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Friday, 16 May 2025

Swaziland Newsletter No. 877 – 16 May 2025

 

Swaziland Newsletter No. 877 – 16 May 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 and past editions are also available online on the Swazi Media Commentary blogsite.

 

eSwatini on edge over multiple health threats

By Nokukhanya Musi, Dev Net, 9 May 2025

SOURCE 

Simultaneous outbreaks of pink eye, hand, foot and mouth disease, and seasonal influenza, plus the risk of mpox, have raised alarm in Eswatini, as US funding cuts cast doubt over the country’s capacity to handle multiple disease threats.

Eswatini’s ministry of health says it is operating in “Alert Mode” to encourage vigilance and early intervention, but local organisations say government responses are inconsistent and there is limited support for vulnerable communities.

An outbreak of mpox in neighbouring South Africa in March raised fears that the disease could spread across the border, while cases of flu and pink eye, or conjunctivitis, have surged in Eswatini itself, according to health authorities.

“We have known of seasonal influenza and pink eye, but mpox is a new concern for us,” said Cedric Chirwa, president of the Eswatini Schools Committee and Parents Association (ESCAPA).

“We know little of it apart from what we hear from neighbouring countries.”

Chirwa, who has two school-aged children, said he had tried to implement preventative hygiene measures at home following public health announcements.

But he lamented: “Sanitisers aren’t cheap anymore like they used to be before COVID. The costs of this places much financial strain on rural families.”

Attempts by the health ministry to communicate public health messages to communities have fallen short, according to Chirwa.

“It’s business as usual here,” he added.

“People behave as if there is no outbreak.”

Thandiwe Dlamini, an elderly caregiver raising five orphaned grandchildren, highlights a shortage of medicines for those affected by the outbreaks.

“Winter is approaching and I am really worried for my grandchildren,” she said, adding: “There are no drugs when we really need them.”

Medical professionals have observed a sharp increase in seasonal illnesses and voiced concerns about misinformation and under-resourced clinics.

Mduduzi Mbuyisa, a medical doctor with The Luke Commission healthcare charity who works closely with rural communities on disease prevention and health education, told SciDev.Net: “The surge in illnesses has led to heightened anxiety within our communities, resulting in a strong demand for accurate information.

“While some community members actively seek out this information, others remain sceptical of the health messages being shared.”

He added: “One of our primary challenges is combating misinformation while ensuring that there are sufficient resources available for testing, vaccination, and treatment.”

Mbuyisa warns that public facilities may lack the means to respond effectively and says harmful beliefs are taking root.

“Public facilities may have inadequate resources and costs can be prohibitive for low-income communities,” he explained.

“Additionally, there are troubling myths circulating, such as the belief that these diseases are man-made to coerce people into vaccination, or that vaccines are somehow malevolent.”

To read more of this report, click here

https://www.scidev.net/sub-saharan-africa/news/eswatini-on-edge-over-multiple-health-threats/

 

Mncitsini sitting on an environmental health time bomb

By Vuyisile Hlatshwayo, Inhlase Centre for Investigative Journalism, 14 May 2025

SOURCE 

Mbabane is eSwatini’s capital, situated on the picturesque, steep, and rocky terrain of Mdzimba Mountain. In 1992, it was declared a city, an upgrade from a town council to a city council. However, this upgrade further accelerated urban migration for job seekers and urban dwellers who have built low-cost houses in informal settlements sprawling on the city’s outskirts. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (MHUD), through the Municipal Council of Mbabane (MCM), stipulates permissible housing structures in the informal settlements. 

Climate change-triggered landslides pose a great danger to dozens of Mncitsini residents owning low-cost homes scattered on the mountainside, Inhlase can reveal. As the reality of climate change is beginning to sink in, they live in perpetual fear of landslides caused by the heavy rainfalls and storms wreaking havoc countrywide. Yet, many have considered the symptomatic flash floods besetting the tenants of Mbabane Mall as too distant a problem attributed to its poorly planned location on the floodplain of the Mbabane River snaking through the city. 

Scientists say one of the common causes of landslides is heavy rain. As it rains, according to them, water seeps into the ground, percolating into the layers below. There, it can reduce the suction and friction holding together grains of soil or rock, causing the ground to weaken and shift. In his CNN interview, Prof. Dave Petley, an earth expert in landslide management at the University of Hull, said: “Slopes are always trying to reach a stable angle, which depends on what kind of climate they are in. If the climate changes, and rainfall becomes heavier, the slope might now be too steep to be stable, so it will suffer a landslide or a series of landslides to find a new, stable angle.”

