NATION TO FACE 2024 CHALLENGES IN 2025

As the clock ticks toward the year 2025, people around the world, including those of our country, are reflecting on what 2024 delivered to them and what the following year has in store for them.

Forecasting the future carries an inherent uncertainty; thus, one might question whether it is optimistic or ultimately fruitless to anticipate, and even pray for better personal and national conditions in the forthcoming year of 2025. For Eswatini, 2024 brought a mix of challenges and opportunities for growth. To be candid and brutally honest with the truth, the nation was faced with more of the former (challenges) and at a lesser extent, of the latter (opportunities) .

Despite the difficulties and numerous challenges we faced individually and nationally in the country during the course of the soon-to-end current year, specifically in the healthcare and educational sectors; including rising crime rates, skyrocketing unemployment; increasing poverty rates and ongoing inequalities, there is hope for a brighter future. We have to remain optimistic. This post explores Eswatini’s 2024 challenges (and the steps), in my perspective, needed for positive change in the year 2025. Let me first address Eswatini’s major struggles in the year 2024..

Challenges in the health sector:
In 2024, Eswatini faced significant challenges that severely impacted its healthcare and education sectors, leading to a crisis that affected the well-being of its citizens.

Essential

The healthcare system, already overstretched, was not able, with limited resources, to offer the necessary level of care. Essential medications and medical equipment were in short supply, leaving healthcare facilities ill-equipped to handle the needs of the population. Due to this paucity of resources, many of the country’s citizens who were suffering from illnesses, some of these life-threatening, failed to receive adequate medical care. In addition, they were faced with poorly functioning services that weren’t able to respond to their health needs.

The consequences of these shortages were dire. Reports emerged indicating that many patients lost their lives due to the unavailability of necessary medications. The lack of access to lifesaving drugs resulted not only in further disparity in mortality, but also fuelled a culture of hopelessness and misery across the population. Families were left to grapple with the loss of loved ones, often feeling helpless in the face of a healthcare system that could not meet their needs.

Additionally, the issue was made worse by the fact that patients often were prescribed drugs that were not available at nearby health services. This forced many individuals to seek alternatives at private pharmacies, where prices for these medications were often prohibitively high. For those who could afford to pay out-of-pocket, the financial burden was immense, leading to difficult choices between essential healthcare and other basic needs.

Unfortunately, for a significant portion of the population, the inability to afford these medications meant facing a grim reality. A number of individuals were faced with no alternative, but death -  death being their only result. This pathetic acquiescence drew attention to the helplessness that came to be experienced by those caught in a mechanism which did not deliver the required assistance and attention. Allegations of corruption in drug procurement have persistently emerged throughout the year 2024. Despite the implementation of forensic audits aimed at revealing the underlying issues responsible for drugs shortage, which uncovered significant instances of corruption, the healthcare sector continued to face ongoing challenges. This situation raised critical enquiries regarding the existence of political will to eliminate corruption definitively.

claims

Unfortunately, there are still claims that some of the main people accused of being involved in drug-related corruption are very powerful and well-connected, even close to those in high positions of authority. To some of us, this isn’t very surprising. I wouldn’t be shocked if those who are deeply involved in corruption in our country have a special talent for it. Sadly, the organisations meant to fight corruption seem to be either inactive or too afraid to take action, even in situations where they should. It’s not clear if we’ll ever find a way to fix and improve our struggling healthcare system. I recently talked with a well-travelled and knowledgeable friend who has seen how developed countries handle healthcare. We agreed that it’s very important for our government to think about creating a national health insurance system. This could help solve some of the healthcare problems our country is facing.

Briefly, a national health insurance system has many advantages. It makes sure everyone can get medical care, which helps reduce differences in healthcare access between different groups of people. By combining resources, it can lower the total cost of healthcare and make services work better. Also, this system can improve public health by focusing on prevention and early treatment, which helps create a healthier community. I hope to address this most important concept in the new year.

Challenges in the education sector:
This is another important area that is failing and continues to cause problems for the country. Schools face many challenges, including a lack of teachers, accusations of corruption in hiring and more. Government is making it difficult for qualified teachers with temporary contracts, which affects their job security and future plans. Colleges and universities also faced issues in the education system. Students protested over delayed payments of their allowances, causing these important institutions to close sometimes. Professors often had disagreements with the university administration over labour disputes. A rise in student suicides also became a major concern.

Some schools often faced overcrowded classrooms, a lack of teaching materials and insufficient infrastructure. Teachers were commonly the underpaid and overworked people, leading to demotivation and this in turn, reduced the quality of learning experiences in as far as pupils were involved. As a result, many children were deprived of a proper education, limiting their future opportunities and perpetuating a cycle of poverty.

The combined impact of these challenges in healthcare and education created a perfect storm of adversity for the people of Eswatini. The lack of access to primary healthcare; challenges in primary and higher education not only impacted personal lives, but also kept the nation from developing at a satisfactory rate. As government and various organisations grappled with these issues, the urgent need for comprehensive reforms and increased investment in both sectors became increasingly clear. Without immediate action, the future of Eswatini’s citizens remained uncertain,.

Crime rates in Eswatini:
In 2024, our small country experienced a concerning rise in crimes like theft, violence - specifically gender-based violence (GBV)- white-collar crimes and other crimes.
 Incidents of crime made daily life more stressful for law-abiding citizens, and showed the need for better ways to handle it. It is important for the safety of the nation that criminals are not always a step ahead of law enforcement agencies. Along with existing problems like police brutally, these issues made it hard for many people to get by, making social tensions worse.

On the positive side, it is important to praise the police for their efforts in catching criminals, especially those involved in fraud and scams. One big success was stopping a group called ‘facata’ that stole a lot of money from people’s mobile money accounts. This group caused a lot of trouble, but the police managed to break it up. Bravo to the police.
I would be failing in my duty if  I were to ignore to say a bit more about GBV. Kahleni be-Kunene...asekubanjiswane ngale ndzaba ye GBV. I cannot help, but conclude that there is a nefarious, malevolent demon of death intent on systematically wiping the opposite sex off the face of our country.

Ye bo-babe, nibabulalelani labo make, asenisho?
GBV remains a pressing issue in our country. Women and girls bore the brunt of societal violence, with limited access to justice or protection. Social and cultural norms perpetuated harmful behaviour, and efforts to address the issue were insufficient. The rise in domestic violence and sexual assaults sparked plea after plea for stronger policies and enforcement. Tackling this requires bold reforms, education and sustained initiatives to shift attitudes. The long and short of it is that government must declare GBV A NATIONAL EMERGENCY - PERIOD.

Key Lessons Learnt:
In 2024, despite facing difficulties, our wonderful country learnt important lessons. One major lesson was the need to improve healthcare and education. By building better facilities, solving the problem of medicine shortages (and corruption), and focusing on other important areas, Eswatini can make people healthier, improve the quality of education and make services more available.

The high crime rates showed how important it is to work together with the community and have good working relationships with the police.

• By building trust between the police and the people, we can make our neighbourhoods safer.
• Lastly, fixing unfair systems is very important. Giving everyone equal chances in education and jobs can help support those who are struggling, making our society more fair and balanced.

Positive Change in 2025:
For Eswatini to achieve a brighter 2025, a multifaceted approach is essential. First, focusing on healthcare improvements can significantly impact the well-being of its citizens. Allocating resources towards building modern healthcare facilities and training staff will create a more robust system. To lower crime rates, we need a complete plan. This means using community programmes to encourage communication and giving police better technology and training to do their jobs well.

Also, helping local businesses grow can create more jobs and reduce poverty, which are some reasons why crime happens. It’s also important to focus on fairness. Making sure everyone has equal chances for education, healthcareand work can help everyone have a fair shot at success and contribute to the country’s growth. In conclusion, as we prepare to embark on 2025, the reflections on 2024 serve as a roadmap for change. By addressing healthcare challenges, reducing crime and combatting systemic inequalities, Eswatini can pave the way for a brighter future.

It’s a call to action for every resident and the global community to join hands in advocating for these positive changes. Let’s put an end to the harmful habit of looking down on those who are less fortunate. Closing the gap between the rich and the poor is very important. Let’s work together to make sure that the lessons we learnt in 2024 help Eswatini grow and succeed in 2025 and beyond. To government, I have a special new year message for you: Please reconsider increasing the grants for the elderly. Labo gogo nabo mkhulu are struggling a lot.  The E500 monthly grant for the elderly is not enough. The cost of living is very high, and things like electricity and water are expensive. Food is also costly in stores. The difficult livelihood challenges the elderly face are very painful. Where is the former, famous and caring spirit of Swati Ubuntu?Wishing everyone a safe and wonderful start to the year 2025! Happy new year to all! Peace! Shalom!

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