Swaziland Newsletter No. 747 –7
October 2022
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.
Public sector
unions accept 3pc COLA, say they were coerced
By Stanley Khumalo, Times of eSwatini, 6
October 2022
SOURCE
MANZINI: Public Sector Unions (PSUs) of Swaziland say
they were held to ransom.
The PSUs, who represent about 21 535 civil servants,
claim to have given in to the coercion exerted on them by the employer and
accepted the three per cent cost-of-living adjustment (CoLA) of the monthly
basic salary, which will be backdated to April 1, 2022 and also the once-off
payment of one per cent of annual basic salary across the board. Unionised
civil servants are a fraction of the 42 686 workers under the employ of
government as per the Establishment Register for the financial year 2022/23.
Collectively, civil servants and politicians are remunerated
through the wage Bill, which was projected to be around E7.3 billion at the end
of the past financial year (March 31, 2022).
The PSUs started negotiations with the Government Negotiation Team (GNT) almost
five weeks after the latter had signed a collective agreement with the Eswatini
Principals Association (EPA) on June 27, 2022.
It is worth noting that while the pair signed the
collective agreement, the GNT and the PSUs had reached a deadlock on the
agenda, as the latter wanted CoLA to be the last item on the agenda while the
former wanted it to be the first. Meanwhile, EPA represents head and
deputy head teachers, who are classified as managers. When the pair signed the
collective agreement, un-unionised civil servants, who include politicians, members
of the security forces and civil servants in management, were awarded three per
cent CoLA of the monthly basic salary, which was backdated to April 1, 2022 and
also a once-off payment of one per cent of annual basic salary, across the
board.
This resulted in a fraction of the 21 535 civil
servants represented by the PSUs tendering resignation letters to their
relevant unions, in a quest to be enrolled for the CoLA and once-off one per
cent of their annual pay. It is this reason that some PSU representatives said
they were coerced to seek the conclusion of this agenda item (CoLA). The
PSUs are: National Public Service and Allied Workers Union (NAPSAWU), Swaziland
National Association of Teachers (SNAT), Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union
(SWADNU) and Swaziland National Association of Government Accounting Personnel
(SNAGAP).
Secretary General (SG) of SWADNU Mayibongwe Masangane,
said the JNF was held in bad faith as government had already signed a
collective agreement with EPA. Also, members of PSUs were encouraged to
resign from their unions in order to qualify for the award of the CoLA and one
per cent once-off of the annual salary. Masangane said: “We decoded from
the GNT that they were not going to offer anything better while on the other
hand, there was the encouragement to our members to resign in order to qualify
for the three per cent.”
He said with this background, they concluded that the
negotiations would drag with no change in the offer while their members were
suffocating from the economic challenges infused by the inflation and the
impacts of the geo-politics. The SG reiterated that they were set up
against their members as they were informed that they (union leaders) were
refusing the offer which was signed by the un-unionised members; yet negotiations
were yet to start. “Our members are desperate and the employer knew that
if they were told to resign, our bargaining power stood to collapse,” he said.
Masangane said the negotiations were almost academic
and signing for the offer which was extended to EPA was the only thing that
they could do. He said fair negotiations would be available once the issue of
EPA was dealt with. His sentiments were also shared by the SG of SNAGAP,
Phumzile Masilela. She said they signed for the offer extended by the GNT due
to the fact that their members were resigning. “They gave EPA and
un-unionised civil servants the CoLA and our members were threatening us with
resignations. In essence, this divided our workers,” she said.
It is worth noting that the Minister of Public
Service, Mabulala Maseko, when announcing the collective agreement between the
GNT and EPA, said government was conscious of the erosion of the buying power
of salaries for civil servants and was also in full appreciation of the
prevailing fiscal and cash flow challenges, which was why the employer invited
both the PSUs (NAPSAWU, SNAT, SNA and SNAGAP) and EPA at the beginning of the
2022/2023 financial year, to present their proposed agenda items that would
culminate in a consolidated agenda for the current financial year. In fact, the
minister said CoLA had an amount of E220 million set aside through the
Appropriations Act No. 1 of 2023. Maseko also said government set aside E55
million for the 2016 Salary Review Appeals and E15 million for the engagement
of a consultant to undertake a salary review of the entire public service.
