THE GREEN SLOPE PROJECT - A MODEL FOR AFRICA'S SUSTAINABLE RURAL COMMUNITIES

GreenSlope at this stage is producing conventional vegetables for commercial purposes in the villages on of Swaziland.It has partnered with few rural farmers who own several hectares of land along perennial streams in the country. The business concept is that Greenslope helps the farmers with fencing and with irrigation means and expertise to kickstart the their production then Greenslope buys from these farmers. There are two folds in this strategy: there are farmers contracted to be under the GreenSlope stable and there are independent farmers that would voluntary sell their fresh produce to the company. The GreenSlope model is meant to empower rural farmers to produce high value vegetables ready for the export market, in Mozambique and the Arab World. This model can uplift dozens of thousands of 21st Century African communities to broaden Africa's private sector. The GreenSlope project, as the name denotes, targets farmers along the slopes of perennial streams and rivers. These farmers in many cases they have the will and the zeal to work on those pieces of lands but only to find that they cannot afford fences to protect produce from animals and they are constrained by the approaching winter where livestock are allowed to move about freely and never attended too. Another remedy is to provide water through low cost irrigation means to allow the farmers to produce year round to meet the market demands. GreenSlope have good agriculture personnel to help in the production of quality produce. The GreenSlope project has added the mushroom production for rural homesteads whose land is isolated from the streams and rivers. The project will help those homestead to construct good and up-to-date lowcost cropping houses. This concept will increase reliable market supply and GreenSlope will be responsible for monitoring hygienic standards. The project will also embark on Tunnel Farming, again and roll out that partnership to rural communities. Rural framers in Swaziland can change the face of the private sector. Later the production of baby vegetables will be considered. The project requires and good cold storage facility, a reliable refrigerated truck and competent personnel, mentors, partners, shareholders and investors.

Informal Trade: Swazi Cross Border Traders Call For One Stop Border Point For Easy Trade

PHATHIZWE-CHIEF ZULU

 

In February last year, the Swaziland Revenue Authority received funding and technical assistance from Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa to facilitate fast and easy trade at the borders.

The country was expected to be a fully fledged Automated System of Customs Declaration Administration (ASYCUDA) entity by the end of last year.

Swaziland was amongst the five Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) member states which received about 1.7 million Euros to improve the country’s systems of customs clearance.

This modern web based system will benefit even informal traders like Lucia Shungube who travels once a week to Mozambique to buy stock and sell second hand clothes in urban places in Swaziland.

Since the scrapping of the visa requirement in October 2005 travelling to Mozambique is a lot easier for the informal traders.

The neighbouring country has become favourite destination for informal traders who have earned positive and sustainable livelihoods for their households.

However, Mozambique’s none membership status of Southern Africa Custom Union (Sacu) pose virtual challenges for cross border traders of the two countries.

 

                Lucia Shungube a Swazi cross-border trader

 

The informal traders are frustrated by the double taxation in Mozambique. They pay the customs duty and Value Added Tax (VAT) at the same time.

The bale of second hand clothes costs about E800 and pay about E450 as tax per bale. Or alternatively pay about E5.00 per second hand item. If the item is brand new a trader pays E50 for each. This is one of the dozens of challenges that make profit elusive for the cross border traders.

Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce Industry and Trade, Jinnoh Nkambule, said negotiations are ongoing with Mozambique on the issue of double taxation.

“But since the start of the talks the situation has improved. They are not charging the way they used to. Certainly, it had inconsistencies,” said Nkambule.

Informal trade is thriving in the face of sluggish economic growth and scarce employment opportunities as formal job market is shrinking and the sector is bulging rapidly as it absorbs many people laid-off by the formal private sector.

Through the informal trade, the traders have hugely contributed to the economy by providing education for their children both in school and tertiary levels. And, the informal sector has contributed significantly to the tax base of the countries.

Southern Africa Cross Border Traders, coordinator, Francis Ngambi said informal trade contributes about 43 percent of overall Africa’s gross domestic product. And in SADC intra-regional trade, informal cross border trade contributes 30 to 40 percent.     

