Spring is in the Air

And people in my part of Southern Africa are getting spring fever. For the past three weeks, all public servants in South Africa went on strike for a pay increase. The union was demanding 8.6% increase while the government only wanted to concede 7%, which I would like to note is still above inflation. This included all teachers, border posts, many administrative jobs, transport and nurses. I like to think my job is important, but in truth without support staff a doctor is nothing. Most of the supporting staff, including janitorial staff, accountants, kitchen staff, of public hospitals walked out for three weeks leaving doctors. We spoke with a friend of ours who works in a public hospital in the Eastern Cape and she said she felt like it was like a war zone. Doctors were performing surgery without assistance. They were changing the bed sheets in the intensive care unit. But the sterile equipment and clean linens only went so far then there was noone to clean them. The military sent army medics and employees to cover larger hospitals. Community members were coming to help wash linen and cook food, but I am sure many unnecessary deaths occured over the last three weeks. The strike ended today, but without an agreement. Hopefully, they are not back on the streets again soon.



Then last week in our neighbor to the East riots broke out over the increasing price of food and energy prices. Ten people died in three days of clashes between police and rioters. My friend, Paisley, was in the Maputo for a conference. She said the city shutdown from Tuesday on with everything, including our favorite Thai and gelato places, closed. She was confined to her hotel for the next three days. Finally on Friday, she and a group of others received armed escorts to the airport and she flew safely to Johannesburg. The food increase is said to be due to the Russian bans on wheat exports due to droughts. Things seemed to have calmed in Mozambique, but needless to say we rescheduled our weekend trip there.


Finally, here at home in Swaziland labor strikes started yesterday. The labor strikes include the Teachers' Association and Swaziland Federation of Trade Union. They have been peaceful, but five members of COSATU, Congress of South African Trade Union, were arrested yesterday. They were detained briefly and then voluntarily returned to South Africa. It is still not clear to me the goal of the strike, which could be a problem if the government also does not know, but a piece of me is glad that Swazi people are at least trying to be proactive in regards to their rights. Perhaps a little bit more planning and strategy could help in the future.