Swaziland Newsletter No. 816 – 1 March
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.
eSwatini dictator King
Mswati deploys armed soldiers at troubled University of eSwatini
By Zweli Martin Dlamini, Swaziland
News, 26 February, 2024
KWALUSENI:
King Mswati allegedly deployed armed soldiers at the troubled University of
Eswatini (UNESWA) on Monday morning, after Lecturers boycotted exams and
marched to Parliament as the institution of higher learning faces deepening
financial constraints, while failing to pay salaries.
Mswati
rules eSwatini as an absolute Monarch, citizens are shot by the police and
soldiers merely for protesting, while human rights defenders are arrested or
killed for demanding democracy.
Responding
to this Swaziland News on Monday, Dr Salebona Simelane, the Registrar of the
University of Eswatini (UNESWA) asked this journalist to contact the army
authorities, he then claimed to have not witnessed the deployment of the
soldiers some who were pictured within the premises of the institution of
higher learning.
“Good
morning, Nkhosi. Please ask the army authorities on this issue, but I did not
witness a deployment of the army today”, said the UNESWA Registrar.
The
Registrar subsequently released a memo later on Monday afternoon, informing
UNESWA staff and students about the postponement of the exams amid the
challenges faced by the institution.
“The
Senate resolved at its meeting held on the 26th February, 2024 that the
2022/2023 Second Semester Examinations should be postponed by one week.
Effectively, the examinations shall commence on Monday, 4th March 2024”, reads
the memorandum in part released on Monday.
To
read more of this report, click here
https://www.swazilandnews.co.za/fundza.php?nguyiphi=6110
Navigating uncharted
waters: eSwatini’s bold move into maritime registry despite landlocked
geography
By
BNN Breaking News, 23 February 2024
Imagine a country where the concept of a
‘sea view’ is purely imaginative, where the closest shore is miles away beyond
its borders. Now, picture this landlocked nation launching a maritime registry,
welcoming ships to fly its flag without ever sailing its non-existent waters.
This is not a plot from a whimsical novel but the reality of Eswatini, a
country boldly stepping into the realm of international shipping without a
coast in sight. Established in October 2023, Eswatini’s maritime foray raises
eyebrows and questions alike, challenging the norms of what it means to be a
seafaring nation.
Eswatini’s venture into the maritime
industry mirrors a David versus Goliath tale, with the tiny kingdom taking on
the colossal task of establishing a ship registry. The initiative is pitched as
offering high-quality maritime services and the allure of ship registrations, a
tempting proposition for vessels seeking the benefits of ‘flags of
convenience’. These advantages include lower taxes, more lenient labor laws,
and fewer regulations. However, the irony of a landlocked country hosting a
maritime registry is not lost on observers, who question the viability and
integrity of such an operation. Despite these doubts, Eswatini has managed to
list a provisional fleet of 13 cargo ships, signaling its earnest intentions.
The intrigue surrounding Eswatini’s
registry deepens with the revelation of its vessels’ involvement in supporting
the Syrian regime and evading sanctions, including exporting grain from
Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine. This association with a ‘dark fleet’, a term
coined for ships operating under the radar to bypass sanctions or conceal cargo
origins, casts a long shadow over the registry’s credibility. The global
maritime community watches with bated breath as Eswatini navigates these
turbulent waters, attempting to reconcile its aspirations with the harsh
realities of international scrutiny and the potential for environmental and
regulatory disasters.
In response to growing concerns,
diplomatic efforts and proposals for tighter regulations have emerged, aiming
to anchor ships more firmly to their flags of registration. These initiatives
underscore the imperative for accountability and transparency in the maritime
industry, especially for new entrants like Eswatini. The kingdom’s bold
experiment highlights the evolving dynamics of global shipping, where
innovation and ambition meet the steadfast currents of tradition and
regulation. As the world watches, Eswatini’s maritime adventure unfolds, a
testament to the fluid nature of international commerce and the uncharted
territories it seeks to explore.
The journey of Eswatini’s ship registry,
from its landlocked origins to the contentious waters of the ‘dark fleet’,
encapsulates a broader narrative of aspiration and challenge. In a world where
geographical limitations are increasingly blurred by global connectivity,
Eswatini’s maritime endeavor stands as a bold statement of intent. Whether it
will navigate to success or flounder in the depths remains to be seen, but one
thing is clear: the tides of change spare no one, landlocked or otherwise.
