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• Dams! Are they for good or bad?
• The link HIV/Aids and Occupational Safety and Health (OSH)
• Sustainable Waste Management Project
• Mission Impossible Maloma Coal Mine Fact Finding Tour with Honourable Minister of Natural Resources and Energy, Mr. Mfomfo Nkambule
• News from the Information Centre
• Word Search

We used to see dams as the promise of revolution - as a source of jobs, we saw dams as capable of translating dry lands into healthy farmlands. We associated dams with helping the poor, enabling rural people to live in a sustainable manner, we associated dams with the provision of adequate clean water for the rural poor, giving them back their long lost worth. But it seems dams have not gone far enough to help the country come out of its poverty trap.

World Water Day 2004
As part of awareness raising campaign and a build up to the occasion of the World Water Day, 21 March 2004, Yonge Nawe hosted a debate between two high schools, St. Michaels and St. Francis on the topic "Dams bring more harm than good." The event took place in Mbabane on the 17th of March 2004. 

Part of students attending the debate

This was one of the organisation’s efforts of promoting youth participation in matters of development. The debate provided a suitable forum for the students to discuss and get to grips with the concept of sustainable development. A video of this event is available.

Competitors
Mathemba Xaba, Nokulunga Msibi, Fisiwe Khumalo, and Zothile Mabusela represented St. Michaels’ team while Nenekazi Thwala, Zamakile Mthethwa, Phila Dlamini, and Zamantungwa Khumalo represented St. Francis’s team. St. Michaels scoped the first prize, while St. Francis were runners up. The best speaker was Zothile Mabusela from St. Michaels. 

Environment Quiz
Student representatives from three local high schools, Bahai high, St. Marks and Mbabane Central participated in an environment quiz on water and environment issues in the context of Swaziland. 

Judges
Judges of the debate were Ms. Macanjana Motsa and Ms. Phephile Mashinini both from Fundza and Mr. Muzi Mhlanga from Mbabane Central High. Students demonstrated a wealth of knowledge and understanding of the benefits and shortcoming of development projects such as dams.

Judges were (sitting from right) Ms. Macanjana Motsa and Ms. Phephile Mashinini and Mr. Muzi Mhlanga flanked by Mcebsi Mkhanazi, also sitting and Thuli Makama (standing)

Guest
Mr. Doctor Lukhele (SKPE CEO) made an informative presentation on the good and bad aspects of dams. He pointed out the necessity of having dams as water storage infrastructure knowing that rain falls whenever and wherever it falls.

Mr. Lukhele gave local examples of how the Maguga and Mnjoli dams have benefited the country, by improving crop production. He also gave the benefits of dams in terms of hydroelectric power, giving an example of Luphohlo dam. He then showed some slides of dams and their failures in controlling floods, situations that caused death of many people. According to him, weighing the benefits against the negative impacts still justifies the construction of dams and that he still believes they are a viable option in securing water for all users and uses. He however pointed out that dams that were constructed decades ago disregarded the social and environmental impacts of dams, but modern dams undergo impact assessments.

The Link between Environment, HIV/Aids and Occupational Safety and Health (OSH)

By Margaret Thwala-Tembe

The HIV/Aids scourge is presently wiping the economically active people in the country.  With this raging pandemic, the environment in the work place is most essential in prolonging the workers health particularly those with already weakened immunity.  Yonge Nawe believes that enforcement and compliance with Safety Health and Environment (SHE) standards is imperative in curbing loss of human resources to HIV/Aids and this is her contribution towards the fight against HIV/Aids. It is in this light that Yonge Nawe in partnership with the Canada Fund is embarking on a Health and Environment Project. 

(i)World Aids Day 1 December 2003
This day was celebrated highlighting the link between HIV/Aids and the work environment. This activity was aimed at public awareness as well as sensitising employers on the link between HIV/Aids and the work environment. Messages and articles were published in the local daily newspapers Swazi Observer, Times of Swaziland and the Nation Magazine. These messages urged employers to invest in socially and environmentally responsible production in order not to compromise the health of the workers and the environment. Despite the fact that people spend about 8 hours at work per day, HIV/Aids programmes at the work place seem not to incorporate SHE standards, which are however critical because they impact on the workers’ immune system. 

