Swaziland’s coronavirus lockdown in chaos as motorists beat travel ban

The coronavirus lockdown in Swaziland (eSwatini) has descended into chaos as people ignore the stay at home order and travel ban.

Police backed by the army and prison warders have tried to lockdown Manzini, the main commercial centre in the kingdom, but people have refused to comply. Roadblocks have been set up across the kingdom.

New travel restrictions came into force on Monday (27 April 2020) and police ordered that all people wanting to travel by road across Swaziland would need written permission. Among those allowed to write permits were area chiefs and other local officials. Now, the police have withdrawn this permission because too many permits were issued.

The National Commissioner of Police William Dlamini announced the rule change on Wednesday (29 April 2020). He said the lockdown had been rendered useless by the huge number of permission letters that had been issued. He said the number of motorist on the road had increased since the first day of the new restriction.

He ordered that travel be further restricted to only those who were sick and going to hospital and those working for essential services.

Human Rights Lawyer Sibusiso Nhlabatsi told the Swaziland News, an online newspaper,  that the police chief was acting beyond his powers in announcing the Manzini lockdown. It was, he said for the prime minister Ambrose Dlamini to make such decisions.

Swaziland has been in partial lockdown since 27 March with business closures and bans on gatherings and unnecessary travel.

As of Thursday there had been only one recorded death from coronavirus (COVID-19) and 100 confirmed cases of the virus.

In other coronavirus developments:

A 27-YEAR-old man was sentenced to a year’s imprisonment with the option of paying an E2,000 fine for being in Manzini town centre without good cause and resisting arrest. He said he had gone to pick up his wife from work.

MOTORISTS STOPPED at roadblocks are being fined E50 if they are not wearing a facemask.

SOME SUPERMARKETS are testing people’s temperatures to see if they might have the virus before allowing them into the store. Other stores have started a no-mask-no-entry policy.

THE MINISTRY of Health announced it would be hiring another 293 health workers, including 90 nurses, to work in public hospitals.

See also

Army, police close down Swaziland’s main commercial city in bid to halt coronavirus spread

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2020/04/army-police-close-down-swazilands-main.html

 

Public need written permission to travel in Swaziland in big coronavirus clampdown

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2020/04/public-need-written-permission-to.html

Swaziland Govt. confirms it will not feed the starving in towns and cities during coronavirus lockdown

The Swaziland (eSwatini) Government will not send food to the starving and destitute in towns and cities during the extreme lockdown that it has imposed in the fight against coronavirus.

The decision comes as Manzini, the main commercial city in the kingdom, has been locked down by the army and police and is surrounded by roadblocks. People on the streets are being arrested for loitering.

Unknown thousands of the 110,000 population have lost their jobs because of the lockdown and have no money or food.

On 22 April 2020 the Swazi Prime Minister Ambrose Dlamini announced the government would feed more than 300,000 people from 63,000 households across all four regions of the Kingdom. The total population of Swaziland is about 1.3 million. He pledged the assistance would be delivered within two weeks.

Now, National Disaster Management Agency spokesperson Wandile Mavuso has confirmed that people in urban areas would not get food from the government.

He explained on state radio that the government was directing its efforts only to rural areas.

The Times of eSwatini reported people including vendors who earned their living through selling fruits and vegetables on the streets, car wash employees who earned E10 per car, drycleaners employees, hair-dressers and salon owners, those employed at cellphone shops, hotels, restaurants and security guards, among others, had no income and could not get food.

It said, ‘A study has shown that most of these people are tenants [living in flats] on the outskirts of towns and cities and currently have no other source of income.’

It reported Mavuso saying, ‘We will not include tenants in the relief plan. We will not be going to the flats.’

He added the government would only work in places where there were ‘local structures’ in place. This would include chiefs and those who worked with chiefs. Mavuso said this would ensure that ‘deserving beneficiaries’ were identified.

Swaziland is ruled by King Mswati III as an absolute monarch and he appoints the chiefs as his local representatives. 

Since the Prime Minister made his pledge to feed 300,000 people the Swazi House of Assembly rejected a plan put forward by Deputy Prime Minister Themba Masuku to send people money instead of food. 

The plan was to spend about E270 million (US$14 million) with government distributing about E45 million per month to 301,762 people across the kingdom.

Masuku said the scheme would give people the choice on what food to buy and stop them  gathering together to receive parcels and risk catching coronavirus (COVID-19). He said it would also save on the cost of delivering food.

A number of members of parliament thought the plan was open to corruption and money might not be used for the intended purpose of buying food.

A final decision on how to proceed with the food relief has yet to be made.

See also

Swaziland Govt. pledges to feed 300,000 facing hunger in next two weeks as coronavirus intensifies

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2020/04/swaziland-govt-pledges-to-feed-300000.html

People face ‘imminent death from hunger’ in Swaziland as coronavirus lockdown hits poorest

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2020/04/people-face-imminent-death-from-hunger.html

Army, police close down Swaziland’s main commercial city in bid to halt coronavirus spread

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2020/04/army-police-close-down-swazilands-main.html

Wife of Swaziland King’s critic seeks court order to stop police harassing, beating her

The wife of Zweli Martin Dlamini, the Swaziland (eSwatini) editor and journalist being hunted by police for writing and publishing articles critical of absolute monarch King Mswati III, has asked magistrates to issue a restraining order to stop police harassing and beating her.

Nompendulo Nokuthula Mkhonta filed an urgent application at the Mbabane Magistrates Court on Monday (27 April 2020). 

In her application she said a group of eight police officers entered her home on 10 April seeking her husband. They were ‘armed to the teeth’ and did not have a warrant.

They took her to the national police headquarters where she was handcuffed and suffocated with a plastic bag over her head. They wanted to know the whereabouts of her husband who is in hiding.

She said police threatened to return to her home at a later date.

Earlier this month in an annual report the group Reporters Without Borders concluded there was no media freedom in Swaziland.

Political parties are banned from taking part in elections and King Mswati chooses the prime minister and cabinet ministers. He also appoints top judges and civil servants. Groups advocating for democracy are banned under the Suppression of Terrorism Act.

Police have stepped up their campaign against online newspapers and social media that are calling for reforms. Zweli Martin Dlamini, the editor of the Swaziland News, an online newspaper, told the Voice of America radio on Monday that he was in hiding and feared arrest.

He reportedly fled to neighbouring South Africa in March 2020 for the second time. He said he had been arrested and tortured by Swazi police who accused him of sedition.

Also, on 7 February 2020, The Swaziland News reported Dlamini was being harassed and receiving death threats from King Mswati’s first born daughter Princess Sikhanyiso, who is the Minister of Information Communication and Technology.

Dlamini had previously fled to South Africa in fear of his life in 2018. He had received death threats from a local businessman and his newspaper Swaziland Shopping was shut down by the Swazi government.

Separately, on 23 April 2020 Eugene Dube, the editor of another online publication, Swati Newsweek, was arrested and beaten by police. Police accused him of writing and publishing critical articles about King Mswati. He could face a charge of treason.

At a press briefing last week the Swazi National Commissioner of Police William Dlamini said police were investigating people who had critical websites online. He wanted to find out who hosted them.

See also

‘No media freedom’ in Swaziland, Reporters Without Borders annual report states

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2020/04/no-media-freedom-in-swaziland-reporters.html 

Swaziland journalist critical of absolute monarch, beaten, arrested, faces treason charge

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2020/04/swaziland-journalist-critical-of.html

 

Swaziland journalist ‘tortured by police after criticising absolute monarch in newspaper articles’

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2020/03/swaziland-journalist-tortured-by-police.html

Newspaper editor flees Swaziland for second time after arrest and police torture

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2020/03/newspaper-editor-flees-swaziland-for.html
 

‘Attempt made to poison journalist critic of Swaziland’s absolute monarch,’ editor says

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2019/12/attempt-made-to-poison-journalist.html

Army, police close down Swaziland’s main commercial city in bid to halt coronavirus spread

The army and police have closed down Manzini, the main commercial city in Swaziland (eSwatini), setting up road blocks, forcing people to be screened for coronavirus and arresting people on the streets for loitering.

The lockdown started on Monday (27 April 2020) and is expected to last at least two weeks. About 110,000 people live in the city and about 355,000 of the kingdom’s 1.3 million population live in the Manzini region.

The clampdown was spearheaded by the Swazi National Commissioner of Police William Dlamini. He said he had the support of the army and the correctional services (prison guards).

The whole of Swaziland has been under partial lockdown since 27 March 2020 in a fight against coronavirus (COVID-19). So far only one death from the virus has been reported and 59 people have tested positive. Of that number, 38 are from the Manzini region.

Dlamini told a press briefing the security services would set up roadblocks. He said this meant movements of people within Manzini and those coming to Manzini would be restricted.  ‘If your reason of travelling is not valid, you will be requested to turn back,’ he said. 

He added the security services would be across the kingdom increasing visibility to ensure that the public complied. Dlamini said, ‘We will warn and arrest on the spot everyone who does not adhere to the regulations.’

He said the three security services would visit business outlets to ensure that those prohibited from operating were closed and those allowed to open fully complied with guidelines set out by the Ministry of Health.

He added people found on the streets for no particular reason would be arrested for loitering. 

The police are also to work with the Ministry of Health in screening people at roadblocks. If a person is found to have a high temperature they would be tested for COVID-19 and if positive put into isolation. 

New regulations also began on Monday restricting travel across the kingdom, ruled by King Mswati III as an absolute monarch. People need written permission to travel between towns and cities.

The King himself has not been seen in public since last month.

See also

Public need written permission to travel in Swaziland in big coronavirus clampdown

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2020/04/public-need-written-permission-to.html

Public need written permission to travel in Swaziland in big coronavirus clampdown

People in Swaziland (eSwatini) will need written permission to travel between towns and cities as the coronavirus lockdown in the kingdom intensifies. Police and army will mount roadblocks to check drivers.

 

Sihlangu Nhlabatsi, Chairman of the National Road Transportation Council, said people affected would include those travelling for work, attending hospitals and those out to buy food.

 

The new rules started on Monday (27 April 2020).

 

Permission can be granted by employers, doctors, or a local official, Nhlabatsi said. Special arrangement could be made by businesses considered essential by the government to transport their employees to and from work.

 

He said regional administrators would keep a register of people permitted to travel and would arrange their transport.

 

People would be required to keep the letter of permission with them at all times.

 

He said the restrictions allowed people to leave their homes but not to travel between towns, cities and regions.

 

As of 25 April 2020 there had been one death from coronavirus (COVID-19) and 56 people had tested positive for the virus, according to official Ministry of Health figures.

 

Swaziland, which is ruled by King Mswati III as an absolute monarch, has been in partial lockdown since 27 March 2020. Last week the Swazi Government relaxed the lockdown but only days later reversed the decision. There are restrictions on businesses, large gatherings and travel. 

 

See also

 

Swaziland police set up road blocks, increase patrols to force people to obey coronavirus lockdown

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2020/04/swaziland-police-set-up-road-blocks.html 

 

MPs demand Govt. action as hunger spreads across Swaziland during coronavirus lockdown

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2020/04/mps-demand-govt-action-as-hunger.html

Swaziland police set up road blocks, increase patrols to force people to obey coronavirus lockdown

Police in Swaziland (eSwatini) are to set up road blocks across the kingdom and increase patrols in towns, cities and rural areas to force people to obey the coronavirus lockdown. 

 

National Commissioner of Police William Dlamini said they would be working with other security forces such as the army and prison service.

 

National Commissioner of Police William Dlamini. Picture: Government of eSwatini

 He told a press briefing on Friday (24 April 2020), ‘We will be spread across the country, conducting roadblocks and be visible in cities, towns and rural areas ensuring compliance.’

 

He said cars would be stopped and drivers questioned about the purpose of their journey and if they did not have a valid reason they would be turned back.

 

Swaziland has been in partial lockdown since 27 March 2020. Last week the Swazi Government relaxed the lockdown but only days later reversed the decision. There are restrictions on businesses, large gatherings and travel.

 

Since the lockdown began there have been a number of media reports of police brutality against people allegedly disregarding the lockdown. Dlamini told the briefing, ‘We assure the nation that all security officers have been reminded that their duty is to assist, not abuse.’

 

The police commissioner also warned about the spread of ‘fake news’. The day before journalist Eugene Dube had been beaten and arrested by police. He faces a treason charge for publishing articles critical of King Mswati III who rules Swaziland as an absolute monarch.

 

Dlamini said, ‘The law will take its course on those people who spread fake news about the pandemic and about the country’s authorities. Even if one can hide wherever they are but the law will always reach them and [they] will be apprehended.’

 

As of 24 April there has been only one reported death from coronavirus (COVID-19) in Swaziland and 40 people have tested positive. 

 

See also 

 

Swaziland Govt. pledges to feed 300,000 facing hunger in next two weeks as coronavirus intensifies

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2020/04/swaziland-govt-pledges-to-feed-300000.html 

 

Swaziland journalist critical of absolute monarch, beaten, arrested, faces treason charge

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2020/04/swaziland-journalist-critical-of.html 

Swaziland journalist critical of absolute monarch, beaten, arrested, faces treason charge

Eugene Dube, a journalist critical of King Mswati III, the absolute monarch of Swaziland (eSwatini), has been beaten by police, arrested and is facing a treason charge.

Dube who published an online newspaper called Swati Newsweek was arrested on Thursday (23 April 2020). The Swaziland News, another online newspaper that advocates for democracy in the kingdom, reported he ‘sustained head injuries after a battalion of armed police arrived at his home in Nhlangano’.

It said police were ‘seeking answers regarding critical articles he published about King Mswati’. It added Dube did not realise they were police because they were not in uniform and he tried to escape through a window.

Eugene Dube

The Swaziland News reported Dube was taken to Nhlangano Police Station and questioned about two articles headlined ‘King reckless on Swazis health’ and ‘Removing King is possible’. 

Dube told the newspaper, ‘The police informed me that I was facing a treason charge for publishing the articles about the King and after the questioning I was taken to the Magistrate court where they advised that I confess to committing the crime. I politely asked the magistrate to at least allow me to seek services of a lawyer.’

The website of Swati Newsweek has since been removed.

Swaziland is ruled by King Mswati as an absolute monarch. Political parties are barred from taking part in elections. The king appoints the prime minister and government as well as top judges and civil servants. Groups calling for democratic reform are banned under  the Suppression of Terrorism Act.

Dube is not the only journalist under threat for reporting about the king. Last month Zweli Martin Dlamini, the editor of the Swaziland News, fled to neighbouring South Africa after he had been arrested and tortured by Swazi police who accused him of sedition. 

Dlamini had previously fled to South Africa in fear of his life in 2018. He had received death threats from a local businessman and his newspaper Swaziland Shopping was shut down by the Swazi government.

Earlier this week the group Reporters Without Borders in its annual World Press Freedom Index reported there was ‘no media freedom’ in Swaziland. It said, ‘Far from being an independent protector of rights and freedoms, the judicial system is often used to undermine journalism.’

It added, ‘Harassment, intimidation and physical violence against journalists are all common and result in almost constant self-censorship.’

The website has been taken down

See also

‘No media freedom’ in Swaziland, Reporters Without Borders annual report states

 https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2020/04/no-media-freedom-in-swaziland-reporters.html

 

Swaziland journalist ‘tortured by police after criticising absolute monarch in newspaper articles’

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2020/03/swaziland-journalist-tortured-by-police.html

Newspaper editor flees Swaziland for second time after arrest and police torture

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2020/03/newspaper-editor-flees-swaziland-for.html
 

‘Attempt made to poison journalist critic of Swaziland’s absolute monarch,’ editor says

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2019/12/attempt-made-to-poison-journalist.html

Malnutrition in Swaziland set to rise to hit quarter of total population

Malnutrition in Swaziland (eSwatini) is set to rise so that nearly a quarter of the total population will need help getting food, a United Nations’ agency reported.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said 300,000 people will be affected. The total population of Swaziland is about 1.3 million.

The FAO said the present coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis would increase the numbers in danger, but before the pandemic an estimated 232,000 people needed help.

In a report just published FAO said, ‘According to the latest report of the Vulnerability Assessment Committee (VAC), in 2019, an estimated 232,000 people, about 25 percent of the rural population, were estimated to be food insecure and in need of humanitarian assistance during the October 2019-March 2020 period.

‘This figure is almost double the level compared to the previous year, when an estimated 122,000 people faced acute food insecurity. Most of the food insecure population in 2019/20 was concentrated in eastern Lubombo and southern Shiselweni regions, where cereal production shortfalls occurred in 2019. 

