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Protests in Eswatini, Africa’s Last Absolute Monarchy

Protests in EswatiniEswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, is a country in sub-Saharan Africa that has been dealing with protests for weeks. The pro-democracy protests in Eswatini are against the rule of King Mswati III, who has been criticized for his lavish lifestyle.

Poverty in Eswatini

In 2018, Swaziland changed its name to Eswatini. It borders South Africa and Mozambique. According to NPR, the country is Africa’s last absolute monarchy, and political parties are banned there. The ruler of the country is King Mswati III, who has reigned since his coronation in 1986.

King Mswati III has received heavy criticism for living in luxury while nearly two-thirds of Eswatini’s population of 1.2 million live in poverty. This gaping inequality is one of the reasons for the current pro-democracy protests in Eswatini.

Additionally, more than 330,000 people in Eswatini struggle with food insecurity. The country is still reeling from COVID-19 and a 2016 drought that ravaged the country’s food supply. Most of its people face poverty while their king lives in splendor.

Pro-Democracy Protests in Eswatini

Over the past few weeks, protests have broken out in Eswatini. People have rallied in opposition to the monarchy, and specifically the king. They are also expressing displeasure about restrictions on political expression and the poor state of the economy.

The protests have also caused immense damage both to the country and its people. At least 40 people have died, and more than 150 protestors have been taken to hospital with injuries. Additionally, violence and looting have caused a lack of basic necessities for many citizens. Protestors are calling for greater political participation, a limit on the monarchy’s power and a popular election for a Prime Minister instead of an appointment by the king.

Light in the Darkness

However bleak the forecast may seem for the protests in Eswatini, there is a ray of hope. Following the social unrest in Eswatini and South Africa, female religious leaders organized a Day of Prayer for their countries to heal.

The Leadership Conference of Consecrated Life in Southern Africa (LCCLSA) organized an online Day of Prayer. The event encouraged participants to pray for peace, healing and an end to the violence. Some people also shared testimonies of how the violence has affected them and their families, allowing for collective healing.

“Though painful and sad to listen to, the testimonies proved to be inspiring and gave a glimmer of hope in the midst of the hopelessness that people are feeling,” Sr Nkhensani Shibambu, President of LCCLSA, told Vatican News. “Many people were moved and touched by the initiative and felt inspired to begin the rebuilding of the country from the ashes that had surrounded them in the past weeks.”

While protests ravage Eswatini, highlighting the inequity between the lavish lifestyle of King Mswati III and the two-thirds of citizens living in poverty, there is hope in people coming together to pray for healing and a better future for the country.

– Laya Neelakandan
Photo: Flickr

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8 Facts About the Fight Against HIV in Eswatini

HIV in Eswatini
Swaziland or Eswatini, as it was officially renamed in 2018 by King Mswati III, is a tiny landlocked country in Southern Africa. It has the highest prevalence of HIV in the world, with the disease infecting about 31% of its sexually-active population. In 2018, HIV infected about 8,000 new adults and caused approximately 3,000 new fatalities. However, recent data suggests that the country has found ways to slash the new rate of infections by almost 45%. Here are eight facts about the fight against HIV in Eswatini.

8 Facts About Eswatini’s Fight Against HIV

  1. Mode of transmission: Heterosexual sex is the primary way HIV is transmitted, with about 94% of all new cases coming from it. The disease affects sex workers, adolescent girls and young men and women significantly more than other demographics.
  2. Poverty and education: Almost 59% of people in Eswatini live below the poverty line. Some regions have still not been able to recover from the regional droughts of 2015 and 2016. Due to poor economic conditions, young girls are often unable to continue their education. As a result, they are less empowered to negotiate for safer sex and sometimes also have to resort to prostitution. Rampant poverty also means that many suffering from the disease cannot afford proper healthcare.
  3. Most affected age group: Adults between the ages of 15 and 49 are most affected by HIV. Over the long term, this has induced major cultural changes surrounding death and illness. It has also led to an expansion of services such as life insurance and mortuary.
  4. Impact on women: HIV has affected women disproportionately. 35.1% of women in Eswatini are living with HIV, compared to 19.3% of men. This stems from widespread gender inequality in the country. Gender-based violence and men indulging in more than one partnership at the same time increase the risk of women contracting HIV. King Mswati withheld royal assent on The 2015 Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Bill, which could offer more protection to women. The bill finally passed in 2018, however. This is an essential first step for improving gender equality in Eswatini.
  5. Condition of children: About 11,000 children (0-14 years) were living with HIV in Eswatini as of 2018. Only 76% of these children were on ARV treatment. Approximately 45,000 children have also been orphaned due to AIDS-related illnesses. Fortunately, the number of new infections and AIDS-related deaths have reduced to fewer than 1,000 each year.
  6. Increase in circumcision: The proportion of men opting to be circumcised increased significantly in recent years. Circumcision is a scientifically-proven way of reducing the transmission of the virus. The rate of male circumcision in the productive age group (15-49 years) more than doubled from 7% in 2007 to 19% in 2010.
  7. The 90-90-90 model: UNAIDS has developed the 90–90–90 testing and treatment targets to help Eswatini and other countries across the world address HIV and AIDS. Local and national efforts are working towards the following three goals by 2020: 90% of people living with HIV will be aware of their HIV-positive status, 90% of those who have been diagnosed with HIV will continuously and consistently receive antiretroviral therapy (ART) and 90% of all people who are receiving ART will have viral suppression. The 90-90-90 model is a world-renowned global benchmark to curb the spread of HIV in geographies with high prevalence.
  8. Availability of condoms: Targeted mass media campaigns promote condom use and sexual health services distribute condoms across the county. These efforts have resulted in about 51 condoms per year per male available in Eswatini. However, in spite of increased availability, condom use has actually declined. This suggests that a change in mentality is more important than increasing the distribution of condoms.

It is clear that Eswatini has made great strides in the fight against HIV in recent years. However, the high HIV prevalence indicates the government needs to address significant problems such as poverty, gender inequality and risky cultural practices, which contribute to a high risk of HIV infection. Moving forward, a greater focus must be placed on combatting HIV in Eswatini.

– Akshay Anand
Photo: Flickr