World  Church  Focus

A regular series of short articles that focus on a different part of the worldwide Church each month; bringing news as well as a prayer of or for the area concerned.

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Swaziland

This time last year, World Church Focus looked at Malawi, largely because of the great famine being faced by that country, along with others in southern Africa.  That situation is still ongoing and currently over 14million people across southern Africa need food aid to survive.  Swaziland, this month’s focus, is one of the countries still suffering as part of this widespread problem.

Food production in Swaziland forthcoming harvest is only expected to reach 56% of normal output, further exacerbating the country’s current food shortages.  The kingdom’s national disaster task team has estimated that almost a third of Swaziland’s people will require food aid to survive this year.

Swaziland is a small landlocked enclave between Mozambique and South Africa, that is usually fertile and well-watered.  With an area of 17,363 sq km, it is about the size of Wales.   The population is currently around 1,123,605, but AIDS takes a heavy toll - estimates vary but between 30-40% are believed infected.   As well as the obvious effects on health and life expectancy, there are wider consequences - for instance, school enrolment has fallen by over a third due to HIV/AIDS, with girls most affected, as children are taken out of school to care for sick relatives, or to earn money.  Ben Nsibandze, chairman of the national disaster task team says of the effect of AIDS - “We see as a result, a poverty, hunger and disease situation that is progressively getting worse, as victims are deprived of all their coping mechanisms.  We see the Swazi extended family structure collapsing as a result of family members failing to take care of their infected and affected relatives.  We see an increase in child-headed families, large numbers of orphans cared for by elderly and sometimes destitute grandparents, chronic malnutrition, children being taken out of school because of the absence of financial means to support them.”

A British protectorate from 1899-1968, Swaziland is now an independent member of Commonwealth.  It is also one of the world’s last remaining absolute monarchies.  King Mswati III, on the throne since 1986, and showing no enthusiasm for sharing power, appears to be upholding the tradition of his father, King Sobhuza II, who died as the world’s longest reigning monarch.  Democratic government was suspended in 1973 pending agreement on a new, but much-disputed constitution.   All political parties are banned.

Christianity is the major religion in Swaziland, with an estimated 82% identifying themselves as Christians.  However, much of the Christianity is described as ‘Zionist’, a blend of Christianity and indigenous worship.  About 20% of Christians belong to the RC Church, with Evangelicals, Methodists and Anglicans (1%) also being represented.  With 77 congregations, this small but significant Anglican church forms one diocese of the Church of the Province of Central Africa.  Churches are involved in work caring for those suffering through HIV/AIDS and educating the wider community.  One such project, supported by USPG, is Care Nakekela, whose work is mostly with orphans.  The RC church also runs a number of schools.

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Pray for relief from famine, both in aid and in harvest; and for all those living with HIV/AIDS.  Pray too for productive political change; and for a wider working together between churches, so that an effective ministry is maintained in the midst of the famine and the AIDS crisis.

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USPG, often working with the Methodist Church, is the main UK-based mission agencies currently active in Swaziland.

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