Swaziland Newsletter No. 905 – 28
November 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.
By
Bongiwe Dlamini, Swaziland News, 26 November, 2025
MATSAPHA: One Billion Rising Eswatini,
together with partners, officially launched the One Billion Rising 2026 and
kicked the sixteen (16) Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV)
with a bold Street & Factory Campaign at Union Market-Matsapha this week,
taking the message of justice, safety, and dignity directly to the affected
people.
The One Billion Rising 2026 theme; “RISING
FOR OUR BODIES, OUR EARTH, OUR FUTURE,” speaks to our collective power and
responsibility.
Speaking to this Swaziland News
this week, Colani Hlatjwako, the One Billion Rising Coordinator said during the
official launch, women danced, spoke, listened, and shared stories of strength
with factory workers.
“We raised awareness about GBV and stood
in solidarity with survivors whose voices continue to fuel this movement. The
partners included: Queer Women’s Network, Youth and Women Up, Matsapha Town
Council, Abandoned Voice Org, Journey of Hope for Women and Girls Eswatini and
University students”, said the One Billion Rising Eswatini Coordinator.
One Billion Rising, partners officially launch 2026 campaign and 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence (pic: supplied)
EU
helping to address mental health, gender inequality issues in eSwatini
By Press
and information team of the Delegation to eSwatini, 26 November 2025
Disadvantaged youth and women will be at
the centre of a newly-launched project, ‘Khetsimphilo – Choose Life’, a
programme that seeks to address issues of mental
health and gender inequality in Eswatini.
The project, co-funded by the European
Union (EU) and implemented by Baphalali Eswatini Red Cross Society and the
Finnish Red Cross, is worth EUR 4.2 million (approx. SZL 84 million) and will
be implemented for the next three years in all four regions of the country,
covering 20 constituency centres.
Launched on 26 November 2025 in Mbabane,
the project’s main objectives are to empower these disadvantaged youth and
women to improve their economic and social inclusion; strengthen
community-level mental health services and psychosocial support; promote gender
equality through reduced school dropouts, support youth reintegration, GBV
prevention and response, sexual and reproductive health and rights awareness.
In addition, the project will support the inclusion of marginalised groups such
as persons with disability as well as foster community ownership and resilience
through inclusive, locally grounded approaches.
Speaking during this launch, EU Head of
Cooperation, Eva-Maria Engdahl, said this project was part of the EU’s current
partnership with Eswatini covering the period: 2021 – 2027, which focuses on
human development and social inclusion.
She said the project will be implemented
under the empowerment of disadvantaged youth and women in vulnerable
situations, one of the two components of the partnership.
Many attendees during the launch,
including the office of the Deputy Prime Minister (DPM), welcomed and
appreciated the project, saying it has come at the right time when many
Emaswati, particularly the youth, were facing a lot of mental issues. Statistics
suggests that at least 400 000 young people in Eswatini are not involved in any
form of economic activity, hence they may be facing mental health challenges.
Woman
sentenced to five years for abortion
By Sibusiso
Tsabedze, eSwatini Observer, 26 November 2025
A 30-year-old woman of Mankayane has been
sentenced to five years imprisonment after she was found guilty of unlawfully
terminating a pregnancy.
Lenhle Ngwenya appeared before Principal
Magistrate Fikile Nhlabatsi at the Mbabane Magistrate’s Court, where she
entered a plea of guilty to the charge of concealment of birth. Her attorney
confirmed the plea and informed the court that the accused wished to accept
responsibility for her actions.
According to the charge sheet, on November
2 at Fonteyn, Ngwenya, who is not a medical practitioner, wrongfully and
unlawfully terminated a pregnancy by using an unknown substance, thereby
contravening the provisions of the law relating to abortion.
Ngwenya was first brought to court shortly
after her arrest and was granted bail fixed at E2 000 under the normal bail
conditions.
During yesterday’s appearance, the Crown
applied to hand in the RSP 88 form as evidence and subsequently closed its
case. Her attorney also moved an application to close the defence case, as
Ngwenya did not wish to dispute any of the facts.
During mitigation, her attorney pleaded
for leniency, highlighting Ngwenya’s circumstances and cooperation with the
court.
“The accused pleaded guilty at the
earliest opportunity and did not waste the court’s time, which shows remorse,”
the attorney submitted.
He further noted that Ngwenya is a
first-time offender, a mother of three young children who depend entirely on
her, and she is currently unemployed. The attorney also conveyed the accused’s
assurance that she would not commit a similar offence in future.
After considering the submissions,
Principal Magistrate Nhlabatsi sentenced Ngwenya to five years imprisonment
with an option of E5 000 fine. Immediately after sentencing, the attorney
applied for the E2 000 bail previously paid to be converted as part of the
fine. The court granted the request.
Govt
sets tight budget ceilings as ministries prepare for budget
By
Khulile Thwala, Times of Swaziland, 25 November 2025
MBABANE: Government has set strict budget
ceilings for all ministries and departments in the upcoming 2026/27 national
budget.
This signals a year of controlled
expenditure as the country seeks to balance service delivery with fiscal
discipline. The ceilings, issued through the latest Budget Call Circular,
outline how much each ministry is allowed to allocate across wage, non-wage and
transfer lines and the figures show both continuity and tightened
prioritisation across sectors.
The Budget Call Circular is traditionally
the official instruction manual for ministries as they begin drafting budget
proposals. It spells out ceilings, policy priorities and reminders on
compliance with procurement and reporting standards. According to the circular,
this year it continues to emphasise fiscal prudence, with ministries encouraged
to ‘focus on core mandates’ and avoid unnecessary spending. Meanwhile, as has
become the norm in recent years, the Ministry of Education and Training is
expected to receive the largest share of funding, with a ceiling of E4.39
billion.
The bulk of this over E3.4 billion, is
allocated to wages, mainly for teachers and support staff, while transfers
amount to E860.6 million.
However, education officials are expected
to maintain strict financial management, particularly in non-wage areas, which
remain considerably lower than wage costs. Ministries have been instructed to
ensure that spending plans account for operational realities without creating
new financial obligations. Furthermore, the Ministry of Health is the
second-highest as service pressures rise. With a ceiling of E2.98 billion, the
circular reveals that E1.14 billion has been allocated for wages, while a
substantial E1.41 billion is earmarked for non-wage expenditure, reflecting the
ministry’s heavy reliance on supplies, pharmaceutical needs and operational
costs. The health sector also receives E417.4 million in transfers. This
allocation comes at a time when health facilities continue to face pressure
from high demand, supply shortages and ongoing reform needs.
Businessman
targets eSwatini journalists with $9.9M lawsuit
By Micah
Reddy, ICIJ, 20 November 2025
The founding director of Eswatini’s
Farmers Bank has accused Swazi Bridge, a news outlet operating in exile, of
defamation in a nearly $10 million lawsuit press freedom advocates have
labelled “abusive.”
In the lawsuit, Farmers Bank and its
founder, John Asfar, claim that Swazi Bridge published a series of defamatory
articles about alleged irregularities in the acquisition of the bank’s licence
“with absolutely no evidence” and “without hearing the Plaintiffs’ side.”
Asfar is a real estate developer and the
former owner of the Canadian hotel chain Travellers Inn, which filed for
bankruptcy in 2009. He featured in ICIJ’s 2024 Swazi
Secrets investigation, a collaboration with
seven media partners based on a leaked trove of documents from the Eswatini
Financial Intelligence Unit.
Asfar has been at the center of a battle
for control of Farmers Bank, which struggled to get off the ground amid a
tussle with the Central Bank of Eswatini over its license and alleged political
pressure to force the regulator’s hand. Swazi Secrets revealed that officials
at the central bank were concerned about who ultimately controlled the new
venture and its source of funds.
Swazi Bridge’s reporting, published
between 2023 and 2025, includes details
of the same licensing dispute.
Asfar has accused the outlet of “exhibiting an ulterior motive” and seeking to
prevent Farmers Bank from operating in the tiny landlocked country, according
to court records.
In a June letter, sent less than two
months after the lawsuit was filed at a court in Eswatini’s capital of Mbabane,
lawyers for Asfar and Farmers Bank proposed a settlement in which ownership of
Swazi Bridge would be transferred to their clients. They also demanded the
outlet retract the series of articles.
The lawyers warned that if Swazi Bridge
did not agree to those terms, they would seek an injunction “followed by other
punitive relief and costs.” They also threatened to have Swazi Bridge
investigated for “domestic and/or foreign terrorism,” claiming “the commercial
banking sector is a matter of national security.”
Swazi Bridge’s lawyers rejected the
settlement terms, writing: “Our client would like to make it unequivocally
clear that it is not for sale and will not, under any circumstances, surrender
its institutional identity, editorial independence, or ownership rights.”
To read more of this report, click
here
Citizens
say climate change is making life in eSwatini worse, demand stronger action
from government, developed countries
Afrobarometer
news release, 24 November 2025
Among nearly half of Emaswati who are
aware of climate change, most say it is making life in their country
worse, a new Afrobarometer survey reveals. Large majorities call for immediate
action from the government and developed countries to limit its effects.
Nearly half of climate-change-aware
citizens assign primary responsibility for fighting climate change to rich
or developed countries, while roughly one-fourth say their own government must
take the lead.
Among all respondents, more than eight in
10 express support for pressuring rich countries to provide resources to
help Eswatini deal with changes in weather conditions. Large majorities of
citizens endorse investing in wind and solar technologies, even if it increases
the price of electricity, and in infrastructure to increase resilience to
floods and droughts.
In substantial numbers, Emaswati report
having to adjust their lives in response to changing weather patterns in
the past five years, including about three in 10 who say they have had
to use less water or change water sources, change the types of crops they
plant or the foods they eat, and reduce or reschedule outdoor work.
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