Minister
warns on further food price hikes
By
Sifiso Nhlabatsi, eSwatini Observer, 6 October 2022
SOURCE
Minister of Agriculture Jabulani Mabuza
has warned of a further food price hike as a result of the ongoing
Russia-Ukraine war.
This was during a multi stakeholder
meeting to dialogue on mitigating the impact of the Ukraine-Russia conflict on
fertiliser access for vulnerable smallholder farmers in Africa. The minister
said this had a serious bearing on food security globally.
The dialogue was hosted by the Food
Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Southern African Development Community (SADC),
The African Development Bank (AfDB) Southern Africa and the Centre for
Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa.
The minister said the dialogue came at an
opportune time for Eswatini, just before the farming season.
Speaking on findings of the situations
which were presented during the dialogue, the minister said the studies
indicate a dire situation regarding the affordability and availability of
fertilisers on the global market.
He said both Ukraine and the Russian
Federation are important producers of agricultural commodities in the world as
they are also net exporters of agricultural products and are leading suppliers
of foodstuff and fertilisers to global markets, and the uncertainty surrounding
the conflict prompted a significant further price increase in global markets,
particularly those of wheat, maize and oilseeds.
He disclosed that many of these countries
were already struggling with the negative effects of high international food
and fertiliser prices prior to the war. He said although Africa only accounts
for three to four per cent of global fertiliser consumption, many sub-Saharan
countries are also heavily reliant on supplies from the Russian federation.
“With prices of fertilisers and other
energy-intensive products rising because of the war, overall input prices are
expected to rise considerably.
The higher prices of these inputs will
translate into higher production costs and eventually into higher food prices,”
Mabuza stated. He said they could also lead to lower use of inputs,
lowering yields and harvests in the 2022/23 season, risking further price hikes
and threatening global food security in coming years. The minister added that
price increases always have food security implications, particularly for the
poorest.
He said the crisis represents a challenge
for food security for many countries, especially for low income food import
dependent countries and vulnerable population groups.
“In the event that there are severe export
shortfalls from Ukraine and the Russian federation in 2022 and 2023, and
assuming no global production response because of lack affordability and access
to fertilisers, there will be an increase in the number of undernourished by
close to 19 million people in 2023,” he stated.
According to the minister, at the current
rate of prices, the smallholder farmers will definitely not afford to purchase
these which will have negative effects on the production especially of our
staple crop maize.
He said for Eswatini, a majority of
smallholder farmers are reliant on fertilisers hence their high costs will
definitely affect production leading to a serious food insecurity situation.
University
of eSwatini graduation ceremony postponed as students write “King Mswati must
fall” on the walls.
By Nokwanda Mamba, Swaziland
News, 3 October 2022
SOURCE
KWALUSENI: Dr Salebona
Simelane, the University of Eswatini (UNESWA)Registrar has announced the
postponement of the graduation ceremony amid the intensifying political unrest.
On Friday, the graduation
arena was allegedly vandalized by students who wrote graffiti calling for the
fall of King Mswati, an absolute Monarch who is also the University's
Chancellor.
In a memorandum released on
Monday, the Registrar informed the students that their graduation ceremony has
been postponed until further notice.
"It is advised that due
to unforeseen circumstances, the graduation ceremony has been postponed from
Saturday, 8th October, 2022 to a future date to be announced,” reads the
memorandum.
Dr Salebona Simelane, the
UNESWA Registrar confirmed the memorandum when reached by this publication.
Reached for comments,
Philile Mavuso the Deputy President of the Swaziland National Union of Students
(SNUS) said the Graduation Ceremony was obviously postponed after the students
called for the removal of King Mswati from power.
“They are postponing it
because of the ‘Mswati must Fall' graffiti, they are trying hard to clean while
monitoring the situation. Students have decided that they don't want King
Mswati III as their leader", said the Students Union Deputy President.
