Swaziland
Newsletter No. 914 – 13 February 2026
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.
War of words after eSwatini king hosts ex-Madagascar
leader
By AFP, 9 February 2026
MBABANE: Eswatini hit back on Monday at a furious response from Madagascar to
King Mswati III’s hosting of deposed president Andry Rajoelina on an official
visit, calling it a “misguided” attack.
The Times of Eswatini
carried pictures of the king shaking hands with Rajoelina on Friday in a report
that cited the monarch as saying the former leader’s ouster in October was
“unconstitutional”.
It appeared to be the first
time that Rajoelina was photographed at an official event since he fled the
Indian Ocean island after a military unit broke ranks and sided with a
weeks-long protest movement in which several people were killed.
The Times of Eswatini
reported that the king had consulted with the SADC regional bloc before the
meeting and afterwards “called upon all law enforcement agencies in Madagascar
to restore constitutional normalcy immediately”.
In response, Madagascar’s
interim authority led by Colonel Michael Randrianirina voiced its “strongest
condemnation” of the official meeting.
“This situation is of
particular gravity in so far as the individual concerned was serving as Head of
State during the tragic events of September and October 2025, which claimed the
lives of approximately 30 Malagasy citizens,” it said in a statement on social
media.
The king’s office responded
that Rajoelina had sought “intervention” from Mswati in his capacity as deputy
chairman of the Southern African Development Community ( SADC ) politics and
defence cooperation body.
He had not been seeking
“protection or intervention” from the kingdom, said director of communication
Percy Simelane.
The SADC politics organ is
calling for constitutional reform in Madagascar and “not a survival of the
fittest state of affairs” in which an army unit is in control, he said.
“The attack on the people of
Eswatini is therefore misguided and unfortunate,” he added.
The SADC in December directed the Madagascar authorities to submit by February
28 their roadmap towards a restoration of democracy, including fresh elections.
Randrianirina has pledged to
call new elections within two years of the revolt.
Rajoelina fled to a secret
location with the help of French forces after Randrianirina’s CAPSAT army unit
announced its support for protesters on October 14.
He was impeached by parliament, leading CAPSAT to declare it had taken power.
King Mswati III (R) with the
President of the Republic of Madagascar, Andry Rajoelina. (Picture from Times
of eSwatini)
See also
King demands restoration of
constitutional order in Madagascar (Times of eSwatini)
eSwatini: Student activist jailed under terrorism law:
Menzi Bongeka Bhembe
Amnesty International call for urgent action, 9
February 2026
Menzi Bongeka Bhembe, a
26-year-old university student and activist, was arrested on 16 January 2024
and charged under Eswatini’s 2008 Suppression of Terrorism Act. He has been
held in arbitrary detention for over two years in violation of due process guarantees,
in what appears to be a politically motivated attempt to suppress student
activism. Eswatini authorities must immediately and unconditionally release
Menzi Bongeka Bhembe and drop all charges against him as he is detained
solely for the peaceful exercise of his human rights.
Read more
https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/afr55/0681/2026/en/
eSwatini ranks among Africa’s most obese nations
By Sabelo Majola, Times of eSwatini, 10
February 2026
MBABANE: Eswatini’s position
among the top African countries with the highest percentage of adults
classified as obese has drawn renewed attention to a growing, but often
under-discussed public-health challenge.
Obesity is a chronic, complex
disease characterised by excessive body fat accumulation resulting from caloric
intake exceeding energy expenditure.
With an estimated 15.62 per
cent of adults living with obesity (BMI ≥30), the country ranks fourth on the
continent, behind only Egypt, Libya and Algeria. While the ranking may
appear surprising at first glance, health experts say it reflects broader
structural changes affecting many Southern African countries.
According to the report,
obesity in Eswatini is not simply the result of individual lifestyle choices,
but it is the outcome of a complex mix of economic, social and demographic
transitions that have reshaped how people eat, work and live over the past three
decades.
One of the most significant
drivers is what has been referred to as the ‘nutrition transition’.
