The gap between rich and poor is widening and the
kingdom faces ‘an unprecedented economic crisis’: these were two of the main
concerns of Finance Minister Neal Rijkenberg in his national budget for
Swaziland where the ‘economic outlook remains subdued’. He
went on to threaten to cut public
service jobs if workers did not fall into line and accept his programme to
reduce debts.
Meanwhile, the Auditor General Timothy Matsebula in
his annual report stated the finances of the Government were in such a mess that
billions of emalangeni could not be accounted for.
Public service across Swaziland are in freefall with
hospitals and clinics short of vital drugs. Schools are unable to feed
vulnerable children. All because the government has not paid suppliers.
These were some of the major themes from Swaziland
over the first three months of 2019 and published in Swaziland: Striving for
Freedom: volume 33, the latest quarterly compilation from the pages of Swazi
Media Commentary.
It is available to download free-of-charge on Scribd.
The international spotlight has been shone on
Swaziland, where King Mswati III rules as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute
monarch. The kingdom continues to be riddled with corruption, according to
Transparency International. Freedom House once again declared Swaziland ‘not
free’ in its annual Freedom in the World Index.
Closer to home, the Law Society of Swaziland Secretary
Thulani Maseko criticised recent appointments of judges, saying there was no
transparency in the choices and the Swazi Constitution was ignored.
Swazi
Media Commentary has been published online since 2007 and
is updated most weekdays. It is operated entirely by volunteers and receives no
financial backing from any organisation. It is devoted to providing information
and commentary in support of human rights in Swaziland.
See also
King Mswati in complete control as another year of
human rights struggle ends in Swaziland
Police
violence, undemocratic elections, hunger and disease: highlights of Swaziland’s
human rights violations
Swaziland:
Striving for freedom
Swaziland Striving for Free... by on Scribd
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