Swaziland is not like the rest of Africa. On my visits to East African countries in years past you could not help but see poverty everywhere, but in Swaziland it seems to be hidden in my view. While I know that Swaziland has the highest HIV population in the world, I don’t visibly see it on a daily basis. There are those who have HIV but have experienced the full effect of it yet and look healthy and there are those who are so sick they are confined to the hospital or their homes and therefore I do not see it.
This year a census was taken in Swaziland and the report was published in the paper last week. Swaziland, once was populated by 1.1 million people is now down to 953,000 including foreigners living here on temporary residence permits, like myself, and those living here illegally from neighboring countries. 100,000 of the 953,000 are orphans. The death rate in Swaziland is higher than the birth rate. It is predicted that if things stay exactly the same, Swaziland will be wiped out by 2057. Yesterday in the headline in the paper said “No Swazi Adults by 2025”.
Several responses by leaders in the country and only 1 admitted the decline in population was due to HIV/AIDS the rest said deliberately AIDS was not the cause but rather Swazis traveling abroad and this generation choosing to have less children than their parents did.
Lord, have mercy on us here in Swaziland. Lord, I pray that the people who are called by your name in Swaziland would humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways and that you would hear us from heaven and forgive our sin and heal our land (2 Chronicles 7:14).
