SWAVISA APOLOGISES TO UNREST-HIT BUSINESSES

MBABANE - Swaziland Victims and Survivors Association (SWAVISA) has come out to apologise to business owners who suffered losses during the unrest last year June and urged the victims of the unrest to register with them.

This was said by SWAVISA Chairperson Madzabudzabu Kunene during an interview. He noted that many businesspeople were of the notion that all those who got injured last year, to the point of having some of their limbs amputated, had actually participated in the looting and vandalising of businesses.“This is not the case. It is not everyone who got injured that was part of the demonstrations. Others were simply going about their own business when they got injured,” he revealed.

Kunene further encouraged the affected victims to come and register with them at Caritas Catholic Centre situated at the corner of Sandlane and Ten Bergen Street opposite the Cathedral in Manzini, which was an office they obtained with the help of the Roman Catholic Church. He urged emaSwati to be united and join hands in assisting the victims. “Most of us need counselling to bring back lost hope,” Kunene said.

The chairperson said SWAVISA brought the victims together to share their experiences and build each other. “It comforts me to share the stories with others because that is where one realises that God showered us with grace,” he said. He further revealed that some of the victims still had a challenge passing by the locations where they were hurt.

Assistance

The interview with the chairperson was conducted after the non-profit organisation had issued a letter seeking assistance from members of the public. The letter stated that victims of the unrest found themselves with an array of issues; loss of income and livelihood, increased dependency on family members, which brought about a sense of helplessness and indignity. The letter further stated that some victims had found it hard to accept the sudden change in their lives, which had a negative impact on their mental wellbeing. “Through this objective, the association seeks to break the dependency syndrome,” it reads.

SWAVISA is a fully registered non-profit making organisation that was formed as a result of the political unrest that took place in the Kingdom of Eswatini between June and July 2021. The organisation seeks to address the physical, emotional and psychological trauma that the massacred victims and survivors are going through. Its key objective is to advocate on behalf of, to promote and to protect the interest of all victims, survivors and their families.

SWAVISA kindly requested donations from as little as E20.00 into the SWAVISA mobile money account number 78105871, which will assist the victims and survivors. Kunene further thanked those who will contribute inviting them to contact them through their email: chair.swavisa@gmail.com or office cell number 7805 2945.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: