Monday, January 25, 2021

Second Swaziland Cabinet minister dies from coronavirus

A second Swaziland (eSwatini) Cabinet minister has died of coronavirus.

Makhosi Vilakati, Minister of Labour, died in hospital in neighbouring South Africa on Saturday (23 January 2021), the Swazi Acting Prime Minister Themba Masuku said in a statement.

 

In an earlier statement Masuku said Vilakati had been taken to hospital in South Africa ‘for specialist treatment procedures not available in the country [Swaziland]’. 

 

Masuku confirmed Vilakati suffered health complications due to a coronavirus (COVID-19) infection. No further details have been released.

 

Vilakati died on the day that Christian Ntshangase, Minister of Public Service, was buried. He had died of coronavirus a week earlier. 

 

In December Prime Minister Ambrose Dlamini also died of coronavirus complications. He was diabetic.

 

Former Minister of Information, Communication and Technology Winnie Magagula also died of coronavirus on 15 January 2021. 

 

Separately, on Thursday Lizzie Nkosi, Minister of Health, reported Swaziland was in the grip of a second wave of the pandemic; deaths were at an all-time high  and the virus was transmitting at a faster rate during the second wave.

 

She said in a statement, ‘Yesterday’s report showed 346 new cases and 24 new deaths. Both figures are at an all-time high since the pandemic begun last year. Projections of the second wave show that we will continue to experience a rising number of infections and a reduction is dependent on our behaviour to adhering to the COVID-19 regulations and directives that have been released in line with the current partial lockdown announced by Government.’

 

She added, ‘Most of our cases, unfortunately, are in the vulnerable populations i.e. people living with other pre-existing conditions; which has resulted in the increased fatality rate. It, therefore, leads to a majority of the deaths occurring in people living with comorbidities; which include diabetes mellitus, hypertension, or a combination of both, plus other long-term illnesses that impact negatively on the immune system.’

 

She said, ‘Families should note that the virus is circulating swiftly among households; since a majority of households in the Kingdom have more than six persons under one roof.’

 

As of Sunday there had been 479 deaths from coronavirus in Swaziland and 14,484 people had tested positive, according to official Ministry of Health figures.

 

 

See also

 

Swaziland tightens coronavirus restrictions as daily deaths hit record high

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2021/01/swaziland-tightens-coronavirus.html

 

Swaziland plea to WHO for urgent help as coronavirus deaths out of control 

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2021/01/swaziland-plea-to-who-for-urgent-help.html

 

Swaziland coronavirus deaths climb but vaccines might be three months away https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2021/01/swaziland-coronavirus-deaths-climb-but.html

Thursday, January 21, 2021

Swaziland tightens coronavirus restrictions as daily deaths hit record high

Swaziland extended coronavirus restrictions as deaths reached a record daily total.

 

Alcohol sales will be banned for thirty days, including the sale of traditional homebrew.

 

In a statement on Wednesday (20 January 2021) Acting Prime Minister Themba Masuku said there was a ‘galloping spread’ of new coronavirus (COVID-19) infections averaging 205 a day with recorded deaths averaging 10 a day.

 

Separately on Wednesday, Minister of Health Lizzie Nkosi reported 24 deaths, the highest total in a single day. There have been a total of 427 deaths and 13,789 people have tested positive for the virus.

 

Masuku announced the sale of alcohol was banned with immediate effect. ‘Any retailer who offends this directive will face serious consequences including the suspension of their trading license as it has happened recently to others.’

 

He said many people had ignored a previous directive to only consume alcohol at home and met in groups where they removed masks and shared drinks. 

 

He said, ‘Our law enforcement officers have been assaulted by the groups that were being dispersed for illegally gathering and drinking alcohol; with police vehicles pelted and vandalised in the process. We cannot tolerate this behaviour as a nation.’

 

He added, ‘The ban of alcohol sales is, however, not a ticket for the black market and illegal homebrews to emerge and thrive during this period. Law enforcement officers, including community police working with Regional Task Teams, will be very vigilant in monitoring that this illicit activity does not resurface.’ 