(ii) Discussion Forum on the link between Environment, HIV/Aids and OSH Project
The project was officially launched at a colourful ceremony attended by project partners from the Canada Fund on the 10th of February 2004. 

Part of participants at the open forum

The launch also drew people from various sectors, media, occupational health and safety experts, HIV/Aids activists, labour, industry, environment activists and others. Discussions at the launch were focused on the following areas:

• The extent of HIV/Aids within the working population, facilitated by Ms. Gcebile Ndlovu
• The role of OSHE in curbing loss of human resources to HIV/Aids by Dr. Tyrone Lapidos
• Practice of OSH and Environmental Standards in the Textile Sector by Mr. Sipho Mamba
• The practice of OSH – Panacea for human resources and HIV/Aids by Mr. Musa Hlope

• Incorporate mechanisms to empower Shop stewards in textile industries so that they could be able to monitor enforcement of OSH, and environment standards and regulations.
• Simplify the OSH Act of 2001 and disseminate it to workers for use as an advocacy tool
• The organisation should carryout a vigorous advocacy campaign on OSH, environment, HIV/Aids issues and promote enforcement of OSH, and environment standards and regulations 
• There is also need for advocacy in the area of the education curriculum so that it leads to economic independence of workers as opposed to preparing people to be employees.
• Promote law enforcement

• The science of HIV/Aids and the immune system facilitated by Mr. Richard Phungwayo
• Occupational Safety and Health by Sr. Dorothy Dlamini
• What is environment by Mr. Joseph Mutsigwa
• The link between environment, OSH and HIV/Aids by Mr. Richard Phungwayo

Sustainable Waste Management Project

Proper, health and safe standards at work helps in fight for HIV/AIDS

MBABANE-The upholding of proper standards for workers’ healthy environment thus contributing towards a less HIV/Aids infected society.

This concept was being pushed by a pilot project launched by Yonge Nawe last Friday at the pilot site, Raleigh Fitkin Memorial Hospital.

Aims
The Pilot project, titled Sustainable Medical Waste Management, aims at promoting the systematic and safe disposal of healthcare waste using non-burn techniques, which will prevent pollution of the environment. Coordinating this project is Yonge Nawe’s Natural Resources Management Coordinator, Margaret Thwala-Tembe, who collaborated on it. 

Healthcare staff as well as the general populace are at risk of contracting HIV/Aids and other infections if medical waste is not properly disposed of. Through this project we are advocating that waste must be first separated or segregated at its point of generation using a colour coding system. It must be safely transported to a safe off limits storage point before disposal, and then transported to its disposal site according to classification.

Waste
"This will ensure that there is less multiple handling of waste within and outside the hospital because waste is safely contained and disposed by responsible persons from point to point, reducing the number of people who stand at risk, " she said.

Thwala explained that the colour coding system uses red lined bins for infectious waste such as blood-soaked material, clear or black -lined bins for general waste and a special ‘sharps’ container for waste such as needles. Special and strict disposal is required for ‘sharps’ and infectious waste.

"We recommend that this kind of waste must not be incinerated as general waste because its incineration releases poisonous dioxins into the air known as Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), which are harmful to the environment and people’s health."

Promoting 
"Instead we are promoting disposal techniques such as autoclaving, chemical disinfection or steam sterilization thereafter leading to a landfill site," she said.

She mentioned that Yonge Nawe would assist the pilot site to secure the technical equipment and training on how to operate it, as required by this project.

Yonge Nawe has received a mini-grant from international partner for awareness-creation on this project. In the long term it hoped this project would be extended to non-government health facilities across the country.

Source: Times of Swaziland, 18 March 2004 pg. 15

Mission Impossible Maloma Coal Mine Fact Finding Tour with Honourable Minister of Natural Resources and Energy, Mr. Mfomfo Nkambule
By Joseph Mutsigwa

On the 24th of February 2004 Yonge Nawe facilitated a fact-finding tour for the Honourable Minister of Natural Resources and Energy, Mr. Mfomfo Nkambule, to appreciate water problems at Maloma Coal Mine and Ferrovanadium Processing Plant. The mission was in response to concerns raised by workers and their relatives concerning water quality at Maloma Coal Mine. The mission was composed of representatives from Yonge Nawe, the Ministry of Tourism Environment and Communications, and Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy. 