However, he stated that informal trade still chocks because there is still lack of information on the existing legal documents that apply in the SADC Free Trade Area (FTA).

The limited implementation of trade facilitation measures under the SADC Protocol on Trade by member states is cited as one of the dozens of challenges hampering intra-regional trade progress.        

He blamed governments for the lack political will to implement some important policies like Simplified Trade Regimes (STR) which would require informal traders to use less paper work at the border posts and increase the threshold to $500 to $1000, specifically, for goods that originate from SADC.

“But countries like Swaziland are struggling to implement the increased threshold. They are reluctant because they are concerned about protecting their markets, it’s only Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi that have increased the threshold.” he said.

Ngambi said despite the contribution, informal trade is making to the national development, but SADC governments still have a negative attitude towards this sector because it is still associated with tax evasion, drug smuggling and corruption.

The cross border traders also are subjected to long queues and delays at the Lomahasha border because of the tedious paper work and inspection by custom officers.

“The long delays we endure at the border can be ridiculous at times taking about three hours because of the strenuous exercise to unpack the bale and repack it under the watchful eye of the customs officers,” said Shungube

                                            

                                               Welcome to Lomahasha: a sign tells it all  

                                        

The torrid exercise does not only end with the Swaziland Revenue Authority (SRA), but they also have to put up with the tirade of the soldiers manning the Maphiveni security check point where they have to start all over again the process of unpacking and repacking. Should there be any inaccuracies in the papers the trader is referred back to the custom officers at the border.

Swaziland Cross Border Traders Association (Swacbta) president, Malta Vilakati, said the conduct by military at Maphiveni and at Mhlumeni is a thorn in the flesh for the traders.

“We are not against security. But we think it’s proper that soldiers should use their machines to see if our products comply with safety regulations but not to unpack our items and check our papers when the custom officers have already done so,” said Vilakati.

                                                                             

                                                                          Malta Vilakati: Swacbta president listening attentively 

 

She said SADC countries should invest in road and trade infrastructures to make regional integration a reality.

“Some roads are good and some countries don’t have good enough roads. We need safe roads,” said Vilakati. “It would be nice too to have trading houses and good, affordable accommodation within SADC to help travelling small traders.”

Nkambule acknowledged the challenges facing cross border traders.

He said the traders face issues of finances, accommodation, and health, especially, malaria in Mozambique and government is working on their challenges but solutions cannot be achieved overnight.

He said there is still advocacy by cross border associations to have the them involved in medical aid schemes and the banks urged to provide a credit facility which can make the traders - who are mainly women not to carry cash, which make them easy target for criminals.

“The traders have also raised the issue of security, and Trade and Promotion Unit is negotiating with Mozambique and South Africa through the embassies, to try and address the problems to facilitate smooth cross border trade,” said Nkambule.

He said the future is bright for the traders with new programme which might be introduced by the SADC, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) and East and African Community (EAC) tripartite cooperation.

The tripartite free trade area will encourage free movement of goods and people to shall eliminate all existing non-tariff barriers to trade with one another.

However, consultative meetings in the tripartite are ongoing to agree on a method of cooperation.

He noted the already close cooperation amongst Swaziland, Mozambique and South Africa on the 24 hour operations of the Oshoek and Lomahasha borders.

Infrastructure development is another issue that is important to deepen regional integration.

SADC regional integration philosophy is premised on the implementation of the Regional Infrastructure Development Master Plan (RIDMP) adopted in 2012. However, Ngambi is critical about the RIDMP because the cross border traders were not consulted when it was incepted.

“It is good that we have the master plan, but infrastructure is too expensive to access in SADC, particularly the transport sector,” adding: “The railway can be cheaper to use but the different track gauges (the spacing of the rails on a railway track) make it expensive and tedious because the region doesn’t have a standard cross country railway line.”

He said the different track gauges is an inconvenience because trains are limited to operate within country of origin, then the freight has to be reloaded to reach the next destiny in the other country.   

Nkambule said it is accurate that infrastructure enhances both formal and informal sectors. For example, reliable telecommunications infrastructure makes business easy and efficient even for small traders if fully utilised.

He cited the mobile phone roaming facility, mobile money and internet banking for the small traders.