 

He asked people to report neighbours illegally selling alcohol, including the traditional homebrew. 

 

Masuku called on people to stay at home, only travelling when absolutely necessary. There is a curfew between 8pm and 4am.

 

He called on people to ‘to pray without ceasing’.

 

See also

 

Exhausted Swaziland coronavirus nurses picket for better conditions and equipment

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2021/01/exhausted-swaziland-coronavirus-nurses.html

 

Swaziland plea to WHO for urgent help as coronavirus deaths out of control

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2021/01/swaziland-plea-to-who-for-urgent-help.html

 

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

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2021/01/big-rises-in-coronavirus-cases.html

Tuesday, January 19, 2021

Exhausted Swaziland coronavirus nurses picket for better conditions and equipment

Nurses at a coronavirus quarantine centre in Swaziland (eSwatini) took to the streets to protest the lack of equipment and poor working conditions. 

 

More than 20 nurses at the Mavuso Exhibition and Trade Centre in Manzini which has been turned into a coronavirus (COVID-19) centre picketed and blocked traffic on Monday (18 January 2021). They said they were exhausted with having to treat up to 35 patients at once. Some have reportedly collapsed with tiredness and others are off work sick.

 

The Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU) Manzini Regional Chairperson Nhlanhla Mhlanga said the buildings were unsuitable for coronavirus patients and had no windows or other ventilation.

 

He added ‘Most of our patients are diabetic but there are not enough glucometers here. These things cost less than E400 (US$27) each.’ There is also a shortage of masks and protective equipment for nurses.

 

In an editorial comment, the Times of eSwatini said, ‘It is evident to us all that our understaffed health workers are overwhelmed and overexposed due to an abnormally high number of COVID-19 infected patients being attended to daily – at times without a consistent supply of personal protective equipment (PPE). As a result, several nurses engaged in a go-slow in some health centres around the country, which affected hundreds of innocent patients. 

 

‘They cannot be faulted for feeling unappreciated when their concerns come secondary to the car allowances and perks paid out to politicians right in the middle of a health crisis. This ill-timed decision has opened floodgates of demands from numerous sectors that feel equally important. People are dying but some are more concerned about their allowances. It’s sickening.’

 

The Swazi Minister of Health Lizzie Nkosi has already appealed to the World Health Organisation to send extra healthcare workers to Swaziland. In a letter she said, ‘The high number of new cases has resulted in health systems that are now overstretched, including a severe shortage of oxygen supply to the people who need it. The second wave is also resulting in more client admissions as a majority of the clients are presenting with symptoms, which rapidly progress to severe and critical illness. Furthermore, the capacity to manage critically ill patients is not adequate in the face of the rapidly rising numbers of patients presenting with severe illness.’

 

On Monday the Ministry of Health announced a further eight deaths from coronavirus bringing the total to 384. A total 13,187 people have tested positive since the crisis began.

 

 

See also

Swaziland plea to WHO for urgent help as coronavirus deaths out of control

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2021/01/swaziland-plea-to-who-for-urgent-help.html

 

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

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2021/01/big-rises-in-coronavirus-cases.html

 

Swaziland bans all gatherings as Govt. struggles to stem rise in coronavirus deaths https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2021/01/swaziland-bans-all-gatherings-as-govt.html

 

As coronavirus deaths rise, Swaziland Royal Family remain indifferent, new review finds 

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2021/01/as-coronavirus-deaths-rise-swaziland.html

 

Swaziland coronavirus deaths climb but vaccines might be three months away https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2021/01/swaziland-coronavirus-deaths-climb-but.html

Monday, January 18, 2021

Swaziland Govt. tries to calm fears that coronavirus is caused by 5G technology

The Swaziland (eSwatini) Government has been forced to make a public statement reassuring people that there is no link between the coronavirus pandemic and 5G mobile phone technology.

 

Manqoba Khumalo, Acting Minister of Information, Communications and Technology, said in a statement on Monday (18 January 2021) a lot of ‘panic and anxiety’ and ‘conspiracy theories’ had spread among people that 5G technology caused coronavirus (COVID-19).

 

He said, ‘The theory has no basis and is totally devoid of any truth as there is absolutely no relationship whatsoever between the technology and the novel coronavirus.’

 

Trials to introduce 5G technology have yet to start in the impoverished kingdom of Swaziland.

 

Deaths from coronavirus continue to rise. As of 17 January 2021 there had been 376 deaths and 12,944 positive cases recorded by the Swazi Ministry of Health.

 

See also

 

Swaziland plea to WHO for urgent help as coronavirus deaths out of control

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2021/01/swaziland-plea-to-who-for-urgent-help.html

 

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

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2021/01/big-rises-in-coronavirus-cases.html

Thursday, January 14, 2021

Swaziland plea to WHO for urgent help as coronavirus deaths out of control

Swaziland (eSwatini) has sent an urgent plea to the World Health Organisation (WHO) for help in getting through the coronavirus crisis as deaths continue to rise.

Swazi Minister of Health Lizzie Nkosi has written requesting for an International Emergency Medical Team to work in the kingdom for at least four weeks. 

 

She said Swaziland needed critical care physicians, critical care nurses, biomedical technicians and epidemiologists. She wanted people in place by 15 January 2021.

 

She said the kingdom faced unprecedented public health challenges because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Swaziland was going through a second wave and the number of deaths was double that of the first wave.

 

On Wednesday (13 January 2021) she announced a further 13 deaths bringing the total so far to 332. According to official Ministry of Health figures, there have been a total of 12,124 positive cases since the crisis started. The population of Swaziland is about 1.1 million people.

 

In her letter to the WHO Nkosi wrote, ‘The high number of new cases has resulted in health systems that are now overstretched, including a severe shortage of oxygen supply to the people who need it. The second wave is also resulting in more client admissions as a majority of the clients are presenting with symptoms, which rapidly progress to severe and critical illness. Furthermore, the capacity to manage critically ill patients is not adequate in the face of the rapidly rising numbers of patients presenting with severe illness.’

 

She added, ‘The country now has 11 COVID-19 treatment centres, nine public and two private with a total bed capacity of 437. Bed occupancy rate is rising every week. The country has 29 beds for critical care with all 29 occupied, giving an occupancy rate of 100 percent.’

 

 

See also

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

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2021/01/big-rises-in-coronavirus-cases.html

 

Swaziland bans all gatherings as Govt. struggles to stem rise in coronavirus deaths https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2021/01/swaziland-bans-all-gatherings-as-govt.html

 

As coronavirus deaths rise, Swaziland Royal Family remain indifferent, new review finds  

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2021/01/as-coronavirus-deaths-rise-swaziland.html

 

Swaziland coronavirus deaths climb but vaccines might be three months away https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2021/01/swaziland-coronavirus-deaths-climb-but.html

 

Swaziland coronavirus deaths climb, security forces to arrest rule breakers on sight https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2021/01/swaziland-coronavirus-deaths-climb.html

Tuesday, January 12, 2021

Mario Masuku, veteran Swaziland democracy leader, dies reportedly from coronavirus

Mario Masuku, the former President of Swaziland’s People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), has died. No cause has been given but local media report it was from coronavirus.

PUDEMO, a prodemocracy group that is banned in Swaziland, made the announcement on Tuesday (12 January 2012). He was aged 70 and had been a founder of PUDEMO and President until 2018.

He was one of the best known prodemocracy activists in the kingdom ruled by King Mswati III as an absolute monarch.

 

He has been arrested many times and charged, though never convicted, with terrorism and sedition.

 

In May 2014, Masuku and Maxwell Dlamini (a student leader and member of the PUDEMO youth league, the Swaziland Youth Congress, SWAYOCO) were charged under the Sedition and Subversive Activities Act (SSA) and the Suppression of Terrorism Act (STA) for having addressed workers on May Day in Manzini, and shouting slogans in support of PUDEMO. Initially denied bail, they were kept in pre-trial detention and were eventually granted conditional bail and released by the Supreme Court 14 months later.