Mncitsini is part of the sprawling Msunduza Township, a few kilometres from the city centre. Climate change-induced landslides are troubling low-income residents whose homes are precariously perched on steep and rocky slopes. In an interview with Inhlase, Mbabane East Member of Parliament Welcome Dlamini mentions that during the heavy rainfall, a rock rolled down the mountain and struck a house in one of the homesteads overlooking Msunduza Playground. He is concerned that Msunduza residents may be sitting on an environmental health time bomb.   

To read more of this report, click here

https://inhlase.com/mncitsini-sitting-on-an-environmental-health-time-bomb/?fbclid=IwY2xjawKSa9xleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFRZzlIdWVsUENUaG9VZ2pDAR4-zR2oEwjUhtGc0IJFMHT16bJZYUSPWnKgjCwBAL3pMXaC7wUQBOtVC3yTJw_aem_We9AHmx_j85xv-hDnb9Z4g


PUDEMO applauds health workers for their dedication as part of International Nurses Day

By Musa Mdluli, Swaziland News, 12 May, 2025

SOURCE 

MBABANE: Penuel Malinga, the Secretary General of the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) has, on behalf of the political organization, released a statement, congratulating health workers for their dedication as part of the International Nurses Day.

“The People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) joins the global community in commemorating International Nurses Day, and takes this moment to salute and extend heartfelt appreciation to all nurses in Swaziland and around the world for their unwavering dedication, compassion, and tireless service to humanity. Nurses are the backbone of our healthcare systems, serving with courage and resilience even under the most challenging conditions, often under-resourced, overworked, and underpaid. In Swaziland, they continue to uphold their calling within a collapsing health sector riddled with systemic failures, corruption, and a lack of political will,” reads the statement in part.

PUDEMO said, despite these hardships, health workers “remain committed to preserving life, promoting dignity” and, providing critical care to those in need.

“As a people’s movement, PUDEMO recognises the essential role nurses play not only in treating illness, but also in advocating for health equity, addressing social determinants of health, and caring for the whole person. Their work uplifts the most vulnerable members of society and inspires a shared vision of a healthier, more just, and equitable world. We stand in firm solidarity with nurses in their struggle for better working conditions, fair compensation, adequate staffing, and the respect they so rightfully deserve. Their calls for a sustainable and people-centered healthcare system must be heard and acted upon. PUDEMO therefore calls on the government and healthcare institutions to prioritize the needs of nurses and the patients they serve. We demand urgent investment in healthcare infrastructure, workforce development, training, and supportive policies that place people above politics,” he said.

PUDEMO applauds health workers for their dedication as part of International Nurses Day (pic: SWADNU)


See also

Eswatini health workers celebrating International Nurses Day, highlight challenges amid shortage of drugs in public hospitals

https://swazilandnews.co.za/fundza.php?nguyiphi=9037

 

eSwatini plans $275m wealth fund

By Bloomberg, 12 May 2025

SOURCE 

The southern African Kingdom of Eswatini plans to start a sovereign wealth fund of around 5-billion emalangeni ($275-million) this year to help channel money into areas including manufacturing and agriculture, its finance minister said.

Legislation for the fund, drawn up with the Commonwealth’s help, is in draft form and likely to be finalised in the next three months, Neal Rijkenberg said. “It is something that we are really focusing on and driving very hard to get. So we need it to be perfect,” he said in an interview.

The fund will likely pool together government assets — such as certain state-owned companies, land, shares in banks and insurance companies and stakes in mines, the minister said.

It will focus on building wealth for future generations and growing the economy, Rijkenberg said. “We are hoping the wealth fund can be quite strategic in trying to crowd in private-sector investments into manufacturing production, agroprocessing, agriculture, those kinds of industries.”

The landlocked nation bordering South Africa and Mozambique, and led by King Mswati III since 1986, is also working on budget support loans to help clear arrears of about 2-billion emalangeni and address its financing gap. It estimates a fiscal deficit of 3% of gross domestic product in the year through March.

It recently secured $100-million from the World Bank and is in talks with the African Development Bank for $45-million and the OPEC Fund for International Development for $50-million, Rijkenberg said.

Formerly known as Swaziland, the country may also issue another bond on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange next month for budget support. “It won’t be a massive amount, it won’t be in the billions, but it’ll be in the hundreds of millions,” the minister said.