Vilakati said the Women Cross Border Trade Forum, last July, in Johannesburg called for SADC governments to establish One Stop Border Post (OSBP).

The SADC cross-border associations alluded to the critical role the OSBP infrastructure facility plays in promoting intra-trade in the region.

The World Bank estimates that 25 percent of border delays are caused by infrastructure and 75 percent are caused by poor trade facilitation. It further estimated that a one-day reduction in inland travel time in sub-Saharan Africa could result in a 7 percent increase in exports and reducing export costs by 10 percent through greater efficiency could increase exports by 4.7 percent.

A good example is the Chirundu OSBP between Zambia and Zimbabwe.

    Chirundu between Zambia and Zimbabwe, a good example of OSBP

 

Zambia’s High Commissioner to the Republic of Malawi, Charles Banda, speaking exclusively to The Nation, said the project is a big success story because it has helped to reduce the cost of doing business by decreasing the time that people and vehicles spend at the border.

Banda said the achievement came through joint introduction of gate passes for commercial cargo and increased use of pre-clearance trade facilitation initiative and establishment of fast lanes for heavy duty vehicles.

He said there are joint inspections and harmonized procedures to facilitate quick movement of goods in the border.

“This project (OSBP) received a lot of support from Comesa and SADC and it would be good if it is replicated in several other border posts in the region because it has helped to reduce the transit times at the border for the people,” said Banda.

It has also improved the competitiveness of goods and people have confidence in the system because of the efficient harmonized border procedures.

Banda said the OSBP also reduced the prevalence of fraudulent activities as cargo is cleared within a short period if proper documentation is in place and all the taxes are paid.

“It has also enhanced the exchange of information among the border agencies between the two countries, thus helping to achieve the goal of greater integration,” he said.

In the Heads of States Summit in Zimbabwe last year, SACBTA demanded that they want simplified trade regime, Fair Value Added Tax procedures and free movement of people in the SADC region.

 

THE LOOMING PLIGHT OF SWAZI MDR-TB PATIENTS

PHATHIZWE-CHIEF ZULU

 

The dusty road to Mahlangatja - a remote community in Mankayane, West of Swaziland, kept on winding, and the baking hot summer sun was even hard to bear.

However, after the laborious drive and despite the road condition; our host Benson Maseko (50) was relieved to see us arriving.

Nostalgic about how they used to have plenty harvest in that part of the country, he complained about the weather and the erratic rainfall.

“We’ll die of hunger even this year, Mr Zulu, even this year the sun has hit us” he said, offering a firm hand shake.

“That’s how we live here,” he explained. “We are used to these conditions; the sun, the road, you name it. Hope our MP will do something about it this time around,” he said mischievously.

            Woman Power: Benson Maseko and his wife enjoying the tree shade at Mahlangatsha

Maseko, the ex-miner – married with four children - is amongst thousands of Swazis who left the country to work in the South African mines.

While working in deep level mines in Johannesburg, he contracted the Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in June 2011. The mining company retrenched him back to Swaziland after falling sick.

Tuberculosis is disease that is causing a lot of restlessness in many households in the country to the extent that government declared it an emergency. But advent of MDR-TB is making the suffering for family members even more perilous.

                       Early Bird: Masked Colile Mavuso patiently waiting for treatment at the Health Centre

Even teenagers, some get the MDR-TB strain without getting the normal TB.

Colile Mavuso (15) had to abandon school this year because each morning she goes to Nhlangano Health Centre to get injection. She was supposed to be doing Form 2 this year.

“I’ll stay at home until I finish the treatment because I have to be isolated lest I spread MDR-TB to other pupils”, she explained. “I’ve been on treatment for two months now. I am likely to finish my treatment this year and next year I’ll resume classes,” add Mavuso.

In 2011, World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that Swaziland, Lesotho and South Africa still have the highest TB notification rates with over 600 new and retreatment cases per 100.000 population.

WHO also said Swaziland’s notification rates showed about 1,320 per 100,000 population. When compared to other countries in the region, Mauritius has 21 per 100,000 population and South Africa has 1000 per 100,000 population.