Court case: PUDEMO youth stabbed, burns EFF
member’s mini-shop
By
Eugene Dube, Swati Newsweek, 5 October, 2022
SOURCE
MANZINI: Four members of the Swaziland
Youth Congress (SWAYOCO) have been arrested for allegedly stabbing and further
burning a mini-shop belonging to Mabandla “Sgoje” Sibandze who is a member of
the Economic Freedom Fighters of Swaziland.
Speaking to this Swati Newsweek Online
today Mabandla ‘Sgoje’ Sibandze said, “I have been assaulted by six SWAYOCO
members. They stabbed me with a knife and they burnt down my business.”
Sibandze could not continue revealing more details as the matter is now in
court. However a doctor's report seen by this publication shows that Sibandze
was stabbed three times on the backside.
Reacting to this incident Nombulelo Motsa,
the Economic Freedom Fighters of Swaziland President briefly said, “Sibandze
reported to us as EFF Swaziland that he has been assaulted by PUDEMO members. This
is the second time PUDEMO members have attacked EFF Swaziland members. In 2021
they attacked one of our members when we had gone to deliver a petition at the
USA Embassy. I think what is happening is very unjust. As a pro-democracy
movement we should promote peace and unity. Hatred for each other is not good
at all,” said Motsa.
Reached for a comment, Nkalivasi Vilakati,
the Swaziland National Youth Congress Secretary General said the organisation
is aware of the fight between their members and the EFFSWA member. “I was
informed by the President of the youth league and I also went to see the
injured EFFSWA member together with Regional Organizing Secretary Siza
Tsabedze.
“The intention of meeting with Sgoje was
to ensure that community disputes don't get to be misinterpreted as political
intolerance. Fortunately during our meeting he was with EFFSWA members the
likes of former TG and we agreed to deal with the matter internally and the
involved structures will take decisive actions against the members for bringing
the name of the organisation into disrepute,” Vilakati said.
Information gathered is that Sgoje was
trying to calm SWAYOCO members who were rebuking his father. The Swaziland
National Youth Congress is a youth wing under the People’s United Democratic
Movement (PUDEMO).
Lunchtime picket over shortage of drugs
By Sithembile Hlatshwayo, Times of eSwatini, 6 October
2022
SOURCE
MBABANE: Frustrated!
This best describes the nurses at the Mbabane
Government Hospital, who have resolved to engage in a lunchtime picket over the
shortage of drugs and supplies. During the picket, the nurses voiced out
their disappointment, following an announcement made by the Minister of Health,
Lizzie Nkosi, that they would be destroying expired drugs worth over E3
million, yet the hospital did not have drugs. They picketed around the hospital
and also visited the Outpatient Department (OPD), where they informed patients
about the status quo. The health workers resolved to picket until Friday, where
they would deliver a petition to the Ministry of Health.
Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU) Unit
Committee Chairperson at the hospital, Sanele Gwebu, questioned how the drugs
could expire while the hospital did not have medication. Gwebu wondered why the
Central Medical Stores (CMS) kept drugs for so long until they expired. He
said they were tired of watching the ministry destroy drugs while they did not
have any medication at the hospital. He said this showed that the drugs were
secretly kept for reasons best known to the ministry, while patients
suffered. Gwebu said as health employees, they were bothered by patients
complaining about the shortage of drugs and supplies.
The chairperson said the most painful part was that
the patients were their friends, relatives, parents and themselves. He
said with the lack of medication at the facility, which was a referral
hospital, by extension they were killing the patients. According to
Gwebu, they wanted to put an end to the frustration endured by patients, some
of whom travelled long distances for nothing. He said they had engaged the
ministry on several occasions on the issue and it seemed they were refusing to
listen. Gwebu stated that one of the officials at the ministry told them
that they were now used to the protests and pickets, which was an insult to the
healthcare workers. Furthermore, he stated that there was security threat
at the hospital, following that the company that offered the services downed
tools over unpaid salaries for two months. Since Monday, the hospital has not
had security.
Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Unit Committee,
Sandile Mlotsa, told patients that the working environment at the hospital was
no longer conducive as it was unworkable. Mlotsa stated that drugs and supplies
were in shortage and patients would be given prescriptions to purchase the
medication at private pharmacies. He said most of the medication was
expensive at the private pharmacies and cost between E350 to E500. Mlotsa said
they were not amused by the suffering of patients at the hospital caused by
poor administration of the ministry.
One of the patients questioned the healthcare workers
what the management’s response was when they were told about the
challenges. In response, Mlotsa stated that the ministry failed to provide
them with the necessary drugs and supplies, but they were shocked to learn that
a large amount had expired and was to be destroyed. “Nothing has expired at
this hospital but there is a shortage.” Mlotsa said there was no diabetes
and hypertension medication and the elderly had to purchase it in private
pharmacies, yet they did not have money. The patients said the government did
not care and love emaSwati but was pushing them to their early death.
See also
Nurses
engaged in a protest after Mswati’s police fired teargas inside Mbabane
Government Hospital.
Eswatini
Health Minister Lizzie Nkosi contradicts herself on use of expired drugs
scandal
By
Wendy Magagula, Swaziland News, 4 October, 2022
SOURCE
MBABANE: Lizzie Nkosi, the
Minister of Health has come out to confirm the availability of expired
medication but denied that patients in the various Government hospitals were
treated with these drugs.
This comes after a report by
the Times of Eswatini that exposed how patients were treated with
expired drugs in the various government hospitals, hundreds have died since the
widely reported health crisis erupted in this tiny Kingdom.
Addressing journalists on
Monday at the Copper Centre in Mbabane, the Health Minister said they normally
destroy expired drugs worth close to R3million every year.
“It’s true that there were
expired drugs at the Central Medical Stores and other health facilities but
these drugs were not distributed,” said the Minister.
Team
Europe engages the Government of eSwatini in the annual political dialogue
Press and
information team of the Delegation to eSwatini, European Union, 5 October 2022
SOURCE
Held in Mbabane on 30 September 2022, the 21st Political
Dialogue between the European Union (EU) and the Kingdom of Eswatini covered
international affairs (Russian aggression on Ukraine, Cabo Delgado), political
and legislative matters; the urgent need for a national dialogue in Eswatini;
human rights; freedom of expression and access to information; rule of law and
judicial matters; trade and economic issues, business environment and
development cooperation matters as well as climate change commitments and
renewable energy.
The following is the Joint Communique issued at the end of the Dialogue:
21st POLITICAL
DIALOGUE BETWEEN
THE EUROPEAN
UNION AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE KINGDOM OF ESWATINI
30 SEPTEMBER
2022
JOINT
COMMUNIQUE
The Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini (KoE) and the European Union
(EU) held on 30 September 2022 their 21st Political Dialogue,
established on the basis of the article 8 of the Cotonou Agreement. The
dialogue, held in Mbabane, covered areas including international affairs,
political and legislative matters; freedom of expression and access to
information; human rights matters; rule of law and judicial matters; trade and
economic issues; investment, business environment and development cooperation
matters as well as climate change commitments.
EU Ambassador to Eswatini, H.E. Dessislava Choumelova, chaired the
meeting, while Eswatini’s acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and International
Cooperation, Hon. Pholile Shakantu was the co-chair. The EU side comprised EU
Member States Ambassadors accredited to the country from Pretoria and Maputo
and senior diplomats. The Government side, on the other hand, included Cabinet
Ministers and senior Government officials.
The parties reiterated their commitments to the shared values of their
partnership based on democracy, rule of law and the respect for human rights as
stipulated in art. 9 of the Cotonou Agreement. The EU pledged its continued
support to development initiatives in Eswatini.
POLITICAL AND LEGISLATIVE MATTERS
The Kingdom of Eswatini provided updated information on the political
situation in the country. The importance of an all-inclusive and timely
national dialogue in Eswatini was also discussed.
The EU provided the Government with information on the consequences of
the unprovoked Russian aggression war on Ukraine. The parties also discussed
the situation of the ongoing insurgency in Cabo Delgado in Mozambique and
Eswatini’s possible support to the region.
