The rumour or conspiracy theory about King Mswati dying from COVID-19 seems to be only half true, since His Majesty did confirm on Friday that he had recovered from the virus after contracting it mysteriously. Known as a traditional medicine advocate, even going as far as saying that Christians can use muti, one might’ve thought he would turn to the ancient Swazi ways of healing. In an interesting turn of events however, the king put his life in the hands of Taiwanese pharmacology.

Taiwan To The Rescue!

The king couldn’t help but pay mention to the devastating effects the virus has had on the kingdom. During the parliamentary session on Friday, he had a few words to say on the matter. “Unfortunately, covid-19 has managed to claim some casualties as over 600 of our people, among whom were government officials and members of the general public, have lost their lives to the virus. We also recognise our health care workers who contracted the disease while responding to their calling. This is very sad because we have lost valuable expertise that was providing essential support to those in need. May they be blessed for their commitment to the national cause, which has helped many people recover and are back with their loved ones. To all the families who have lost their relatives and to those who are going through the healing process while receiving medical attention, wherever they may be, we say rest assured that our prayers are with you.” Touching words form His Royal Highness, wouldn’t you say?

An antibacterial drug from Taiwan is what the king of the Swazis took as treatment for the viral infection. High school biology might tell you that a virus is different from bacteria, but that’s beyond the scope of this article. Mswati has assured the people that his government is working on stocking up the drug after they discovered it. Not once did the king mention traditional medicine in his address, not once did he speak of the centuries-old methods of sacred healing developed by his people.

The Witchdoctor’s Association of Swaziland has reached out to government to allow them to try their hand at treating COVID patients, since they’ve dealt with COVID-like symptoms in the past. These traditional healers called requested for just 400 patients; 100 from each of the four regions of the country. The authorities have not taken the association seriously, and yet here we are with the king pushing this Asian drug on his people.

Swaziland has a Science and Biotechnology Park, and yet no efforts have been made in the kingdom towards researching a cure for the coronavirus. Taiwan has actually been helping Swaziland build this park, so it would have been nice to see Taiwanese scientists share their expertise to a point where we see the vaccine being developed right here in Southern Africa. Do you think the king first tried treating COVID the traditional Swazi way? Do you think it’s convenient that he told the people about his ordeal during the Parliament session, which is the first public appearance in a while? Would you ever mind being King Mswati’s nurse? Share, comment, and FOLLOW FOR EVERYTHING SWAZILAND!