‘Looking further ahead, despite an expected average harvest in 2020 that would stabilize food security conditions in the next months, the risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic could cause an increase in the prevalence of malnutrition. 

‘The effects of the pandemic are expected to be primarily channeled through a reduction in economic activities and associated income losses, while potential breakdowns in food supply chains is an additional concern for food security across the country. A recent analysis by the Government and humanitarian partners indicated that almost 300,000 people are at risk of acute food security due to the potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.’

On Wednesday (22 April 2020) the Swazi Prime Minister Ambrose Dlamini pledged his government would feed 300,000 people in 63,000 households across all four regions of the kingdom in the next two weeks. He has not publicly stated how he intends to do this. Swaziland is broke and the money to purchase food is not available.

Swaziland has relied on international aid to feed the most vulnerable of the population for many years. The World Food Programme (WFP) is one of the major agencies tackling the problem. In 2019 it tried to raise US$17.4 million from donors but reported it had fallen more than US$9 million short in its fundraising. It collected only 47 percent of the money it hoped to raise.

In a May 2019 report WFP said ‘an estimated 22 percent of the population has been food insecure in the past ten years’. 

It added, ‘Chronic malnutrition is a main concern in eSwatini: stunting affects 26 percent of children under the age of five.’

WFP reported, ‘Seventy percent of the rural population live below the national poverty line and 25 percent are extremely poor. Eswatini has a very high HIV prevalence, affecting 26 percent of the population between the ages of 15-49. Life expectancy is 49 years, and 45 percent of children are orphaned or vulnerable.’

See also

World Food Program falls short in fundraising as hunger grips Swaziland and King spends lavishly on himself

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2019/07/world-food-program-falls-short-in.html

Swaziland Govt. pledges to feed 300,000 facing hunger in next two weeks as coronavirus intensifies

The Swaziland (eSwatini) Government says it will feed 300,000 people – nearly a quarter of the entire population – over the next two weeks during the present coronavirus crisis. Reports from across the kingdom say people are close to death.

Ambrose Dlamini, the Swazi Prime Minister, made the announcement at a press briefing on Wednesday (22 April 2020). He did not say where the food would come from or who would pay for it.

Swaziland is broke and even before the coronavirus outbreak hunger was widespread across the kingdom which is ruled by King Mswati III as an absolute monarch. About 232,000 people (25 percent of the rural population) were expected to experience severe acute food insecurity this year, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).

The number of cases of coronavirus in Swaziland stands at 31. One person has died. Only 1,051 COVID-19 tests – from a population of 1.3 million – have been made in Swaziland. The Prime Minister said more than 62,000 people had been screened for the virus. 

He said that the relaxation of a partial lockdown of Swaziland that he announced a week ago would be overturned. The partial lockdown had been in force since 27 March 2020.

He said, ‘Over the week of the extended partial lockdown, we have observed with concern that complacency among the populace is creeping in and an increasing number of people around the country are now casual and lack vigilance in preventing the transmission of the virus. The level of compliance to the measures which are aimed at curtailing the rapid spread of COVID-19 has dramatically dropped. 

‘The number of people leaving their homes and places of residence for non-essential services has spiked up, potentially exposing themselves and others to COVID-19. It has almost become business as usual in our cities, towns and communities yet the partial lockdown measures are still in force. 

‘Our health system cannot withstand an upsurge of infections in this Kingdom and neither are our resources adequate to manage an uncontrollable transmission of the virus.’

On 15 April 2020, announcing a relaxation of the lockdown he had said, ‘Projections from health professionals indicate that the partial lockdown measures may have delayed the onset of the infection peak by one to six months, and likely to have reduced the cumulative number of infections in eSwatini.’

Instead, the number of positive cases had nearly doubled in the past week.

The Prime Minister said Government had taken the decision to remove the relaxed measures of the partial lockdown with effect from Friday 24 April 2020. He said the kingdom’s security forces ‘will be vigilant in enforcing compliance’. 

He said the following would apply. 

1. In line with the COVID-19 Regulations, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade will issue revised guidelines regarding certain business operations. 

2. Guidelines of the relaxed operation of public transport are removed. A new set of transport guidelines will be announced by the Minister of Public Works and Transport. 

3. All the measures effected at the start of the partial lockdown on 27 March continue to be in full force. These include that:

• Non-essential travel between communities, towns, cities and regions is strictly prohibited for all citizens.

• All public and private gatherings exceeding 20 or more people are prohibited.

• Citizens and residents returning home from abroad will be quarantined for 14 days

• Visitation to hospitals is restricted

• Workers in non-essential services should work from home. 

The Prime Minister said, ‘We are all learning on the go and as a result, now and again, Government will review these measures to adjust to the situation on the ground at any particular time.’

The Government had been criticised by the Swazi House of Assembly for not doing enough for the poor and not providing personal protective equipment (PPE) for doctors, nurses and other health workers.  

The Prime Minister made a number of pledges that would be fulfilled over the coming two weeks. He did not give details of how these would be achieved.

They were: 

1. Provide food assistance to the most vulnerable of our society that have been adversely affected by the COVID 19 pandemic. The food assistance will benefit over 300,000 individuals from 63,000 households across all four regions of the Kingdom. 

2. Government will ensure availability of face masks to minimize the spread of the virus. 

3. We will increase the number of ventilators available in the Kingdom to assist COVID-19 positive cases. 

4. Over a thousand scanners will be made available to help upscale the screening process. 

5. Government will intensify screening and testing for COVID-19 symptoms. 

6. Intensify contact tracing as an important element of identifying potential cases in order to curb the spread of the virus. 

7. Increase provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for health workers. We are cognizant of the shortage of PPEs due to limited international supply. Government is intensifying the processes of sourcing PPEs and has encouraged local suppliers to produce some of this equipment. 

See also

MPs demand Govt. action as hunger spreads across Swaziland during coronavirus lockdown

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2020/04/mps-demand-govt-action-as-hunger.html

 

People face ‘imminent death from hunger’ in Swaziland as coronavirus lockdown hits poorest

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2020/04/people-face-imminent-death-from-hunger.html

Swaziland nurses’ union calls for closure of major hospital in fight against coronavirus

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2020/04/swaziland-nurses-union-calls-for.html

‘No media freedom’ in Swaziland, Reporters Without Borders annual report states

There is ‘no media freedom’ in Swaziland (eSwatini) according to the Reporters Without Borders 2020 World Press Freedom Index just published.

It described the kingdom as an ‘absolute monarchy that prevents journalists from working freely’.

In its annual review of  press freedom around the world, the group reported, ‘No court is allowed to prosecute or try members of the government, but any criticism of the regime is liable to be the subject of a prosecution. Far from being an independent protector of rights and freedoms, the judicial system is often used to undermine journalism. In 2019, for example, a court decision banned articles about the circumstances in which a new bank obtained a licence to operate in the kingdom. A ubiquitous obsession with secrecy makes it hard to access information and the state wields total control over the media.
 
‘The king’s speechwriter is the editor in chief of the country’s oldest and most popular newspaper. The only privately-owned TV channel belongs to the royal family and criticism of the authorities is severely punished thanks to the existence of dozens of draconian laws under which reporters can be prosecuted. 

‘Harassment, intimidation and physical violence against journalists are all common and result in almost constant self-censorship. In January 2018, an investigative journalist had to flee to South Africa after being threatened in connection with an article about the king’s alleged involvement in a corruption case. His newspaper was closed on the king’s orders. Several photojournalists were also attacked, including by police.’

King Mswati III rules Swaziland as an absolute monarch and freedoms speech, assembly and association are severely limited. Political parties are banned from taking part in elections and the king chooses the prime minister and government as well as top judges and civil servants.

Media freedom is severely limited and investigative journalists live with constant harassment. In the past month alone there have been a number of attacks on the Swaziland News, an online newspaper. Mfomfo Nkambule a comment writer reported in March 2020 that he had been tortured by police after he wrote articles critical of the king.

The editor of the Swaziland News Zweli Martin Dlamini fled to neighbouring South Africa in the same month for the second time. He said he had been arrested and tortured by Swazi police who accused him of sedition. 

Also, on 7 February 2020, The Swaziland News reported Dlamini was being harassed and receiving death threats from King Mswati’s first born daughter Princess Sikhanyiso, who is the Minister of Information Communication and Technology.

