Maseko stated. "We will work with the Ministry of Health to see how we can absorb them with a smaller budget."

The Minister stressed that while government is committed to re-employing these individuals, the availability of funds will be a key consideration. He assured that specialists would be prioritized, aiming to utilize their skills within the public health system.

 

EU support to GBV survivors and people with disabilities in eSwatini

Statement, press and information team of the Delegation to eSwatini, 19 March 2025

SOURCE 

The ‘Hlonipheka – Thriving for Dignity Programme’, co-funded by the European Union and implemented by UNFPA, held its first steering committee meeting at the UN House in Mbabane on 19 March 2025 to take stock of what has been achieved since the launch of the project exactly a year ago.

The project itself helps to promote human rights and fundamental freedoms of survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) and of persons with disability. The project does this through creating safe communities that actively pursue social justice and protect women and girls as well as people with disability. 

It also helps to create communities that are anti-tolerant to violence as well as enable GBV survivors and people with disability to become economically active and independent.

Speaking during the steering committee meeting, EU Head of Cooperation, Eva-Maria Engdahl, said, through this project, the EU was very proud to contribute to the implementation of Eswatini’s national policies that share the same values and principles of EU strategies on gender issues and rights of persons with disabilities.

Engdahl said gender-based violence, in its different forms, was recognised globally as one of the most widespread and persistent violations of human rights.

“Due to the alarming increase in the violence against women, GBV has become a national emergency also in Eswatini. The inclusion of people with disabilities is also a key issue to make social justice real and to concretise the principle of leaving no one behind,” said Engdahl.

Amongst the project’s many achievements so far, 64 survivors of GBV have been received in shelters across the country and these survivors have also received counselling as well as educational and medical support.

 

Rape cases surge to over 2 per day

By Stanley Khumalo, Times of eSwatini, 14 March 2025

SOURCE 

MBABANE: The alarming statistics surrounding sexual violence in the country paint a grim picture as not less than two women are subjected to sexual assault every single day.

These figures are not just numbers; they represent the traumatic experiences of real individuals whose lives are irreparably altered by such senseless acts of violence. A tragic example of this occurred recently when a two-year -old toddler became a survivor of rape - a brutal act that defies comprehension and highlights the urgent need for action.

The toddler is one of three family minors sexually violated at Dvudvusini. The three children were said to have been discovered by a family member aged 21, who reported to the police that during the month of January 2025, she discovered that her nieces aged two; five and five were forced into sexual intercourse without protection inside a house by a known person.

The suspect is yet to be arrested. The three minors are part of the 34 females sexually violated in the past weeks. Subsequent to this, on Monday this publication reported that five rape cases were reported in the past five days across the country.  Of the 34 rapes, 17 of them were committed in the broad daylight across various parts of the country.

In Matsapha, a teenager, 19, of Eteni reported that on March 5, 2025 at 2am, she was raped once without the use of protection by an unknown person inside a house at Eteni. In Mbabane, a 40-year-old of  Mahwalala  Zone 6 reported  that  on  March 9, 2025  at  about 5:10pm, she discovered   that   her   teenage daughter, 17, was forced into sexual intercourse once without protection  inside  a house by a known person while at  Mahwalala.

Meanwhile, two rape cases were reported in Siteki, where a 14-year-old was forced into sexual intercourse by an unknown person once without protection in the forest while at Dvokodvweni. Also in Siteki, a woman aged 38, of Maphungwane, reported that on December 27, 2024 at 8:30 am, her daughter aged 16, was forced into sexual intercourse twice without protection inside a house by a known person while at New Thulwane nurses’ home.

On the other hand, at Siphofaneni on March 8, 2025, at 5pm, a woman aged 31, reported that she had been forced in to sexual intercourse once without protection in a bush by a known person while at Phuzumoya. Also, in Mbabane a teenager, 14, of Nkwalini reported that on March 8, 2025 at 3pm, she was raped twice without protection in a bush while at Nkwalini. 

 

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: