Times Of Swaziland: RIGHT TO LIFE DISREGARDED

RIGHT TO LIFE DISREGARDED
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By Mangaliso Lushaba on 12/07/2018 04:11:00


LOOKING at infrastructure development in the country, one is very impressed and
it shows dedication.
This is a good thing by our government but what disturbed me was that the
development in infrastructure is pushed so much not only because it will benefit
the people of the country (I do not want to say Swaziland or Eswatini because
that issue is still subject to determination by the courts of the country) but
it is also a way of enriching certain individuals who benefit from tenders in
the construction industry. That disturbed me because it is the reason why the
right to life is disregarded in this country. That is where we lose money to
deal with health issues.
I must mention that the very first right mentioned in our Constitution (I do not
want to refer to the treaties and covenant ratified by this country because they
are very foreign to us and we last saw them when we signed them) is the right to
life. This is the most fundamental of all rights because one cannot enjoy the
other rights without the right to life. Life is one right that has to be
protected by all means. Even those in authority go out of the country borders
for medical check-ups. This shows that they all value the right to life but the
issue is that they only value their rights and do not care for the general
population of this country.
Looking at the state of government hospitals, one wonders if we have a Ministry
of Health. Do we have a government that has a Constitution with a Bill of
Rights? We always get reports on structural problems in government hospitals
which take days to fix. We get reports on shortages of staff which are not
attended to.
Instead the excuses of lack of finances are always raised and one wonders why.
Would the money wasted on the corrupt construction of structures in the country
not be enough to have helped fix the structural problems in hospitals? The USA
ambassador to the kingdom recently raised a concern on the way State resources
are being wasted and it seems government still does not care about that red
flag. After all we have just got our bounty from SACU and it will be used by
those in authority, forgetting about the general populace.
It was so disturbing to hear that Swazipharm has even stopped supplying
medication to those in private business because government is failing to pay it.
Even though Swazipharm tried to explain its position, government is still
failing to pay the company. Then one wonders if the right to life for the people
of this country is regarded as paramount when money is used for other secondary
things and lost to corruption. That government is in financial trouble is clear
to everyone but it still has the audacity to pump in a lot of money into
celebrations yet people are suffering.
What nearly took the breath out off my lungs, though, was to see an article that
an officer in the Ministry of Agriculture has been charged for doing his job.
The officer is supposed to indicate when there is a problem with animals brought
into the country irrespective of who they are going to. I am sure the King would
not have been impressed were he to hear that the country is affected by the
dreaded foot and mouth disease because of a gift that was given to him.
The principal secretary is concerned about a market that the country lost for a
few days but forgets that if the disease was to be found in the country, the
market would be lost for a longer time compared to what happened. I think this
officer deserves some recognition than a disciplinary hearing.
My concern is that the foot and mouth disease would have affected cattle in the
country. These cattle are the cattle that will be consumed by people of this
country. The result would have been an infection of the people in country and a
health issue arising. The principal secretary is not concerned about what would
have happened to the people of the country but concerned about a market that is
far away from his fellow countrymen. He does not care about what would have
happened to the health of the people of this country.
That the officer helped preserve the health of the people of this country is
inconsequential to the principal secretary. The most paramount right to life is
secondary to the European market, well, that is according to the PS. The right
to life is just disregarded. How I wish government could prioritise well and
consider the right to health and life in everything t does.