Swaziland seeks aid as crisis deepens

Swaziland has approached South Africa for urgent financial assistance. The land-locked southern African country is the continent’s last absolute monarchy. Earlier this year it faced anti-government protests which were suppressed by the regime.

“Swaziland has been terribly hard hit by the economic crisis,” says Günther Simmermacher, the editor of the Southern Cross, the region’s largest Catholic newspaper, which is based in South Africa. “Another problem that many people are pointing to is that much of the funding that Swaziland is receiving is being funnelled to supporting [the monarchy].”

He says the Church is concerned about the situation in the country.

“The Catholic Bishops of southern Africa went to the country for a fact-finding mission and for solidarity in the middle of this month,” he explained. “The delegation described the country as being turmoil. They said it is a country tearing itself apart from the inside by an uncaring head.”

He said the bishops also decried corruption in the country, and said it was an unprecedented crisis.

Listen to full interview with Günther Simmermacher: