The UK-based Swaziland Solidarity Campaign (SSC), launched
this week, is blaming the Western-imposed liberalisation
policies for food shortages throughout souther Africa.

In Swaziland, a country of over one million people, the
World Food Programme (WFP) estimates that 210,000 people
will face food shortages this year following a 18 per cent
fall in maize production in 2001. Domestic cereal supply of
77,000 tonnes is far short of the 188,000 tonnes
requirement. The WFP estimates the country will need at
least 15,200 tonnes of food aid in 2002 to avert
starvation.

While lack of rainfall has undoubtedly contributed to the
crisis, the underlying problems are related to the end of
subsidies for fertilisers, a lack of capital investment,
declining commodity prices and unfair trading practices by
Western states.

SSC's co-ordinator, Daniel Brett, said: "According to our
calculations, if Swazi farmers had access to tractors,
hybrid seeds and fertiliser at reasonable prices and if
maize-growing land was properly irrigated, Swaziland would
produce a yearly surplus of its staple crop - even during
times of drought.

"These capital improvements could encourage earlier
planting, thereby avoiding much of the dry season which has
devastated crops.

"We estimate that Swaziland could have had a surplus of
over 10,000 tonnes this year, if there was proper
investment in the farming sector."

Farmers have been unable to afford hybrid seeds,
fertilisers and tractors due to the end of subsidies as
well as the sharp depreciation of the rand-linked lilangeni
which has pushed up the price of these imports. Moreover,
the prices of many of their commercial products - beef and
sugar - have plummeted while the EU and the US continue to
maintain high tariff walls around their domestic
production.

Daniel added: "It's all very well dumping surplus European
food produce on southern Africa during a famine, but what
the continent needs is practical solutions. The neo-liberal
dogma of the West is hypocritical and has provoked this
disaster, having been foisted upon the region through the
IMF's Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility."

The Swaziland Solidarity Campaign was launched this week
and intends to promote democracy and development in
Swaziland. It is linked to the pro-democracy and trade
union movements.

To view the SSC's website, go to:
 http://www.globalisation.org.uk/
The latest issue of the SSC's newsletter - SIMUNYE - can be
downloaded from the website.