 

Masuku was no stranger to the jails and lawcourts. In 2001 he was charged with two counts under the SSA, accused of allegedly making statements that were seditious. At the close of the Crown’s case he was acquitted and discharged of the first count and later also acquitted on the second count.

 

Mario Masuku

 

In 2008, following a spate of bombings of some Government buildings and some local government centres, the STA was enacted. Immediately PUDEMO and three other organisations were listed as terrorist organizations.

 

In the same year Masuku was charged under the STA and, alternatively, under the SSA. In September 2009 he was acquitted and discharged by the High Court of Swaziland, because the State failed to prove the its case. He had been in jail on remand for 10 months.

 

See also

Swaziland’s democracy activist is the real ‘Super Mario’

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2019/11/swazilands-democracy-activist-is-real.html

 

Democracy leaders freed on bail

http://swazimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/democracy-leaders-freed-on-bail.html


Terror Charge For Shouting Slogan

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2014/08/terror-charge-for-shouting-slogan.html

 

Monday, January 11, 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.’

 

See also

 Swaziland bans all gatherings as Govt. struggles to stem rise in coronavirus deaths 

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2021/01/swaziland-bans-all-gatherings-as-govt.html

 

As coronavirus deaths rise, Swaziland Royal Family remain indifferent, new review finds

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2021/01/as-coronavirus-deaths-rise-swaziland.html

 

Swaziland coronavirus deaths climb but vaccines might be three months away https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2021/01/swaziland-coronavirus-deaths-climb-but.html

 

Swaziland coronavirus deaths climb, security forces to arrest rule breakers on sight https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2021/01/swaziland-coronavirus-deaths-climb.html

Friday, January 8, 2021

Swaziland bans all gatherings as Govt. struggles to stem rise in coronavirus deaths

All gatherings in Swaziland (eSwatini) have been banned as the government tries to get a grip on the coronavirus crisis as deaths continue to climb.

 

Only funerals, with restrictions on numbers of people attending, will be allowed to go ahead. Church and other religious gatherings are banned.

 

A new legal notice was issued on Thursday (7 January 2021). The regulations come into force on 9 January and will be reviewed after 14 days.

 

The Swazi Acting Prime Minister Themba Masuku announced there would also be a curfew on travelling between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m. Public transport cannot operate after 7 p.m.

 

Public transport operators, drivers or conductors must ensure passengers are sanitized and correctly wear masks. 

 

There will be stricter rules at retailers with social distancing and shorter opening hours. Alcohol can be sold for home consumption only.

 

There will be restrictions at the border. Swaziland is a landlocked kingdom with borders to South Africa and Mozambique. Only essential travel will be allowed for people seeking medical attention, schooling, work and business purposes. Special permits for cross-border travel will be needed.

 

Deaths from coronavirus (COVID-19) in Swaziland have risen sharply over the past month. The Ministry of Health announced on Thursday there had been a total of 268 deaths and 10,773 cases of people testing positive for the virus since the crisis began in March.

 

In a statement, Masuku said, ‘We have witnessed the devastating impact of the second wave of the novel coronavirus. Since the beginning of December 2020, the Kingdom of eSwatini has experienced a huge surge in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and related deaths. We have recorded 139 deaths over the period and 4120 new infections.’

 

He added, ‘As the second wave persists to its peak, more people are presenting with symptoms categorised by rapid deterioration in clinical condition. Evidently, we are at the belly of a beast and decisive action needs to be taken to save lives and to ease the pressure on our health system. We need to clearly understand that this pandemic is aggressively challenging our survivability as a nation.

 

See also

As coronavirus deaths rise, Swaziland Royal Family remain indifferent, new review finds

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2021/01/as-coronavirus-deaths-rise-swaziland.html

 

Swaziland coronavirus deaths climb but vaccines might be three months away https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2021/01/swaziland-coronavirus-deaths-climb-but.html

 

Swaziland coronavirus deaths climb, security forces to arrest rule breakers on sight

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2021/01/swaziland-coronavirus-deaths-climb.html