Swaziland:
Mswati declares drought and AIDS 'disasters'
19 February 2004
Mswati declares drought and AIDS 'disasters' Mbabane - Swaziland's King Mswati, under fire for high royal spending, has declared a humanitarian disaster in his impoverished African country ravaged by drought and HIV and Aids - a move aimed at bringing in more foreign aid.
"On behalf of His Majesty's government, I appeal to the international community to assist and make whatever available resources in order to respond effectively to the challenges the country is facing," Prime Minister Themba Dlamini said as he announced the move at a news conference late on Wednesday.
Sub-Saharan Africa's last absolute monarch, Mswati has been criticised for pushing through expensive royal projects even though a quarter of his one million subjects receive food aid and 40 percent of Swazi adults are believed to be infected with HIV and AIDS.
Last month the 36-year-old king hit the headlines again when he requested $15-million (about R90-million) from the government to redecorate his three main royal palaces and build new ones for each of his 11 wives.
| 'The emergency declaration is essential to free assistance' |
Political observers say Mswati had been reluctant to declare an official disaster, fearing government expenditure would come under closer scrutiny if it appealed for more foreign aid.
But with the United Nations World Food Programme predicting this year's harvests will drop for the fifth consecutive year, international humanitarian organisations have been urging the government to formalise its disaster declaration.
This does not bring any extra powers for officials or security forces but is required by many aid organisations to step up emergency assistance.
"The emergency declaration is essential to free assistance that some groups in the international community wish to bring to Swaziland," Ben Nsibandze, chairperson of the National Disaster Relief Task Force, said.
Dlamini, a Mswati loyalist appointed prime minister in late 2003 and speaking on the king's behalf, said Aids, drought and land degradation had created a "serious humanitarian crisis" in the country.
"All these have reinforced negative effects that have created a web of extreme vulnerability reinforced by the collapse of family structures," Dlamini said.
Source: IOL/Reuters
Back
Send to a Friend
Read about...
GOVERNMENT will provide drugs that prolong the lives of HIV-positive Namibians "within some few weeks", says Health Minister Dr Libertina Amathila.more...
Website designed and maintained by Flatspin Web Solutions