Selling buganu makes no money at all - brewer
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MKHUZWENI – Rats were found to have eaten medical pills, literally, at Mkhuzweni Health Centre.
This is despite the public outcry on the public health crisis whereby medical stock has been missing for a while in numerous health centres.
At Mkhuzweni Health Centre, it was not the figure of speech that is often used to refer to people who steal from the public purse, but the literal iteration.
People abusing public funds are referred to as ‘rats’ in Eswatini.
The TB Unit of the public institution is terribly under ‘siege’ as the rats have invaded it and destroyed crucial medication. Investigations by Eswatini News unearthed that the health centre in northern Hhohho under, Mayiwane Inkhundla has a serious rodent infestation.
This is the same health centre which was reported this week to have made the life of health workers and patients a living hell as they dodge being bitten by deadly snakes on a daily basis. In a tour of the institution, rats were uncovered by the health workers to have chowed through some stock of medical pills supplied to the centre.
It was observed that some packs of medical supplies including pills, were devoured by the rats.
There was a pack that had several holes and missing pills.
MDodge
BABANE – In the past, the buganu trade was profitable in the market as one of the best-selling brews. As a result, bar owners felt the effects of this competition as they complained that marula brewers competed with their registered businesses.
However, this year, many women who usually brew this traditional drink have expressed concern that the alcohol, despite being popular, was no longer selling.
Every year, around this time, Eswatini holds the Buganu Ceremony, during which the harvest of the marula, locally known as emaganu is celebrated.
Rendition
During the Buganu Ceremony, thousands of women from across the nation journey to Buhleni, each bearing their own unique rendition of the buganu brew to present before Their Majesties. But the concoction of this brew is a delicate process steeped in time and tradition for Phetsile Kunene, who has perfected her skill for pre
Among these, the rats left a pack of Linezolid Tablets in tatters, eating both the coating and the pills contained inside them.
Linezolid come in a pack of 600 miligrammes pills.
This is an antibiotic for the treatment of bacterial infections.
Linezolid suppresses the growth of bacteria and boosts the body’s levels of certain natural substances including dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin.
Dilapidated
It is orally taken in doses usually every 12 hours, however, it is best to follow doctors’ orders. The dilapidated state of the units have allowed for rats to creep through.
The units are mobile and temporary structures.
This seems to have affected the hospital’s staff as some of them who spoke to this publication said they believe that the rats make their way to these pills at night and when the centre is not open to the public.
They said they spotted many of the rats even during usual working hours. They are also concerned about the snakes which are chasing after the rats.
paring traditional wine from the fruit.
Buganu, a brew that typically consists of water, marula fruit juice and sugar to expedite fermentation, has faced a significant decline because of the skyrocketing price of sugar. Local brewer Phetsile Kunene, hailing from Mayiwane, shed some light on the predicament she and others in the industry faced with regard to producing a drink that was no longer
This is because they have sighted snakes that have taken refuge in the container where they work. The health workers said that the snakes stay underneath the container and many types have shown themselves, threatening patients with tuberculosis.
Giving descriptions of the snakes, they said one was seen with a grey body and a smaller head, fitting the description of a Black Mamba.
Colour
They described the other snake as green in colour while the third one was the spitting cobra.
The floor of the container was found with glaring manholes. So serious are the manholes such that they were covered with card boxes. The snakes are said to creep into the fractures.
Opening up about their frustrations, Senior Nurse at the health centre, Mbutfo Magagula, said they have constantly shared the list of issues with the administration. He said these issues are as old as 2020 but they have not been addressed. Magagula said there were six staff members who were working in the exposed con
lucrative in the market. For many buganu brewers, the beverage is a source of income for their various needs, including school fees, which are usually an issue around February of every year.
Generating
Many brewers, particularly women in rural areas, have in the past, revealed how selling buganu helped in generating thousands of Emalangeni which they then used for purposes of paying bills
Rats at Mkhuzweni Health Centre devour pills.
ditions of the TB unit that face unbeknown dangers.
Apart from the rats eating the pills, Magagula said they have also been a menace to important documents. He also said that they were eating through electric wires of very important machines. Magagula said one such machine was the Electrocardiogram (ECG) machine.
Displaying
ECG machines are necessary for any medical facility that has cardiologists or general healthcare professionals who use them to monitor the rhythm and electrical activity of the heart, displaying it in an easy-to-read graph.
Magagula also said that the container leaks and that their files with important documents get destroyed when it rains.
He said their proposed solutions to their problems would be to relocate the unit into a permanent structure within the health centre. Magagula also said they have advised the administration to clear the grass around the unit
such as school fees and even daily needs.
According to Kunene, the cost of sugar has surged to an astonishing high of over E200 per 10 kilogrammes, a substantial increase over the past years. This price hike has dealt a severe blow to the profitability of producing buganu, as the brewing process necessitates a generous amount of sugar.
Regardless of the rising cost, the price of baganu has stubbornly remained
and within the whole yard.
Bushes and overgrown grass that was not yet clipped were seen around the centre.
The overgrowth surrounds the temporary structure, leading to it being a playground for the rodents. When called numerous times throughout the week, the administrator’s phone rang unanswered.
Comment
The Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Health was also asked to comment. Questions were sent to him but he asked whether the facility’s administration was told about these issues.
The Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU) took a swipe at the issue and said it was negligence of health workers.
SWADNU Secretary General (SG) Mayibongwe Masangane said the country’s healthcare has collapsed.
He said government was concerned about its image to the public than addressing the issues affecting public healthcare.
at approximately E10 per litre, especially in the rural communities where many emaSwati enjoy the brew.
Kuinene, an experienced and respected brewer in her community, said she has found it increasingly challenging to sell her product. She said potential customers were hesitant to commit to a purchase without a taste test and that this affected profits.
Consequently, she said she had resorted to distributing free samples to entice potential buyers, further straining her already diminishing profits.
Highlighted
Adding to her woes, Kunene highlighted the rising number of individuals now brewing their own buganu. This said surge in competition was impacting in sales and also affecting the cost as people did not have to travel far to a specific homestead, but that they were able to choose a nearby drinking spot and consume the traditional brew. Also, she said even when the customers decided to purchase buganu, they tended to buy in smaller quantities. She lamented that the combination of increased competition and reduced demand had rendered selling the renowned alcoholic drink financially unsustainable.