Dlamini had previously fled to South Africa in fear of his life in 2018. He had received death threats from a local businessman and his newspaper Swaziland Shopping was shut down by the Swazi government.

The Swaziland News is one of a number of websites and social media outlets using the internet to advocate for democratic reform in Swaziland. In January 2020 National Commissioner of Police William Dlamini said police would hunt down and arrest people who criticised King Mswati on social media. He made the announcement in a written statement published in media across Swaziland.

A report compiled by Swazi Media Commentary in May 2019 detailing attacks on journalists in Swaziland during the previous 12 months revealed they had been beaten by state forces and teachers as they tried to cover public events. Two were detained at the Qatar Embassy in Mbabane, the Swazi capital, when they went to question a diplomat. A government minister called for a journalist to be arrested for taking photographs of ministerial cars parked in a public place. A former newspaper editor was questioned by police about allegations he had interviewed members of banned political organisations back in 2011.

See also

Swaziland journalist ‘tortured by police after criticising absolute monarch in newspaper articles’

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2020/03/swaziland-journalist-tortured-by-police.html 

Newspaper editor flees Swaziland for second time after arrest and police torture

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2020/03/newspaper-editor-flees-swaziland-for.html
 

‘Attempt made to poison journalist critic of Swaziland’s absolute monarch,’ editor says

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2019/12/attempt-made-to-poison-journalist.html

MPs demand Govt. action as hunger spreads across Swaziland during coronavirus lockdown

The House of Assembly in Swaziland (eSwatini) has demanded immediate action from the government as hunger spreads across the kingdom and doctors and nurses continue to be without vital personal protective equipment (PPE) during the present coronavirus crisis.

Swaziland has been in a partial lockdown since 27 March 2020 with many businesses closed, bans on large gatherings and travel restrictions.

News has emerged of whole communities who have no work and no way of getting food. Hospitals do not have personal protection equipment such as face masks, gloves and gowns. 

As of 21 April 2020 one person had died from coronavirus and 31 tested positive.

Members of parliament in the absolute monarchy ruled by King Mswati III demanded an urgent report from government on how it intended to deal with the crisis. They want food parcels to be sent to the hungry and masks and hand sanitisers to be made available to the public.

They also voiced concerns about how money set aside to tackle coronavirus (COVID-19) had been spent. Some parliamentarians were reported to have been part of businesses who tendered for contracts to supply goods. In the past groups such as Transparency International have reported high levels of corruption in Swaziland.

The House of Assembly threatened to move a vote of no confidence in the government which in Swaziland is not elected but handpicked by King Mswati. In particular they were concerned that the government was giving preferential treatment to certain people and using the Bethel Court Hotel in Ezulwini as a quarantine centre. Other people were expected to use Lubombo Referral Hospital and the TB Centre in Manzini.

In recent days the Swazi media have reported cases of severe hunger across Swaziland. Out-of-work textile workers in Kwaluseni township were said to be facing ‘imminent death from hunger’.

People living on the border of Swaziland and South Africa around Lavumisa who usually travelled into South Africa for food and work had been stopped from doing so by Swazi soldiers because there is a coronavirus lockdown in South Africa. They were reported to be ‘struggling to stay alive, with virtually nothing to eat’.

Meanwhile. the Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU) is consulting with lawyers about suing the government for gross negligence in failing to supply nurses at Raleigh Fitkin Memorial (RFM) hospital and all health care workers across the country with adequate protection. A nurse at RFM died of the coronavirus and at least 26 healthcare workers at the hospital are in self-isolation. The union has already called for the hospital to be temporarily closed so that all healthcare workers can be tested and wards fumigated.

Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of a National Emergency Task Force set up to tackle coronavirus Themba Masuku denied the government was to blame for the shortage of equipment. He said there was an international shortage affecting most countries. 

He told a press briefing Swaziland had no capability to manufacture PPE but he had appealed to local companies to produce face masks.

See also

People face ‘imminent death from hunger’ in Swaziland as coronavirus lockdown hits poorest

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2020/04/people-face-imminent-death-from-hunger.html

Swaziland nurses’ union calls for closure of major hospital in fight against coronavirus

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2020/04/swaziland-nurses-union-calls-for.html