By Zweli Martin Dlamini

Currently,the Ministry of Health is working with international organizations in an effort to establish accountability systems and further regulate the Central Medical Stores(CMS) as a long term solution, to the ongoing health crisis amid shortage of drugs in public hospitals.

On Thursday afternoon, I had a lengthy telephone conversation with an influential businessman who owns one of the giant companies in eSwatini and has an influence in Cabinet.

We normally disagree on political ideology but at least, in our conversation we touched on three(3) critical issues that include the health crisis,high unemployment rate and the collapse of indigenous businesses within the Small and Medium Enterprise(SME).

The businessman asked me in my capacity as a journalist, to assist in putting pressure on Government to address these issues, he said the country is collapsing and I fully agree.

“We may differ in political ideology and I don’t want anyone to know that I am talking to you but, our country is collapsing and the King seems to be on the dark on what needs to be done. I believe in freedom of speech and the press. I may not agree with some of the things you say or write but at least, I agree that you have a right to raise those issues”.

Well, I normally engage constructively with loyalists of the Tinkhundla system and some of them have a better understanding and now agree that, this country is being collapsed.

In fact some of the loyalists of the Tinkhundla system are politically matured and it’s always refreshing to debate and disagree with them politically on certain issues.

But we can agree or disagree on the drugs shortage crisis, the truth is; public funds must be allocated to purchase drugs.

The shortage of drugs cannot be a Minister Mduduzi Matsebula and Principal Secretary(PS) Khanya Mabuza’s headache, this is a national crisis and we need to work collectively to address it.

This include telling the King the truth that, he must at least reduce spending and the unnecessary travels so we can save money to buy drugs.

People are dying and it was a pleasure for me to receive a call from a businessman with a different political ideology where we spoke about our common interests about the country, we need to address the challenges facing this country.

We may criticize the Minister of Health but the truth is; we cannot expect him to single-handedly address this crisis that existed even before he was appointed without Cabinet,international partners, Parliament, the King and even the media’s support.

Furthermore, law enforcement agencies and the judiciary must play a role in this regard, those who allegedly looted public funds resulting to the health crisis must be arrested and account.

As we criticize and even playing politics either in Parliament or the public gallery, we must remember that, people are dying almost everyday in the various public hospitals.

One of the major stakeholders here; is the Nurses Union, Government must engage health workers to hear their views on measures that must be taken to address the crisis, this must be done through formal consultations.

The international partners who are assisting our country in addressing this health crisis must assist a willing country, even the King’s lifestyle must demonstrate that we are facing a health crisis.

Kweswelakala kwemitsi etibhedlela akusiyo indzaba yakaMatsebula nakaMabuza, lena yindzaba yetfu sonkhe, tihlobo tetfu tiyafa.