Swaziland Newsletter No. 808 – 5
January 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.
PM’s
stern warning to Federation of Eswatini Business Community
By
Kwanele Dhladhla, eSwatini Observer, 3 January 2024
Prime Minister, Russell Dlamini, has
sternly warned FESBC that government will not hesitate to deal strongly with
the federation if it continues to exhibit actions of a terrorist entity, which
threatens peace and economic stability in the kingdom.
The premier said during a meeting convened
with the Federation of Eswatini Business Community (FESBC) executive yesterday,
he advised them to stick to their mandate and stop either meddling or
interfering in political issues that were outside the ambit of the federation’s
core function to avoid attracting the wrath of government.
The meeting, which he said ought to have
been convened before Christmas at the instance of FESBC, had not been
fast-tracked by recent statements made by the federation. These included, but
not limited to the call for a probe into the operations of Inyatsi Group of
Companies, Montigny and Royal Eswatini Sugar (RES) Corporation.
The organisation has also indicated that
it would report the country to the International Criminal Court (ICC) if their
grievances were not attended to in the manner they deem fit.
However, the Eswatini Competition
Commission has stated it was not undertaking any investigation because the
appropriate channels of reporting a grievance had not been followed by FESBC
when reporting the grievances, which were widely publicised, particularly on
social media platforms.
To read more of this report, click
here
http://new.observer.org.sz/details.php?id=21778
See also
PM warns FESBC, those alleging King
killed Thulani Maseko
http://www.times.co.sz/news/143261-pm-warns-fesbc-those-alleging-king-killed-thulani-maseko.html
We’ve already acquired guns for
safety: FESBC
Business eSwatini CEO Nathie Dlamini
on FESBC tension with foreign investors
https://swazilandnews.co.za/fundza.php?nguyiphi=5793
Over
100 patients turned back at TLC
By
Sifiso Nhlabatsi, eSwatini Observer, 29 December 2023
The conditions at The Luke Commission
(TLC) are dire as over 100 patients were yesterday turned back.
This has seen patients pleading with government
to rescue the institution, which had become the country’s go-to hospital
following the drugs and personnel shortages in public health facilities.
With TLC also faced with financial
challenges leading to the shattering situation at the hospital where over 160
employees were laid off and some services scaled down, over 300 patients were
informed that not all of them would be attended to.
Immediately after being informed of the
decision, despair was written on some of the patients
faces.
Some of the patients said they were
disheartened that the facility, which was very helpful to them, would operate
on selected days a week yet before it was operating 24/7.
They pleaded with government to ensure
that it kept the hospital afloat, as it was and still is helping Emaswati.
One of the patients, who identified
himself as Simelane, said he went to the hospital yesterday with the hope of
being assisted but unfortunately he received bad news when he was told about
the downscaling of operations.
“We are requesting from the ministry of
health and government as a whole to intervene. We are in long queues and are
not even sure if we will eventually receive the help we desperately need. We
have heard that there are challenges faced by the organisation and we plead
that government does whatever it can to assist the institution,” Simelane
stated.
Gogo Manana from Nhlambeni said she was
turned back because limited services were being offered. She requested that
government intervenes and assists the health centre because there were many
Emaswati who were receiving help from TLC.
“The hospital is close to where I stay,
and it is helpful to us people of Nhlambeni as we do not have to travel long
distances to seek help,” Manana stated.
Other patients expressed that TLC had been
very helpful and expressed shock that they were now being turned back at the
centre.
Mkhulu Buthelezi said they had seen how
the hospital had been of great help to the nation but of late they were being
turned back.
TLC is facing one of its hardest phases
and is doing everything to ensure that every patient visiting the centre is
assisted with the limited resources they have, but yesterday it was a different
story.
Over the past couple of days despite
downscaling services, the centre has seen an influx of patients and the Miracle
Centre has been forced to use the little resources left.
To read more of this report, click
here
http://new.observer.org.sz/details.php?id=21762
So
Government Spokesperson is intimidating human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko’s
widow with treason charges for expressing herself after the assassination of
her husband?
Opinion
by Zweli Martin Dlamini, Swaziland News, 2 January 2024
Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo
must know that, it is our duty to protect human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko’s
widow Tanele Maseko from political character assassination and intimidation by
a regime that killed her husband.
The threat of treason charges by
Alpheous Nxumalo against the widow is just a fragment of Nxumalo’s
imagination, Tanele Maseko must continue to demand justice for her husband who
killed for demanding democracy.
King Mswati allegedly killed human rights
lawyer Thulani Rudolf Maseko and we need an international investigation to
investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of the human rights lawyer.
Alpheous Nxumalo is just trying to
intimidate the widow, targeted sanctions are coming for human rights violators
in the country, we will continue to demand justice for Thulani Maseko until the
international community takes action against this oppressive and evil regime.
The Government Spokesperson is trying to
tell us that, accusing Mswati of killing human rights lawyer Thulani Rudolf
Maseko amounts to treason, that is nonsense.
Mswati is a political killer who commanded
his police and soldiers to shoot and kill dozens of civilians for demanding
democracy, that information was disclosed by former Army Commander Jeffery
Shabalala in an electronic evidence.
The King then threatened those calling for
democracy saying his mercenaries will deal with them, hours later,Thulani
Rudolf Maseko was assassinated.
An international investigation that seeks
to investigate the assassination must be commissioned, we don’t need government
conflicting theories.
See also
Human rights lawyer
Thulani Maseko was killed by Mswati, Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo’s
attack on wife Tanele won’t wash away blood on King’s hands
https://swazilandnews.co.za/fundza.php?nguyiphi=5806
Thulani Maseko’s death should be investigated by the
FBI: PUDEMO President Mlungisi Makhanya
By Eugene Dube, Swati Newsweek,1 January, 2024
The People’s Democratic
Movement (PUDEMO) President Mlungisi Makhanya said that the investigation into
the killing of Human Rights attorney Thulani Maseko must be investigated by
international organisations such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
This is contained in the
PUDEMO President’s end of year statement.
Makhanya said, “We demand, as
we so do, that an urgently backed international investigation be carried out.
Further to that, we want an investigation into the June 2021 Massacre, the
killing of SFDF leader Cde Muzi Mmema, and all the subsequent extra-judicial
killings that have taken place in the country, since June 2021. We want those
who are responsible to be held accountable in line with international law, and
that there must be no holy cows in the process of accountability as we move
forward as a nation,” said Makhanya.
He also urged other
organisations in the MDM to support the call.
Responding to Social Media
allegation of criminality, murder and delaying the struggle, the PUDEMO
President called upon those who claim to have evidence to come forward.
Makhanya who has been fingered
by the Solidarity Forces military wing remnants as one of the suspects in
Thulani Maseko’s death challenged people who have evidence to come out and
reveal such information.
Watsap messages published by
Voice of the People News revealed issued an order that one of the Solidarity
Forces military wing to be killed.
Makhanya said, “PUDEMO once
again calls upon all those who claim to be in possession of evidence of any
form of corruption, criminality and/or maleficence against the President of
PUDEMO to come forward and adduce such. This call is also extended to the
entities mentioned on the online videos or any third party who may have on
behalf of the said entities, or on his own accord, given any form of money to
the President to come forward. In relation to matters involving those that are
in prison, PUDEMO believes that they, in the course of their upcoming trials,
will speak for themselves and only then will we all get to know the truth.”
Additional information sourced
from Eswatini Newsroom.
eSwatini 3rd in the world in alcohol consumption
By Nonduduzo
Kunene, Times of eSwatini, 15 December 2023
MBABANE: Eswatini has been listed as the third highest country in
alcohol consumption per capita.
Statistics that were issued by Wise Voter yesterday showed that
emaSwati, who took alcoholic beverages, were over indulging. The survey was
based on individual consumption, not a percentage of the entire
population. The survey statistics defined alcoholic beverages as those
which went through the process of fermentation and have been a staple of human
society as far back as records go. Examples of alcoholic beverages include
beer, wine and hard liquor (such as whiskey, tequila and vodka). Alcohol, which
is a depressant, is designated as a drug and regulated by governments.
The survey report mentioned that one serving of alcohol was classified
as 0.0177 fluid litres of alcohol. This corresponds with 0.354 litre can/bottle
of beer, one 0.148 litres glass of wine, or one 0.044 litre shot of liquor.
When comparing alcoholic consumption across countries, organisations will look
at litre of pure alcohol.
According to the survey, Zimbabwe has the highest alcohol per capita
globally. An individual Zimbabwean, according to the survey, may consume 62.8
litres of pure alcohol when comparing the alcoholic beverages they would have
taken in 12 months, with a prevalence alcohol dependence of 2.2 per
cent. Tunisia came second with 36.6 litres consumption per capita. The
country has a prevalence alcohol dependence of 0.2 per cent. The Kingdom
of Eswatini was placed in third place with 34.4 litres of alcohol consumption
per capita, with prevalence alcohol dependence of 2.5 per cent.
All top three countries, according to the report, do not have alcohol
illegality but drinking is allowed to people above the age of 18 years old.
In 2018, the World Health Organisation (WHO) stated that Eswatini was
among countries identified to have high per capita consumption of alcohol
globally, estimated to be at 9.9 litres per capita compared to a global average
of 6.4 litres per capita. Other countries that followed Eswatini were
Maldives with a consumption of 33.7 litres of alcohol consumption. The country
has a prevalence alcohol dependence of 0.9 per cent. South Africa was
placed in seventh position, with consumption of 29.9 litres per capita. The
neighbouring country, according to the report, has a prevalence alcohol
dependence of 2.4 per cent, which is a point below Eswatini.
The statistics compared 180 countries in the world. The country with the
least alcohol consumption, according to Wise Voter, was Kuwait with one litre
per capita. Heavy consumption of alcohol can be dangerous and lead to
alcoholism. Serious side effects include decreased motor skills function, liver
failure, cancer and death.
According to a study that was conducted by Oxford Economics when
assessing the economic impact of the Eswatini’s beer industry in 2019 with a
focus on its contribution to GDP, jobs and taxes, which was presented by
Minister of Commerce Industry and Trade Manqoba Khumalo, the beer sector
contributed around 1.2 per cent to Eswatini’s national gross domestic product
(GDP).
He said one in every 91 jobs in Eswatini was linked to the economic
activity of beer, which amounts to more than 3 200 jobs and over 25 000
livelihoods. Furthermore, two per cent of national tax revenue collected comes
from economic activity linked to beer.
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