As countries modernise and
urbanise, diets typically shift away from traditional foods such as whole
grains, legumes and locally produced vegetables towards highly processed,
energy-dense foods rich in fats, sugar and salt. These foods are often cheaper,
more accessible and aggressively marketed, particularly in urban areas. In
Eswatini, rapid retail expansion, growing fast-food availability and
cross-border food supply chains, especially from neighbouring South Africa,
have accelerated this dietary transformation.
Combined with declining levels
of physical activity, this shift has created an environment where weight gain
becomes increasingly common across all income groups.
Urbanisation has also played a
major role. As more citizens move into towns and cities or take up employment
in service-sector and office-based jobs, daily physical exertion declines
sharply compared to traditional agricultural or manual labour occupations.
It was also revealed that increased reliance on motorised transport, longer commuting times and more screen-based lifestyles further reduce physical activity.
Taiwan President William Lai Ching-te to attend King
Mswati’s forty (40) years on the Throne and Birthday double celebration, to
spend over R50million public funds
By Zweli Martin Dlamini, Swaziland News, 9
February 2026
MBABANE: William Lai Ching-te,
the Taiwan President, is highly expected to visit Eswatini for the upcoming
King Mswati’s forty (40) years on the Throne and fifty eighth (58th) Birthday
double celebration.
King Mswati will turn 58 years
on the 19th April 2026 but the date for the celebration is yet to be confirmed
by the King through Home Affairs Minister Princess Lindiwe.
It has been disclosed that,
the event will cost over R50million public funds and on Monday this week, a
logo for the double celebration was unveiled by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Efforts to reach King’s
Spokesperson Percy Simelane proved unsuccessful at the time of compiling this
report.
But Wandile Dludlu, the Deputy
President of the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) said, Taiwan will
be documented as part of those who joined King Mswati in the stealing of public
funds for the hosting of such extravagant events.
“We are clear about Mswati but
we will keep a strict record of all those who are joining him in the stealing
of the future of our children as emaSwati,” said the PUDEMO Deputy President.
See also
King Mswati’s
Spokesperson defends Monarch’s alleged upcoming extravagant forty (40) years on
the Throne celebration, says event to reflect on development while identifying
areas for improvement (Swaziland News)
http://swazilandnews.co.za/fundza.php?nguyiphi=11312
Three months later: e25m emergency medical tender
delivers nothing
By Sibusiso Dlamini, eSwatini Observer, 8
February 2026
Over three months after
government approved a single‑source E25 million emergency tender to prevent
shortages of critical medical supplies over the festive period, not a single
item has been delivered into the public health system.
Sources at Central Medical
Stores (CMS) confirmed yesterday that, as of this week, none of the suppliers
linked to the emergency contract have successfully delivered approved stock.
The confirmation means the
tender, justified in November as a life‑saving intervention to cushion
hospitals during manufacturers’ shutdowns, had failed entirely in its stated
objective.
The revelation deepens
questions around the use of emergency procurement in the health sector and
places renewed scrutiny on the ministry of health’s decision to bypass
competitive processes in favour of a single supplier, Pride Oasis (Pty) Ltd.
According to CMS officials
familiar with stock receipting and inspection procedures, no consignments
linked to the E25 million emergency tender have passed verification or been
accepted into inventory since the contract was approved by the Government Tender
Board on November 5, 2025.
The emergency tender was
authorised at the height of concerns that public hospitals would face shortages
of essential theatre consumables during the festive season, a period when many
international manufacturers close and supply chains slow.
At the time, the ministry of
health argued that delays associated with competitive procurement would expose
patients to unacceptable risk, necessitating immediate action.
Principal Secretary Khanya
Mabuzasa described the tender as a life‑saving measure, stating that the nature
of theatre supplies required certainty of availability and speed.
To read more of
this report, click here
https://eswatiniobserver.com/three-months-later-e25m-emergency-medical-tender-delivers-nothing/
SWAZI
MEDIA COMMENTARY
Find us:
Blog: https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/142383985790674
No comments:
Post a Comment