Guess who that is on the photo together with Muzi? It's Dr Vusi Magagula, Deputy-Director of Health Services in Swaziland, a.k.a. one of the oblivious Swaziland government officials who experienced some difficulty with authorising little Muzi's kidney transplant. After having received numerous phone calls from media and prominent individuals and waking up several times with Muzi's plight on the front page of the Swazi Observer, Dr Magagula finally figured that the time was right to resolve the situation. Hence his visit to the Johannesburg General Hospital, the hospital that the Swaziland government owes ZAR 300.000+ for the dialysis treatments that Muzi received so far and that needs to facilitate the transplantation.

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I am honoured to have been selected to attend the CIVICUS Youth Assembly. The theme of this year's Assembly is People, Participation and Power. I will publish more about the event and my attendence in June when the Assembly is taking place.

About the CIVICUS Youth Assembly

The CIVICUS Youth Assembly will offer young delegates a program and a space to develop and commit to action internationally. The theme of participation in civil society will be explored over the course of the event and delegates will learn about issues that effect billions of people worldwide.

The programme will develop not only delegates knowledge, but also build personal capacity through a series of workshops and skills development sessions. Participation is key and all delegates will be fully engaged in a programme of full participation.In attending the Youth Assembly delegates will also go on to participate, as full delegates, in the CIVICUS World Assembly where they will have a voice and opportunity to meet and influence some of the world's leading NGOs, groups and individuals who are committed to the creation of a more just and equitable world.

More info: www.civicusyouth.org

The High Commissioner of Swaziland, Mr Muntu Mswane, took time out of his busy schedule yesterday to meet me and discuss the situation regarding Muzi’s dire need of a transplant. Together we visited the Johannesburg General Hospital, where he met Muzi while he was receiving his dialysis treatments, after which we had brief discussions with Muzi’s doctors and the CEO of the hospital, Mr Sagie Pillay.

We then drove to Marang House, where he could see where Muzi has been living for the past one and a half years or so. I shared all my documentation with him, proving the various allegations that I have made against the Minister of Health and his team.

At my request, the High Commissioner has agreed to mediate between the various stakeholders to resolve the matter. He will soon be having discussions with the Minister of Health to share what he has learned about Muzi’s situation.

We have lost a little bit of momentum since the announcement of the marriage between Muzi and Lerato, but I needed more time to explore various opportunities to make his transplant happen. Even though the Minister of Health in Swaziland has publicly declared that he will fund Muzi’s transplant, the official authorisation has still not been granted.

I am confident that the High Commissioner has Muzi’s interest at heart and await his response with great anticipation.

Labels: muzi

It has been reasonably quiet during the past few days. Apparently we have been in the Swazi Observer again a few times, but I have not seen the articles as they are not online.

We are currently in negotiations with the hospital management and potential sponsors who have come forward, to find a solution to Muzi's situation.

Keep on visiting this blog to find out if Muzi will live!

Labels: muzi

The Minister's secretary informed me yesterday that he was in Pretoria. I immediately tried to phone him on his cellphone him to see if we could get together to resolve the situation, but he has yet to respond. In fact, the Minister has never contacted me regarding Muzi's situation.

In response to yesterday's article in the Swazi Observer, that once again made the front page, I would like to clarify a few things. I wish that the Minister could also clarify certain things from time to time instead of simply denying everything and saying that he will pay.

Labels: muzi

The Swazi Observer:
http://www.observer.org.sz/main.php?id=41660&section=main
http://www.observer.org.sz/main.php?id=41638&section=main
http://www.observer.org.sz/main.php?id=41683&section=main

De Beeld:
http://www.news24.com/Beeld/Suid-Afrika/0,,3-975_2274408,00.html
http://www.news24.com/Beeld/Wereld/0,,3-71_2226736,00.html

The Citizen:
http://www.citizen.co.za/index/article.aspx?pDesc=58667,1,22

The Herald:
http://www.theherald.co.za/herald/news/n02_19022008.htm

Other media include:
702 Talk Radio, E-TV News, SaturdayStar, SAfm, MetroFM.

Labels: muzi

hi Guys

thanks for the encouraging words.

i firstly have to make it very clear that this is not some sort of way to get attention, cos if that was the case there are other things i could have done to do that. All i’m trying to do here is help a little boy who has an opportunity at life but is being robbed of it by his government. i do hope that the Swazi government will do something before it gets to the extremes of “marriage”. but this is an extreme situation and i am willing to take extreme measures to help him. because right now i believe he is being robbed of a right to live!

What makes me even more determined is that he has already found a donor (which is great for him becos the waiting period is ridiculous!) but his government would rather send him back to Swaziland (where they have no facilities to deal with his kidney failure) to basically die. all that runs thru my head is that he is someones son, someones brother. i have a sisters so all i can do is imagine what his family is going thru.

i obviously am checking all the legal implications of this but like i said i hope it wont have to get to that. Muzi (the little boy) is running out of time so i’m doing the best i can.

i would adopt him at a blink of an eyelid but that process takes too long…..unfortunately he doesn’t have that that much time.

Anyway guys, thanks for the support and please keep us in ur prayer so we can get this resolved before its too late.

Regards

Lerato

Labels: muzi

MetroFM:

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Dear Honourable Minister Njabulo Mabuza,

GCINUMUZI SIFUNDZA – RESPONSE TO YOUR REQUEST FOR A LETTER

We would very much appreciate you answering the following questions, before we send you a letter to request a kidney transplant for Muzi:

1. Why do you require a letter from Marang House requesting the kidney transplant, as we are not a hospital and cannot perform the operation nor are we the legal guardian of the child?

2. Is it your statement that the doctors and social work department at the Johannesburg General Hospital never (officially) requested permission to perform a kidney transplant?

3. If you say that you never refused to pay for Muzi’s transplant, wouldn’t you agree that more than two years of postponing an answer on the matter is a form tacitly refusing or at least making things complicated?

4. Since you are now not refusing to pay, what is the problem with confirming in writing that you will pay for Muzi’s transplant? Especially since you are so confident that this will happen in April 2008? Your permission will allow the doctors to start the proceedings of ‘working-up’ the mother.

5. Why did you not respond to my fax of 13 August 2007 in which I kindly requested a conference call to speak to you about Muzi’s case to resolve the matter and offered my assistance with approaching the private sector for support?

6. Why wasn’t Muzi’s outstanding medical account paid towards the end of 2007 when the hospital requested this, which resulted in the hospital management of Johannesburg General Hospital wanting to stop Muzi’s life-sustaining treatments?

7. Referring to the previous question, if at that stage there was no money in the Phalala Fund, do you think that the fund is administered properly, especially considering that Muzi would have died without his treatments?

8. Since it appears that there is currently not enough money in the Phalala Fund, what steps will you be taking to ensure that the fund does not dry up again in future?

9. Are you aware of the fact that there is currently an outstanding hospital account for Muzi of ZAR 276.000 for treatments that he has received so far and when do you anticipate that this account will be settled?

10. Since Muzi alone has such a huge outstanding account, will there be sufficient money in the Phalala fund in April 2008 to cover the outstanding account plus pay for treatments and transplant for the next year? Also if you consider all your other patients who require medical treatment in South Africa?

11. Is it the policy of your department to keep children on dialysis for years while there is a kidney available, using government resources to pay for the dialysis treatments and an expensive hospital bed, instead of a once-off kidney transplant and post-operative care which makes far more sense economically on the long-term?

12. Since Dr Magagula referred Muzi to Johannesburg General Hospital and therefore was aware of his case and plight since the very beginning, did he never think of taking a more pro-active approach to help this suffering child? Instead of creating bureaucracy he could have for instance taken the initiative of making the transplant happen and used the assistance of very well meaning doctors, social work department and media in South Africa.

13. Can the Swaziland government please send a letter of thanks to Marang House and its sponsors for services provided to Muzi, that were an alternative to the expensive hospital bed that your government would have been liable for? Or can we alternatively send you an invoice (for a third of the price what you would have had to pay the hospital)?

14. Why does the Swaziland government not have any paediatric renal facilities available?

15. Do you as Minister of Health and as a person truly believe that Muzi was treated in a fair and humane way by your department and that you and your department did everything in their power to assist this child?

16. If Muzi was your son, would you be glad that I am asking these questions to the Minister of Health in Swaziland?

We are awaiting your response with great anticipation.

Yours sincerely,


Mr. Pieter Ernst, Jr.

CC: Various international media and human rights organisations.

As faxed to his office on 20 February 2008.

Labels: muzi

FROM THE PRESS RELEASE:

In response to an article published in today’s Swazi Observer (http://www.observer.org.sz/main.php?id=41638&section=main) in which the Swaziland authorities denied all allegations made in the media statement released yesterday by Marang House, we wish to inform the media of the following:

Marang House challenges the Swaziland Minister of Health, Njabulo Mabuza, and the Deputy Director of Health, Dr Vusi Magagula, to confirm in writing that they will pay for Muzi’s transplant in April 2008, when there is money available in the Phalala Fund.

“Dr. Magagula claims in the article that they never refused to pay for Muzi’s transplant and we therefore don’t anticipate that it would be a problem for them to send us a signed letter by the end of this week, confirming that they will pay for the transplant. I hope they send it to all the media as well to show their good intentions” says Pieter Ernst Jr, Executive Director of Marang House.

Marang House released a media statement yesterday in which we claimed that Big Brother Africa star Lerato Sengadi was prepared to marry the chronically ill Muzi to have him receive South African citizenship. This was in order for Muzi (8) to receive a kidney transplant. Lerato is still prepared to go all the way on this should this save Muzi’s life. We would like to refer media to yesterday’s press release for more information on Muzi’s sad and challenging situation (http://www.link2media.co.za/PrView.cfm?id=2475131).

“I also would like to emphasize that Muzi has been in South Africa since 2006. Without Marang House, Muzi would have had to stay in hospital permanently even though he only needs dialysis three times a week. The Swaziland government would have been liable for paying for an expensive hospital bed or the child would have had to sleep in the hallways. In that regard, Marang House and its sponsors have saved the Swaziland government a tremendous amount of money”, adds Pieter Ernst Jr.

We invite the Swaziland authorities to in future send their children to Marang House immediately. “I welcome a good chat with the Swaziland authorities to improve the situation of their seriously ill children” says Pieter Ernst Jr.

We further urge all media to follow this story. Muzi has suffered enough and dire need of his transplant. We need your help!

Labels: muzi

FROM THE PRESS RELEASE:

South African Big Brother Africa star Lerato Sengadi has set her sights on marrying the eight-year-old Gcinumuzi (Muzi) Sifundza. Lerato fell in love with the chronically ill boy last week on the evening before Valentine’s Day, when she threw a party for the children of Marang House – a home for seriously ill children in Johannesburg.

Muzi, who is from Swaziland, suffers from chronic renal failure and is in dire need of a kidney transplant. He is currently receiving his life-sustaining dialysis treatments at the Johannesburg General Hospital, as there are no paediatric renal facilities available in Swaziland. Muzi’s mother has agreed to donate one of her kidneys to her child, but the Swaziland authorities refuse to cover the costs for this operation, even though they have paid for other patients in similar situations.

Lerato Sengadi: “I would do anything to help this child. Muzi is an amazing boy with a big heart and an even bigger will to live. He is very smart, funny, has an amazing personality and is extremely brave. We had an instant connection and bond. It pains me terribly to see him suffer when there is a solution to his illness and suffering.”

Executive Director of Marang House, Pieter Ernst Jr: “The children of Marang House are huge fans of Lerato and Big Brother Africa and they were very excited that she took time out of her busy schedule to visit. Muzi, charming as he is, took a rose from our garden and handed it to Lerato, leaving her completely speechless and touched.”

Pieter continues: “When I explained Muzi’s challenging situation to Lerato, how he is denied his transplant, how he and his family have been treated by the authorities and that I so far not have been able to raise the required ZAR 380.000, the tears were pouring out of her eyes. I also explained that should he have been a South African citizen, the operation would have already taken place – especially since the doctors affirm that there is a nearly 9 out of 10 chance that the transplant will be successful.

Lerato adds: “I then asked what I could do to help and someone joked that I should just marry Muzi and he will perhaps receive South African citizenship. This is a very serious situation and extreme measures are necessary at this stage, so I thought about it and it seemed like the only option at this stage for Muzi to survive.“

Lerato elaborates: “It is very heartbreaking that a sick child like Muzi is being denied a chance to live. I believe it is every human’s right to have a chance at living a full and meaningful life, but the Swaziland government is denying him this. This could be Muzi’s only opportunity at even having a chance at having a near normal childhood and grow up to become a positively contributing member of society.”

Lerato is currently dating fellow Big Brother Africa star Maxwell Chongu from Zambia. “He knows how passionate I am about children and their wellbeing. Our relationship is solid; we have endured a lot together already. We love each other so this will not affect our relationship. Time is running out for this amazing boy, I am doing this in hopes of giving Muzi the gift of life, I am sure Max will understand”, says Lerato.

Permission from the Minister of Home Affairs will be requested this week, as this is one of the requirements for a minor to enter into a valid marriage. A legal team is also currently investigating how and if a marriage would grant Muzi South African citizenship and how long this process will take.

Everybody involved however hopes that this issue will be resolved before it comes to a marriage and that people start realising how serious and incredible sad Muzi’s case is. Hopefully the Swaziland government or private hospital groups and sponsors will come to the party to assist Muzi and resolve this matter in a more ethical and humane way.

Lerato was the South African contestant in the recent second season of the controversial reality show ‘Big Brother: Africa’.

Labels: muzi