RIGHTS-SWAZILAND: Churches Overcome Embarrassment to Tackle AIDS

By James Hall Reprint | | Print |

James Hall

MBABANE, Jul 19 2004 (IPS) - Churches in Swaziland appear to be stepping up efforts to fight the AIDS pandemic – and to help their congregations deal with sexual abuse. This comes in the wake of revelations that this tiny Southern African country now has the world’s highest HIV prevalence.

In a recent disaster relief report on Swaziland, local branches of United Nations agencies noted, “Assistance from churches is growing, and is predicated on principles not just of charity but of human rights.”

Most Swazis describe themselves as Christian (a minority remain faithful to traditional African beliefs). The Swaziland Council of Churches claims that over 90 percent of the kingdom’s 970,000 people are churchgoers.

The UN report further notes that because of their widespread influence, Swaziland’s churches are valuable venues for providing information to young women about their rights.

It highlighted a project undertaken by the Swaziland Council of Churches and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) as an example of what can be accomplished when religious leaders are involved in social issues. The project focuses on informing girls about how incest can result in the transmission of HIV.

Nonetheless, certain priests and pastors are uncomfortable with frank discussions of sex, particularly when the audience is composed of young women. They prefer that outside bodies like UNICEF take the lead.

“We put together a group of folklore stories that used animals to inform girls about incest and AIDS. The animals make it easier to confront these sensitive problems, and the test groups loved them,” says UNICEF’s representative in Swaziland, Alan Brody.

“But you should have seen the bishops, not knowing whether to laugh or sit very seriously! This is new to them. But they were grateful for the initiative,” Brody added.

Thembi Shongwe is one of the child actresses who perform the folk tales for church groups.

“At first I thought these were animal stories, but they are about child abuse. We learn it is our right to protect ourselves from AIDS and abuse. Many girls don’t think about these things until it is too late.”

The Swaziland Council of Churches is also using other forums to provide girls and young women with advice on HIV transmission and human rights.

Lisa Dube, a 17-year-old high school student from rural Mliba, told IPS, “In our Bible study groups at AME (African Methodist Episcopal) Church, we are learning about our right to say no to sex.”

“A lot of girls think that when a relative tells them they must go to bed with them they…must – because the uncle or cousin, or sometimes even the father, will say the Bible says this is proper. At Bible study we learn this is not so. Being forced to have sex is a violation of our human rights. It is also easy to get AIDS,” she told IPS.

Nomsa Khumalo, 15, who attends a Pentecostal church at Lobamba, near the capital of Mbabane, adds, “Our priest used to only tell Bible stories from the pulpit. But now, he speaks about AIDS and incest. He tells the girls we must look out for ourselves – we must be empowered to say no to sex.”

By allowing such discussions for young women, churches in Swaziland, with their membership amongst all generations, are increasing awareness of AIDS and gender rights in a country where other institutions have been slow to issue such information.

The Catholic Church appears to have taken the lead in this matter, having pursued a social agenda that was progressive in certain respects for the past decade. Other denominations aligned under the Swaziland Council of Churches have been slower to embrace social issues, but appear to be doing so now.

This trend may also be taking root elsewhere in the region.

“We find greater social activism in Mozambique, as well,” Dinnis Sengulane, Episcopal Bishop of Mozambique, told IPS last week during the visit of a high-powered delegation of church representatives to Swaziland.

The team was on a fact-finding mission that concentrated on AIDS and political reform. Multi-party politics are banned in Swaziland, which has been ruled by decree since 1973 by its king.

“We must never lose sight of the primacy of our spiritual message. But, many priests and church leaders realize that if we don’t tackle AIDS, food scarcity and child abuse, we may be preaching to empty pews. Our congregations will have disappeared,” Sengulane added.

The Archbishop of the Anglican Church in Southern Africa, Njongonkulu Ndungane, led the delegation. Bishop David Beetge from South Africa; the Episcopal Bishop of Washington D.C, John Chane; the Bishop of Edinburgh, Brian Smith; and the Secretary-General of the Worldwide Anglican Communion, John Peterson, also formed part of the team.

Beetge said the delegation’s presence in Swaziland was intended to boost morale amongst pastors who might otherwise feel isolated from their peers – and to allow for exchanges of advice on practical matters.

“My area borders Swaziland, and we have cultural as well as geographical links. We share an immense AIDS problem. Up to 50 percent of the people in my area are HIV positive. In Swaziland, it’s about 40 percent,” he told IPS.

“We take a holistic approach to AIDS. Starting with abstinence as the best preventative, we are involved in home-based care, orphans, medical facilities, treatment and mitigation efforts,” Beetge added.

Noted Reverend Jabulani Dlamini of Mliba, “My fellow priests are waking up to the danger our flocks face, particularly from AIDS. We have to take positive action. The Lord helps those who help themselves.”