In 2024 it listed its first 400-million rand bond under a 4-billion-rand program on the bourse, with a coupon of 11.875%. The nation’s currency is pegged to South Africa’s rand.

Rijkenberg expects the terms of Eswatini’s next issuance to be more favourable as Moody’s Ratings upgraded the rating for its bond programme on the JSE to investment grade. “This should also reduce the cost of our bonds and broaden the market,” he said in his budget speech in February. 

 

World Bank backs job creation for eSwatini youth

Mirage News, 12 May 2025

SOURCE 

MBABANE: The World Bank Board of Executive Directors has approved the Eswatini Youth Employment Opportunities Project (EYEOP) aimed at increasing income earning opportunities for targeted youth in the Kingdom of Eswatini. EYEOP is the first project in Eswatini to be financed by the International Development Association (IDA) following the current country's transition to an IDA/IBRD blended status.

Young people in Eswatini make up 30% of the population, and nearly half the labor force. Yet, formal employment opportunities remain scarce, with only 1,000 new jobs created annually compared to 25,000 new entrants. Young women face even greater challenges, with an unemployment rate of 52.4% compared to 45% for men. Through skills training in high-growth sectors (such as agricultural value chains and related services), and the establishment of a dynamic and digital social registry, EYEOP aims to promote youth economic empowerment.

"The support from the World Bank is a catalyst for transformative change, particularly for our youth, unlocking opportunities in skills development, entrepreneurship, and employment. Through these initiatives, we are empowering the next generation of Emaswati to drive innovation, economic growth, and sustainable progress for years to come," said Honorable Dr. Thabo Gina, Minister of Economic Planning and Development of the Kingdom of Eswatini.

With nearly half of Eswatini's youth unemployed and over 53% not engaged in education, employment, or training (NEET), the project responds to an urgent need for youth to access productive employment and economic inclusion. The project will empower approximately 30,000 young people, with at least 50% female beneficiaries. It will also include young people with disabilities, and assist the government to empower young people with market-relevant skills, facilitate job placements, and provide entrepreneurial support by including building on existing programs and leveraging strategic partnerships. The project aligns with Eswatini's National Development Plan and the World Bank's Country Partnership Framework. Over five years, the project aims to increase incomes, improve access to employment, and enhance the government's ability to deliver targeted support to those most in need.

"This project represents an important step toward economic inclusion, as youth unemployment in Eswatini is at 49% and many young people are limited to informal and low-quality jobs. By investing in entrepreneurship, market-driven skills, and more effective social protection, the project will help reduce poverty and vulnerability, while advancing Eswatini's broader development goals. The World Bank is proud to stand with Eswatini's youth as they build a more secure and prosperous future," said Satu Kahkonen, World Bank Division Director for Eswatini.

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Wildlife protection at the cost of human lives

By Nokukhanya Musi-Aimienoho, Earth Island Journal, 13 May 2025

SOURCE 

Critics say rangers in Eswatini are using a decades-old law to avoid accountability in the killings of dozens of suspected poachers.

Last spring, Thokozani Kunene, 25, was out walking with his father near a private game reserve near eastern Eswatini’s Big Bend, an area known for its lush forests teeming with wildlife. His father says they were taking an afternoon stroll to collect firewood when they were confronted by rangers patrolling the Mkhaya Game Reserve. Kunene was shot and killed. The rangers found a firearm in his possession after shooting him and allege that he was there poaching, though his family disputes their claims.

Eswatini, a small country, has seven national parks, reserves, and wildlife sanctuaries, as well as several private game parks. In all these places, it is illegal to hunt animals without a special license or permit, which many villagers can’t afford. Photo of Milwane Wildlife Sanctuary by Vaiz Ha.​

Kunene is one of many Emaswati who have been killed in recent years by park rangers. While exact numbers aren’t available, the Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs estimates that several dozen suspected poachers are slain each year.

Behind each death lies a tragic truth: The people killed were never afforded the chance to defend themselves, never given the benefit of a fair trial. They were killed as suspected poachers, and the rangers who killed them were shielded by a decades’ old law: the 1991 Game Amendment Act.

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“This is a devastating trend that has left families broken and communities living in fear,” says Chief Mvimbi Matse of Mambane in the Matsanjeni constituency, in the Lubombo region of Eswatini. Matse says that 17 people in his chiefdom were killed by rangers between October of 2023 and October of 2024. “We must find a way to ensure that conservation efforts do not come at the expense of human lives.””

To read more of this report, click here

https://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/articles/entry/eswatini-wildlife-protection-at-the-cost-of-human-lives

 

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