Record
E5bn allocation for education, E3bn for health
Sabelo
Majola, Times of eSwatini, 27 February 2024
LOBAMBA: The education sector received a record high of E5 billion budget
allocation while the Ministry of Health received E3 billion.
These two sectors received a combined
allocation percentage of 27, with education getting 17 per cent of the overall
budget and health getting 10 per cent. The Ministry of Education and
Training was allocated E3.96 billion in the 2023/24 financial year and this
year’s allocation depicts a growth of 20.8 per cent. The health sector was
allocated E2.76 billion in the previous financial year and this depicts a
growth of eight per cent. Part of the improved budget allocation for the
education sector was government’s approval of a revised fee schedule structure
for free primary education.
Government, as revealed by Minister of
Finance Neal Rijkenberg when presenting the budget speech yesterday in
Parliament, also converted 794 temporary teachers to permanent and pensionable
positions in the 2023/2024 financial year. He pointed out that in the
2024/2025 budget, government had allocated E65 million to continue with
conversion of temporary teaching positions into permanent roles, to address
teacher shortages and also contribute to the overall quality of education,
providing students with a more stable and conducive learning environment. In
summary, government allocated E3.94 billion in the recurrent budget, E200
million in the capital budget to the Ministry of Education and Training, E194
million in the orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) fund and E647 million for
scholarships, equalling a total of E5 billion for the provision of education
and training, at all levels in the country.
This represents 17 per cent of the total
budget spent on educating emaSwati. Challenges like drugs and human resource
are some of the considerations that saw the Ministry of Health getting an
improved budget of E3 billion. It was also in the spirit of implementing
the policy of a health facility for every eight-kilometre radius across the
country, that the health sector received so much in allocation. Rijkenberg
highlighted that the outcry at Sibaya People’s Parliament around the problems
in the Ministry of Health, as well as from the public in the submissions for
the budget speech on the virtual platforms, emphasised the need for additional
funding to turnaround the ministry. “For this reason, we have allocated E250
million more to the health budget, bringing it to E3 billion. This represents
10 per cent of the total budget,” he said.
Minister of Health Mduduzi Matsebula said
he was grateful to the Finance minister for prioritising the health sector in
the budget and he mentioned that they would do everything in their power to
tackle the challenges in the sector. However, Matsebula mentioned that the
health budget was still not reaching the 15 per cent of the overall budget as
required by the UN Conventions and he was hopeful that one day, that dream
would become a reality.
Royal government continues with Lies?
Minister Neal says they have allocated E3 billion to
address health sector challenges
By Eugene Dube, Swati Newsweek 26 February,2024
LOBAMBA: Neal Rikenburg, the
eSwatini Minister of Finance said E3 billion has been allocated for health.
eSwatini has been battling
with drugs shortage for over 17 years. Many elderly people died due to lack of
treatment.
However, the regime twisted
the story and claimed officers in the ministry of health were involved in
scandal.
Minister of Finance Neal
Rijkenberg announces that E3 billion has been allocated towards health, in
response to ongoing challenges within the sector.
Minister Rijkenberg: “For this
reason, we have allocated E250 million more to the health budget bringing it to
a budget of E3 billion. This represents 10% of the total budget.
In 2006 the international
organisation called Relief World their reported highlighted the drugs shortage
in Swaziland. However, investigation reveals that more money goes to the Royal
family in Swaziland. The Royals rely on foreign health institutions whenever
they are sick.
A financial report reveals
that King Mswati III and his mother Ntombi Tfwala had been allocated E431
million salaries for 2023 financial year.
The right to life is no longer
guaranteed in Eswatini health facilities including government clinics and
hospitals as there is massive drugs shortage.
Elderly people and the youth
continue to die in local Swazi hospitals as the regime fails buying medicines
and drugs on time from international drug companies.
Eswatini elderly citizens are
amongst a group of patients who were turned back at local hospitals because of
lack medication.
They were referred to local
pharmacies by hospital medical staff. Patients are now forced to buy their
medicines at local pharmacies which are expensive.
Lizzie Nkosi, Eswatini
Minister of Health publicly admitted that Eswatini faces a shortage of drugs.