Precisely, Swaziland’s rate - with 1.3 million population - is the highest in the region considering that South Africa has over 50 million population.

       The Defiant Nurse Chief: Bheki Mamba making his point

President of Swaziland Nurses Association (SNA), Bheki Mamba admitted that TB has increased three folds than what it was in the 80’s. And, MDR-TB is rising in countries like Swaziland burdened with HIV/AIDS. And, the serious challenge of the co-infection makes treatment expensive for vulnerable groups adversely affected by the diseases and hunger.

“With our HIV prevalence rate at 26 per cent, we have observed that people die more of MDR-TB than of HIV/AIDS. People just get the first hand the strain of MDR-TB than the general TB. Three out of Five HIV positive patients acquire the MDR-TB strain,” said Mamba.

Mamba said owing to the skewed distribution of wealth and the emergency of the HIV and AIDS epidemic the poor are susceptible to opportunistic diseases like TB.

“More and more of our people are becoming poor and poorer to the point that some families cannot afford three meals a day, while few individuals are getting richer by day,” he said.

Apart from hunger and starvation which face patients living with MDR-TB in Swaziland, the country is embroiled in the subtle skirmish with external donors, the Global Fund in particular, which might affect about 7.7 per cent of patients leaving with MDR-TB in Swaziland.

The situation might have dire consequences for patients like Maseko and Mavuso should Global Fund stop it’s funding to Swaziland.

The country and Global Fund have had good relations since early 2003. But in the past few years, the relationship has been frosty, bordering on issues of financial mismanagement and failure to meet condition precedents.

“The country might not get funding in future from Global Fund because it has not been honest enough to account for the grants received over the years,” said Mamba. “The government even made a commitment to pay back of about E80 million or so to Global Fund.

“Though government might be not forth coming with information, but the truth is that the country is not enjoying good reputation with donors because money is mismanaged and has a high rate of corruption,” he adds.

However, Country Coordinating Mechanism (a stakeholder organ that applies and receive the Global Fund grants) General Secretary, Vulindlela Msibi, disputed that Global Fund is reluctant to fund Swaziland.

He said the old good working spirit still prevails between the country and Global Fund and the latter is introducing a new model of funding not only for Swaziland but for all the countries.

Msibi said Swaziland is listed by Global Fund as one of the countries eligible to apply under the new funding model for the next 3 years, beginning from 2014 and ending in 2016. For that reason, the country is currently preparing a concept note (Application) to be submitted to Global Fund in October 2014.

“This new funding model is expected to make it easy for countries to access the Global Fund grants. This is not a reduction of funding to Swaziland but an end to an agreed grant period which is from 2010 to 2014,” explained Msibi.

“Swaziland will continue to launch a robust response to the TB /HIV response. Presently, the Ministry of Health through the TB programme has a Global Fund grant that comes to an end in September 2014,” he said.

In this external funding furore, Swaziland is yet to meet the requirement by the Abuja Declaration which compelled African countries to commit 15 per cent of their national budget. The country is still cushioned by the assistance it receives from international donors.

The country has managed to allocate about 7 to 8 per cent of its national budget to Health over the years. In the 2014/15 national budget about E28 million has been given to TB Control Programme.

A bit concerned: Themba Dlamini TB Programmes Manager

 

TB Programmes Manager, Themba Dlamini, admitted that the 7 per cent or 8 per cent normally allocated to health is not enough because the money does not go all to the TB response programme. But he insists that government is on track by funding over 50 per cent of the TB programmes.

Dlamini said external funding is helpful but internal funding by government is important because it is reliable unlike the former which comes with a lot of conditions attached to it.

                                                                                

Dlamini is aware of the funding challenges in the TB sector, but according to his knowledge, no partner has indicated to leave the country. Nevertheless, he is equally concerned about sustainability in the event some partners leave.

He is however confident that there can be no disruption of services because there is an exit strategy spelled out in the Memorandum of Understanding between government and the partners, hence their departure cannot be brusquely.

“It will be a great setback. If some partners would leave,” Dlamini said. “It would mean we’ll lose the gains we have made. Take for an instance Global Fund support, it accounts about 35 per cent for our programme imagine if it were to pull out, it would leave a huge void.”

