How can we watch our people eat cow dung?

I am a concerned citizen living in a faraway country. I am writing this letter because I am deeply concerned with the media reports about Swaziland at the moment. My specific angst is a report on the BBC website, posted on July 27, entitled "Swaziland: HIV patients ‘eat dung to make drugs work’". I cannot begin to describe the range of emotions that overcame me when I read the story, not least being disappointment and shame.

There is no excuse for the Swazi government. 1.2 million people should not be that difficult to govern. We should be prosperous and proud. How can we sit back and watch our family eat cow dung? How do we let our country slip right out of our hands, because I can guarantee that if we are seen to fail there are many countries out there that would be quite happy to take over.

Once that happens, it will surely be impossible to regain our uniqueness and existence.

My call is to the young, educated Swazi with a voice and an idea. If you ever doubted when the time would be to stand and make your ideas known, I am here to tell you that this is the time. The lightning bolt has struck.

I am confident that there are people with better ideas than what is being floated at the moment. Change can happen while we still maintain our culture and individuality.

What picture do such headlines on the BBC site paint of Swazis? What kind of stain do we choose to leave in the minds of the global community when they think of us?

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