Swazi Media Commentary: Magagula Vusi

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Monday, 11 January 2021

Big rises in coronavirus cases predicted in Swaziland by month’s end

As coronavirus (COVID-19) cases continued to rise in Swaziland (eSwatini) Director of Health Services Dr Vusi Magagula predicted there could be another 7,000 cases before the end of the month.

The eSwatini Observer reported on Sunday (10 January 2021) Magagula, who is at the Swazi Ministry of Health, said a lack of resources especially staffing would be a contributing factor on the death rate.

He warned people to take the virus seriously. He said, ‘The number of cases and mortality from the pandemic in the next three weeks depends on how fast we progress, which is determined by how communities follow the laid down prevention procedures. If more people follow the prevention measures the rate will be low but if they behave otherwise the cases will shoot up.’

New tougher lockdown restrictions were introduced on Saturday with nearly all gatherings, including religious services, banned. The Times of eSwatini reported on Monday that Swazi police closed at least six churches that had defied the new regulations. A spokesperson told the newspaper police would continue to arrest church members if they were found to have contravened the regulations.

Police continued to teargas and assault people found breaking regulations. In the latest incident the Swaziland News, an online newspaper, reported that on Saturday police officers used teargas to disperse a group that was drinking alcohol at kaQobonga. It reported an 80-year-old woman was left struggling to breathe all night after stray teargas choked her.

Official Ministry of Health statistics released on Sunday showed there had been a total of 11,435 people testing positive for the virus and 295 deaths since the crisis started.

On Friday the Swaziland Communist Party said there was serious under-reporting of infections and deaths in the kingdom. In a statement it said, ‘Funeral homes have already reported on the extreme shortage of coffins as well as the lack of space in their mortuaries due to the increased number of deaths, most of which are Covid related, prompting them to direct that funerals must be held on daily basis, no longer on a Thursday to Sunday basis. Clinics and hospitals are also unable to cope with the overwhelming number of patients.’

It added, ‘The facts also show that [King] Mswati helped spread the virus through his annual ritual, incwala, a super spreader which has already overseen the infection and death of many of those who attended the ritual.’

Monday, 26 August 2019

Number of child deaths from diarrhoea in Swaziland rises

The number of children known to have died in the current outbreak of diarrhoea in Swaziland / eSwatini has risen to 11, the charity WaterAid reported.

This was revealed at a workshop on hygiene held at Pigg’s Peak.

WaterAid Eswatini Research Manager Ncamiso Mhlanga said the main contribution to these deaths were poor sanitation methods, mainly at home or day care centres where these children stay.

Swazi Director of Health Services Vusi Magagula reported in early August 2019 that six children had died over a period of four days and about another 1,000 others had been treated for the infection caused by the rota virus.

Deaths from this preventable disease occur in the kingdom every year. But the government, ruled by King Mswati III as the last absolute monarch in sub-Saharan Africa, is broke and continually fails to tackle to problem.

Diarrhoea is a bowel infection often caused by contaminated water or food. According to the website of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, a 25-pack of one dose vials of rotavirus vaccine to immunise against diarrhoea costs US70.49 (E1,050) at commercial rates. Typically a child needs two doses to be immunised.

Swaziland is broke and public services are grinding to a halt. All kinds of medicines are in short supply in public hospitals and clinics because the government has failed to pay suppliers. Nursing posts and other vacancies remain unfilled as part of a government policy to cut its wages bill. At least 400 qualified nurses are unemployed, Dr Magagula recently told a meeting of pensioners in Mbabane.

Wednesday, 7 August 2019

Six children die as diarrhoea once again strikes Swaziland

Six children died from diarrhoea in four days in Swaziland / eSwatini and about another 1,000 others have been treated for the infection caused by the rota virus, a senior official said on Monday.

The latest round of deaths was announced by Director of Health Services Vusi Magagula on Monday (5 August 2019), the APA news agency reported.

‘These fatal cases are a result of delayed treatment,’ he said. The deaths occurred at two health centres in the south of the kingdom.

Out of the 1,000 children aged five years and below, most were admitted to hospital.

In Swaziland diarrhoea is rated among the top three causes of mortality especially amongst children under five years of age. In the worst case in recent years in 2014 at least 40 children died during an outbreak. Hundreds were hospitalised and more than 3,000 cases were recorded.

In 2014 the World Bank estimated 17.6 percent of children aged under five suffered from diarrhoea in a two week period it surveyed.

Diarrhoea is a preventable disease. It is a bowel infection often caused by contaminated water or food. According to the website of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, a 25-pack of one dose vials of rotavirus vaccine to immunise against diarrhoea costs US70.49 (E1,050) at commercial rates. Typically a child needs two doses to be immunised.

APA reported the Swaziland Ministry of Health was downplaying the latest cases claiming it did not amount to an ‘outbreak’.

Swaziland is broke and public services are grinding to a halt. All kinds of medicines are in short supply in public hospitals and clinics because the government has failed to pay suppliers. Nursing posts and other vacancies remain unfilled as part of a government policy to cut its wages bill. At least 400 qualified nurses are unemployed, Dr Vusi Magagula recently told a meeting of pensioners in Mbabane.

Seven in ten of Swaziland’s estimated 1.3 million population live in abject poverty with incomes less than the equivalent of US$2 per day. The King has 13 palaces. He also owns fleets of top-of-the range Mercedes and BMW cars. His family regularly travel the world on shopping trips spending millions of dollars each time.

The King wore a watch worth US$1.6 million and a suit beaded with diamonds weighing 6 kg, at his 50^th birthday party. Days earlier he took delivery of his second private jet, a A340 Airbus, that after VIP upgrades reportedly cost US$30 million. He received E15 million (US$1.2 million) in cheques, a gold dining room suite and a gold lounge suite among his birthday gifts.

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