However, Mamba is adamant that if government can prioritise Health the 15 per cent is enough for the government fund all its programmes in the health sector, to benefit patients like Maseko and Mavuso without relying on external partners.

“This country is capable to meet the Abuja declaration,” said Mamba, adding: “But the problem Health is priority number four. Defence tops the list (which in the 2013 it was E1.9 bn) followed by Public Works, then Education because of the Free Primary Education and then it is Health.”

According to Africa Portal (an online knowledge resource for policy-related issues on Africa), Global Fund has invested $76.2 million in supporting HIV/AIDS, Malaria and TB programmes in Swaziland since 2003. And, the programmes have been a tremendous success.

In 2011WHO said the country total expenditure on health per capita was $434. Contrary to Dlamini assertions earlier that bulk of the funding come from government; WHO said the funding of the national TB budget in Swaziland is about $23 million for the estimated 7.7 per cent MDR-TB patients. While 10 per cent is funded domestically, 29 per cent is funded internationally, 62 per cent remains not funded.

Though the country is classified a lower-middle income country and majority of the population live below the poverty line.

Highlighting the state of household poverty, Mavuso said MDR-TB patients need special support because in most cases they cannot work because they have to be isolated.

“Funding for patients should not only for the treatment. Government must provide food parcels for some patients because others live desperate lives, and can’t go to hospitals because they have no money for transport and food,” she said.  

But for Maseko his faith on external donors is unwavering.

“I don’t know what goes on in Mbabane (Swaziland’s administrative capital) and the health organisations. But what I know is that if they can leave the country, we can die like flies, because even the drugs we get in government hospital is not effective like in facilities run be the organisations,” said Maseko.

The fear that Global Fund might stop funding the country or that some donors might leave the country in not a distant future might be played down, as the donor community play it on diplomacy and each stakeholder protects its turf.   

But the certainty in all this health funding roller-coaster is the lives of thousands of Swazi MDR-TB patients at stake.

Global Fund Head of Communications in Switzerland, Ernest Waititu promised to respond but later somersaulted and decided to refer the questions to the Swaziland Portfolio at Global Fund. He later sent an email alleging that the team could not respond to the questions because their schedule was tight and they were preparing for the launch of the new funding model.

University Research CO., LLC, country director, Samson Haumba, could not respond to the list of questions, despite getting assurance from the Communications and Knowledge Management Officer, Babhekile Motsa of getting responses quickly.

The old adage says that each time elephants fight it is the grass that suffers.

One can only hope that Alan Paton words in his book Cry the Beloved Country would not ring true when he said: “Cry, beloved country for the unborn child that is the inheritor of our fear. Let him not love the earth too deeply. Let him not laugh too gladly when water runs through his fingers, nor stand too silent when the setting sun makes red the veld fire…for fear will rob him all if he gives too much.”  

*This story is part of the African Story Challenge; Health Cycle, under the auspices of African Media Initiative (AMI).

SWANNEPA Media Forum on Infant Feeding and HIV and AIDS

THANDI KUNENE

Thandi Kunene, Dietician from the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, was a guest expert. She raised critical issues relating to infant feeding for infected children and challenges the medical profession to be conscious of the shift in paradigm.
She urged the media to be aware of the international trends in infant feeding. She argues that it is wrong not to breast feed children below the age of six because of their HIV status.“Cow milk is not recommended for children below the age of 6 months.”


Breast milk contributes 50% of the nutrient intake of children 6 months in developing countries üReplacing breast milk nutrients and energy will be a challengeüFrom 6 months of age, infants can be given unmodified animal milk or commercial formula to replace breast milkThe story to now (con’d):Formula feeding from birth does not appear to convey added benefits in settings where there are risks of malnutrition, morbidity & mortality from unsafe preparation
Greater support for exclusive breastfeeding is warranted (particularly to reduce mixed feeding)



Many unanswered questions regarding the timing, safety, & impact of early breastfeeding cessation
Low-cost, nutritious, bacteria-resistant replacement foods are needed to optimize growth, health, and survival – true for all, not just HIV-exposed