Furthermore, the KoE gave an update on family Bills meant to be aligned
with not only the country’s Constitution but also with international
instruments such as CEDAW (UN Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of
Discrimination Against Women) thus strengthening the protection of women’s
rights.
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND ACCESS TO INFORMATION
The meeting also discussed issues of freedom of expression and access to
information. To that end, the Government provided an update on the status of
the Eswatini Broadcasting Corporation Bill of 2019 which aims to improve the
country’s broadcasting sector. Issues of access to information were also
discussed.
HUMAN RIGHTS
The KoE presented an overview of Eswatini’s submissions before the last
Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process which took place in Geneva in November
2021. The EU took note on the progress made on some of the recommendations from
the previous UPR including the amendment in 2017 of the Suppression of
Terrorism Act of 2008, the passing of the Public Order Act of 2017 and the
implementation of the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence (SODV) Act of 2018.
Also discussed was progress made by the Government on the Human Rights
Bill, which marks an evolution in the operationalisation of the Human Rights
Commission as well as the merger of the Human Rights Commission and the
Anti-Corruption Commission. The EU noted the progress made in that regard.
The non-discrimination of people on the basis of sexual orientation were
also on the talks while noting that the registration of LGBTIQ+ association’s
case was still pending before Courts.
As Eswatini has been voting for several years in favour of the United
Nations General Assembly Resolution on the Moratorium of Executions, the EU
once again encouraged the Government to consider formally abolishing the death
penalty.
RULE OF LAW AND JUDICIAL MATTERS
The dialogue also focused on the rule of law, with the Government
providing an update on the law reform process to align all laws with the
country’s Constitution as well as efforts being made to strengthen the
administration of justice in Eswatini.
Whilst commending the Government on the implementation of the Sexual
Offences and Domestic Violence (SODV) Act, the EU also encouraged the KoE to
step up efforts in the area of education and training of law enforcement
agencies to curb the scourge of violence against women and children.
TRADE AND ECONOMIC MATTERS
The parties exchanged on Eswatini’s fiscal and economic outlook
post COVID-19, the medium term economic recovery strategies as well as the
country’s counteractive measures on the impact of the rising commodity prices
and food security threats.
The discussions also covered the KoE’s progress on the implementation of
the EU-SADC Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and the African Continental
Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) including the e-commerce Platform.
INVESTMENT, BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION MATTERS
The Government presented an update on the National Development Strategy
(DNS) as well as the National Development Plan (NDP) which are both critical
for Eswatini’s socio-economic development with the focus on improving the
quality of life in the country including access to health, education, poverty
reduction, employment creation, gender equity, social cohesion and protection
as well as environmental protection. The meeting agreed that the test for the
NDP’s strength will be its successful implementation for the benefit of the
country’s citizens.
On other hand, the EU provided an update on its next budgetary cycle
(2021 – 2027), the Multi-annual Indicative Program (MIP) for Eswatini
which is under the new “Global Europe: Neighborhood, Development and
International Cooperation Instrument”. Once implemented, the new
MIP will concentrate on one priority area - Human Capital Development and
Social Inclusion, embracing the standard of living and education dimensions of
human development through a focus on two interlinked sectors: market-driven
vocational education and training (TVET) and empowerment of disadvantaged youth
and women in vulnerable situations.
Under these sectors, gender equality, girls’ and women empowerment will
be a horizontal priority in line with the objectives of the EU’s Gender Action
Plan (GAP) III.
The Government also presented its plans for improving the ease of doing
business in the country. The EU welcomed these intentions. For the EU budgetary
cycle 2021-2027, the parties have jointly identified potential sectors to
receive EU support: green economy, development of human capital focused on
youth and good governance with a focus on digitalisation. These sectors reflect
both Eswatini and EU’s priorities and interests.
CLIMATE CHANGE, BIODIVERSITY AND ENERGY – ESWATINI COMMITMENTS
The EU encouraged Eswatini to stand by its climate commitments and steer
towards renewable energy sources.
NEXT POLITICAL DIALOGUE
Given the 2023 national elections in Eswatini, the parties agreed that
the next Political Dialogue will take place in the first half of 2023, possibly
under the new framework of partnership.
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