Swaziland Newsletter No. 893 – 5
September 2025
News from and about Swaziland, compiled by
Global Aktion, Denmark (www.globalaktion.dk)
in collaboration with Swazi Media Commentary (www.swazimedia.blogspot.com),
and sent to all with an interest in Swaziland - free of charge. The newsletter
and past editions are also available online on the Swazi Media Commentary
blogsite.
Tiny African country detaining five deported US
migrants asked Trump team for $500 million: report
By Alex Woodward, The Independent (UK), 1
September 2025
NEW YORK: A small African nation currently imprisoning five immigrants deported from the United States reportedly asked the Trump administration for half a billion dollars to detain them.
The administration resumed a
policy of deporting immigrant detainees to so-called third countries in July, starting with the tiny African nation of
Eswatini. Eswatini’s
government at one point requested millions of dollars in exchange, according to
documents reviewed by The
New York Times.
Those documents also show that
Eswatini was open to detaining 150 people from other nations for more than $10
million from the United States, the newspaper reported.
Eswatini diplomats told The Independent in
July that they
were blindsided by the Trump administration’s plan to send a group of men with
criminal convictions to their country; they had only learned about the flights
from social media.
Eswatini officials said they
plan to arrange for those detainees to be sent back to their countries of
origin, while activists in the country are challenging what they say is an
unconstitutional secret agreement with the Trump administration.
The Eswatini government said
the men “will be repatriated” and the United Nations International Organization
for Migration is working with the country to “facilitate the transit of these
inmates to their countries of origin.”
Nearly two months later, those
men remain imprisoned in Eswatini.
Officials there had also asked
whether the United States expected the deportees to be put on trial and
sentenced by local officials once they arrived, according to The Times.
The Independent has requested comment from Homeland Security,
Eswatini officials and the UN’s International Organization for Migration for
comment.
To read more of
this report, click here
See also
Swaziland ---
Lawyers for 5 men deported to an African prison accuse Trump’s program of
denying them due process (Associated Press, 2 September 2, 2025
eSwatini records
4000 new HIV infections annually
By Khulekile Mhlanga, Independent News,
eSwatini, 1 September 2025
MBABANE: During the NERCHA
Council Board unveiling prime minister, Russel Mmiso Dlamini reveled that
despite government efforts to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS, Eswatini still
records an estimated 4,000 new HIV infections every year, with most cases
occurring among young people, particularly adolescent girls and young
men.
Dlamini has called on the
nation to strengthen prevention efforts to curb the rising number of new of
infections.
Dlamini noted that the country
has reached the ambitious 95-95-95 UN Global Targets, which mark a significant
milestone in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Despite this progress, he
cautioned that the gains must be protected through sustained prevention strategies.
He further revealed that about
13% of people who are aware of their HIV-positive status are not yet on
treatment, stressing the urgent need to identify these individuals and ensure
they are linked to care.
Dlamini also raised concern
about the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among people
living with HIV as they age. He urged for an integrated response that addresses
both HIV and NCDs to improve long-term health outcomes for affected communities.
By Musa Mdluli, Swaziland News, 1 September,
2025
MATSAPHA: The life of Bacede
Mabuza, the convicted eSwatini pro-democracy Member of Parliament (MP) is
allegedly in danger inside prison.
Senior Correctional Services
officers told this Swaziland News alleged that, there’s a secret plot to
poison and then release the pro-democracy MP on parole amid international
pressure so that, he can die at home.
Mabuza is currently eating
prison food after the court allowed the Correctional Services authorities to
deprived him the right to eat own food.
“There’s a plot to poison and
then release him on parole amid international pressure”, said the senior
Correctional Services officer.
Phindile Dlamini, the
Commissioner General of the Correctional Services declined to comment.
On another note, the
Commissioner General opposed an application filed by MP Mabuza who wanted to
eat own food so that, he can eat prison food and be vulnerable to poisoning.
MP Bacede Mabuza was arrested
by the King Mswati’s regime merely for, demanding democracy in the tiny Kingdom
where political parties remain banned.
Political activists,
independent journalists, human rights defenders and pro-democracy MPs are
arrested, tortured or even killed for demanding democratic reforms.
Convicted pro-democracy MP Bacede Mabuza
Unions unhappy with salary review draft report
By Sibusiso Zwane, Times of eSwatini, 2
September 2025
MANZINI: Public Sector Unions
(PSUs) are not happy with the way the report adjusting their working conditions
was presented to them.
They said they had expected
government to outline the exact percentage that civil servants would get.
It is said that government
might need about E2.7 billion to implement the much-anticipated salary review
report.
According to the secretariat
of the PSUs, represented by the Swaziland National Association of Teachers
(SNAT) Secretary General, Lot Vilakati, this was revealed by the consultant
during their meeting held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Mbabane, yesterday.
The secretariat stated that
the PSUs first met at the Ministry of Public Service, and the consultant sent a
communiqué indicating that he could not meet with them yesterday. However, they
insisted that they would not leave without receiving the salary review report.
Eventually, they met with the consultant and the Government Negotiation Team
(GNT) at the hotel.
After that, the consultant
took them through the draft report.
Although they were expecting
to receive the report with figures regarding increments in salaries and
allowances, the consultant informed them that, in terms of positions, about 70
per cent of civil service positions would remain the same, while approximately
20 per cent would be upgraded and 17 per cent would be downgraded.
The secretariat was quick to
highlight that even if some positions were downgraded, the pay grade of the
workers in those positions would remain the same.
To read more of
this report, click here
By Musa Mdluli, Swaziland News, 29 August, 2025
MBABANE: Eswatini is facing high costs of water, electricity and other basic commodities and poor women in the rural areas remain the most affected.
Reacting to an article
published by this Swaziland News earlier on Friday, Colani Hlatjwako, the One
Billion Rising Africa Coordinator said, women remain the most affected by the
social challenges in eSwatini, a tiny Kingdom ruled by King Mswati as an absolute
Monarch.
It has been reported that,
Eswatini Water Services Corporation (EWSC) held a Management meeting this week
to discuss the possibilities of increasing water again.
“As you know water is a very
important resource for women, by the nature of our bodies we take a bath more
often and, we are expected to cook for the family. So with the expensive water,
women are the most affected. We are surprised to learn that the Water Services
wants to increase water again,” said the Coordinator of the women rights
organization.
Jabulile Mashwama, the
Managing Director of the Eswatini Water Services Corporation (EWSC) was not
immediately available for a comment.
Reached for comments by this Swaziland
News, Wandile Dludlu, the Deputy President of the People’s United
Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) accused the eSwatini Government of prioritizing
profits at the expense of life, Eswatini Water Services Corporation is a State-owned
company under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy.
“Water is life and therefore,
this basic commodity must be accessible. But in eSwatini, water is not
considered a source of life but used to generate profits. This Government does
not care for the welfare of emaSwati thus using water to generate profits at
the expense of life,” said the PUDEMO Deputy President.
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