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SAPC — NEWSROOMSwaziland Bishop Says "We Can't Keep Quiet"
About HIV/AIDS, Poverty and Corruption By John-Manuel Andriote July 2006—In spite of the many challenges that beset his country, Bishop Meshack Mabuza envisions "a Swaziland which is free of HIV/AIDS and poverty." The Southern Africa Partnership Committee (SAPC) hosted Bishop Mabuza, and his wife, Lucy Mabuza, July 28 for a special committee meeting and forum that followed at St. Alban's Parish. Since his 2002 consecration, Bishop Mabuza has become a leading voice within the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, calling the church to take action against the multiple, serious problems afflicting Swaziland . HIV/AIDS Is Devastating SwazilandMabuza said that HIV/AIDS is the country's biggest current challenge. He said that because of HIV/AIDS, life expectancy in Swaziland has plummeted to a mere 35.7 years. He noted that if the situation remains unchanged, life expectancy is expected to drop even further—to 27 years—by 2010. HIV prevalence in Swaziland is among the highest in the world. An estimated 42.6 % of Swazi adults are infected with the virus that causes AIDS. Bishop Mabuza said 20,000 people in Swaziland are dying from AIDS each year, devastating the country's working-age population. Despite the widespread HIV/AIDS epidemic in Swaziland, Mabuza pointed out that surveys show that only 41 % of Swazis know how HIV is transmitted—a tremendous challenge to prevention efforts. Besides HIV/AIDS, Mabuza noted that in a country where 70 % of the population lives below the poverty line—considered to be US$15 a month—some of the traditional leaders who regulate the distribution of food aid insist that children provide sex in exchange for food.
Among the children who are most vulnerable to this exploitation are the 69,000 Swazi children who have lost one or both of their parents to HIV/AIDS, so called "AIDS orphans." Mabuza said that each year there are an additional 10,000 AIDS orphans in the country. So far there are at least 6,000 families headed by orphans. Children barely old enough to care for themselves are left behind to care for younger siblings in the largely rural country. The Church's RoleMabuza said the Anglican Church in Swaziland is helping to address HIV/AIDS and poverty in the country through an initiative aimed at coordinating both diocesan and parish-level efforts to address the epidemic. To expand its capacity the church is working within partnerships that include other faith-based organizations, non-governmental organizations, community-based health workers and clinics, as well as such international partners as the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Trinity Church, Wall Street. "We encourage as many groups as possible to address this initiative and do something about the challenge," said Mabuza. Against a backdrop of widespread disease and poverty, and an ongoing struggle for true democracy, Mabuza said, "We are faced with a serious situation of being a prophetic church in the country." He added, "We can't keep quiet." # # #
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