Main entrance to Maloma Coal Mine and Ferrovanadium Plant

Water Issues at Maloma 
Water problems that had been raised workers at Maloma include the following: 

• Water for drinking, cooking and washing is supplied by a small rain fed dam located southeast of the mine’s main entrance. This dam is surrounded by heaps of coal. 
• From the dam, the water is pumped into an open concrete tank sandwiched between the ferrovanadium plant and coal processing plants. 
• There is no water treatment facility to ensure that workers are not vulnerable to pollution from coal particles, dust from the ferrovanadium processing plant and other contaminants associated with operations at this establishment. The visibly black coloured water is fed straight into taps for use by workers. 
• Tests conducted on the 20th March 2003 indicate the presence of coliforms and fecal coliforms, which according to WHO standards are not allowed. This suggests the presence of a group of bacterial agents that could lead to gastrointestinal infections such as dysentery. 
• Due to the poor quality of the tapped water, management at the Ferrovanadium Plant provides its 12 workers with 20 litres of drinking water everyday but workers claim that sometimes this arrangement is not consistent. They use tapped water for washing and cooking. 

 On the other hand workers from the coal mine are not provided with safe drinking water. They solely depend on untreated water for drinking, cooking and washing.

Information and knowledge is critical for achieving sustainable development. Do you know Swaziland’s sustainable development challenges? Read Yonge Nawe’s newspaper column featured every Monday in the Times of Swaziland. The same articles are uploaded onto the organisation’s website www.yongenawe.com/newspapercolumn.html

Comments on articles

(i) As there is high percentage of water used by agriculture and industries, the right of the Swazi nation to have access to clean water is violated. It is sad to see the Swazi people dying of probably waterborne related diseases because of using unclean water and or polluted water by agriculture and industries. It is sad to see schools closing because of lack of water. I call for non-governmental organisations like yours to fight for the rights of the Swazi people to have access to clean water.
By Musawenkosi C. Mamba, P O Box 1379, Mbabane

(ii) I read your letter in yesterday’s paper about crisis or mismanagement of water supplies, one of the biggest mismanagement problems is going on right under our noses in Mbabane on the Mbuluzi River.  The SWSC with their new pumps near mantjolo regularly pump the river dry especially in the winter months and regardless of laws governing the flow of water past a particular point they continue so that the river down stream from this pump station starts to dry up. As if this is not bad enough take a drive past the treatment plant next to Jacana lodge in Beverly Hills and a constant supply of water is leaking away into the drains from the treatment plant. So they are robbing people down stream of a water source only to let it be wasted in an urban area where it adds to erosion and the destruction of the Ncoboza road where the pipeline is so blocked from soil erosion that the water often flows right over the road causing potholes and destroying our vehicles suspensions. Here is a case for you to follow up and write about in the papers.

I would be willing to show you around as well if you are interested, lets all do our best to keep the precious water we have available to everybody in a clean and unpolluted state. I hope you contact me and together we can help to tidy up the Mbuluzi River. It is sad to see something you have loved from a child being destroyed.
By Mr. Sam Breero email: oasisplastics@realnet.co.sz

Knowledge is power!
Get empowered! Visit our website www.yongenawe.com for information and knowledge on state of the environment and impact on sustainable development in Swaziland. Please send us information on the same subject that we could share globally. Suggestions and comments are most welcome. Send us your current email address to regularly receive electronic news items and or articles on environment and sustainable development in Swaziland. Send email to josephm@yongenawe.org.sz.

Word Search
By Violet Buluma
 

W	T	A	T	D	R	O	U	G	H	T
E	H	U	R	R	I	C	A	N	E	R
D	U	D	A	N	V	D	D	I	S	A
E	N	I	F	W	E	A	T	H	E	R
S	D	S	L	S	R	T	E	I	C	P
T	E	A	O	C	E	A	N	M	O	O
R	R	S	O	L	R	R	S	P	N	L
U	S	T	D	I	W	E	O	A	O	L
C	T	E	R	M	L	D	A	C	M	U
T	O	R	N	A	D	O	W	T	Y	T
I	R	W	A	T	E	R	A	T	E	I
O	M	E	R	E	D	A	Y	2	O	O
N	O	4	C	Y	C	L	O	N	E	N

What is the meaning of the left over words?