She posted a statement on Eswatini government Facebook page.
Around 2023, King Mswati III
told close to 10 000 Swazi who gathered at his Palace that health institutions
had improved. However, his statement sounds has been rejected by many people.
On 03 July, 2023, Eswatini
government Facebook page reported: “The minister of health Lizzie says
government has met suppliers to try and forge a way forward aimed at mitigating
the medicines shortages experienced by the health sector.”
The report continued, “This
process is what leads to the delay in the supply of medicines. However, the
Ministry of health has started supplying the available medicines and medical
suppliers to the country's health facilities. As additional medicines and
supplies are recieved by the central medical stores (CMS) These are also
supplied to the health facilities as emergency deliveries.”
However in a previous
interview Mayibongwe Masangane, the Secretary General of the Swaziland
Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU) disagrees with Minister Nkosi and insists that
drugs shortage still exists.
“There are no drugs in public
institutions. The crisis is persistent and seemly there is no political will to
resolve it,”Masangane said.
In a 2019 news report
published around November The Eswatini Ministry of Health Principal Secretary
Dr. Simone Zwane was quoted as saying,” government’s challenges also affected
his ministry. “The ministry of health is currently experiencing challenges of
meeting the needs of patients especially the availability of medication in
hospitals. Which is caused by suppliers not being paid, It’s a pity we are
going through this economic challenges as a country,” said Zwane.
See also
Neal tables Sibaya-inspired E29.42bn
budget
http://new.observer.org.sz/details.php?id=22091r
Budget falls short of expectations on
Free Primary Education
http://www.times.co.sz/news/144087-budget-falls-short-of-expectations-on-fpe.html
eSwatini's Budget Announcement Sparks Debate Among
Education and Health Sectors
How Principal Secretary (PS) Dr. Simon Zwane assisted SwaziPharm Director Kareem Ashraff to defraud State about R70million in one day amid shortage of drugs in public hospitals
By
Zweli Martin Dlamini, Swaziland News, 28 February, 2024
MBABANE: Dr. Simon Zwane, the then
Principal Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Health allegedly assisted
SwaziPharm Director Kareem Ashraff to defraud the State through the Ministry of
Health about R70million in one (1) day, a forensic investigation report
reveals.
The investigation report in possession of
this Swaziland News was compiled by Funduzi Forensic Services subsequent
to an investigation into the shortage of drugs in public hospitals, the
investigation was commissioned by Finance Minister Neal Rijikernberg through
the Office of the Auditor General (AG).
It has been disclosed through the report
that on or around 2nd July 2020, the Principal Secretary (PS) allegedly
approved an advance payment amounting to R9,999,999.00 for Kareem Ashraff
AvaPharm (Pty) Ltd.
An advance payment is the type of payment
that is made before or without the delivery of good or services.
The investigation report further suggests
that, the same payment was duplicated and paid six (6) times with voucher
numbers 0004122,0004124, 0004125, 0004119, 000120 and 000121 bringing the total
amount to R59,999,994.00
But on the very same day, the PS allegedly
approved another payment amounting to R8 610 756.31 bringing the total to
R68,610,750.31.
A questionnaire was sent to Dr. Simon
Zwane who was later transferred to the Ministry of Housing and Urban
Development, however, he had not responded at the time of compiling this
report.
“The above payments were motivated on the
basis of an invoice received from Avapharm dated 17 June 2020 and signed off by
the Principal Secretary (PS), Dr. Simon Zwane to the Accountant-General. The
copy of the Invoice is annexed hereto and marked Exhibit 16.Based on the
conventions for the processing of payments in Government, we were advised that
each payment has its own batch number and therefore it would be irregular to
process more than one payment on the basis of one batch number. The only
rationale for processing more than one payment tied to one batch number would
be to hide the true nature of the payment in circumstances akin to fraud. The
payment batch reflecting the same batch number for the multiple payments above
is attached herewith and marked Exhibit 17. Based on this,it is apparent that
Avapharm would have been unduly enriched at the expense of the Government. This
overpayment which constitutes fraudulent payment, should be recovered from
Avapharm (Pty) Ltd and the Public Officials involved, disciplined accordingly”,
reads the investigation report in part.
To read more of this report, click here
https://swazilandnews.co.za/fundza.php?nguyiphi=6119
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