Swaziland
Newsletter No. 918 – 13 March 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.
Ministers defend role in budget, dismiss interference
claims
By Ntombi Mhlongo, Times of eSwatini, 6 March
2026
LOBAMBA: Cabinet ministers
have come out strongly to defend their role in the national budget formulation
process.
This emerged yesterday during
the debate of the Report of the Finance Committee on Deliberations with the
minister for Finance on the Appropriations for the 2025/26 and 2026/27
Financial Years, which was tabled in Parliament last Friday.
First to speak was Minister
for Labour and Social Security Phila Buthelezi, who defended the Executive
against claims that it is interfering in the National Budget process.
Buthelezi said there was no
way the budget process could be conducted solely by technocrats until its
conclusion without input from other stakeholders.
He said the fact that Members
of Parliament (MPs) had made their voices heard by demanding an increase in
elderly grants was in itself a sign that they were contributing to the process.
Buthelezi further said it
would not benefit the country if the minister for Finance, after consulting
Cabinet, made resolutions on the budget only for another minister to go before
the Finance Committee and make separate demands.
Notably, before the start of
the debate, Buthelezi sought clarity on whether adopting the report would
undermine the powers of the Ministry of Finance Portfolio Committee.
In particular, he asked what
would happen if the Finance Committee made resolutions on certain allocations
that the portfolio committee might not agree with.
The clarification sought by
the minister resulted in a back-and-forth exchange with the Chairperson of the
Finance Committee and Lobamba Lomdzala MP Marwick Khumalo, who repeatedly
explained that the practice had existed for some time.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet defence
continued with Minister for Public Works and Transport Chief Ndlaluhlaza
Ndwandwe, who said the budget formulation process is a difficult period for
everyone involved.
Ndwandwe said this was because
everyone had heard the Speech from the Throne and the concerns raised by
citizens during Sibaya.
“We have heard what the people
are saying. We have heard the advice of economists and the private sector on
what needs to be done to develop our economy. It is a lot. Ministries appear
before the Public Budgeting Committee and give it a headache. The process then
goes to Cabinet, and all of this is done to ensure that we get it right. It is
not easy,” he said.
To read more of
this report, click here
See also
Budget process is
flawed – PM (eSwatini Observer)
https://eswatiniobserver.com/eswatini-budget-process-flawed-prime-minister/
Budget is approved
by Cabinet – PM (eSwatini Positive News)
https://eswatinipositivenews.online/budget-is-approved-by-cabinet-pm/
Three men deported by US file legal case against eSwatini
over detention
By Rachel Savage, Guardian (UK), 5
March 2026
Three men deported by the US
to Eswatini –
rather than their home countries – have filed a case against Eswatini’s
government with the African Union’s human rights body, claiming their detention
was an unlawful violation of their rights.
Two of the claimants, from
Cuba and Yemen, have been in prison in Eswatini, formerly Swaziland, for eight months. The third, Orville Etoria, was repatriated to his home country, Jamaica, in September.
They were among a group of
five men deported by the US in July, with another 10 sent in October. Other than Etoria, all remained in prison in
Eswatini, their lawyers said.
The US has labelled the men
dangerous criminals but their lawyers said they have already served their
sentences for any crimes committed in the US.
The men’s complaint was filed
with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), an African Union body that monitors
member states’ compliance with regional human rights agreements.
The commission can demand that
states uphold rights and refer cases to the African court on human and peoples’
rights, but neither body has enforcement powers.
Beatrice Njeri, a lawyer with
the Global Strategic Litigation Council, one of the organisations that brought the case on
the deportees’ behalf, said: “The people in detention have committed no crime
[in Eswatini] and continue to undergo various human rights violations … they
are being held indefinitely.”
Njeri said the men had still
not been allowed to see their lawyers in person. She said one detainee had gone
on a 30-day hunger strike late last year, resulting in signs of organ failure.
“They’re totally frustrated
with the situation,” she said. “They just want to go back – some of them home,
some of them to the US.”
Thabile Mdluli, a spokesperson
for Eswatini’s government, said: “The Kingdom of Eswatini reiterates its
longstanding commitment to upholding human rights and its obligations under
regional and international frameworks.
To read more of
this report, click here
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/05/three-men-deported-us-eswatini-legal-case-detention
See also
United States
deportees take Eswatini to the African Commission for Human and People’s Rights
(ACHPR) citing human rights violations (Swaziland News)
http://www.swazilandnews.co.za/fundza.php?nguyiphi=11533
DPM warns: Stop violating young boys
By Brian Mabuza, eSwatini Observer, 10
March 2026
Deputy Prime Minister
(DPM) Thulisile Dladla has revealed a growing number of cases
involving the sexual violation of young boys, with minors allegedly being
abused by adults.
Speaking during a press
briefing at the DPM’s office boardroom yesterday, Dladla strongly condemned the
acts, describing them as disgraceful and destructive to the livelihoods of the
affected children.
She expressed deep concern
over cases reported to her office, highlighting that children must be protected
from all forms of abuse to safeguard their physical and emotional wellbeing.
According to the DPM, some of
the victims were as young as nine years old. The severity of certain cases
required urgent intervention from her office to provide support to affected
children. Survivors had in some instances sustained serious injuries, necessitating
provision of basic necessities, including diapers, due to physical trauma.
“These are extremely painful
situations,” Dladla said, emphasising that the impact of abuse extends far
beyond physical harm, often leaving children with deep emotional and
psychological scars affecting their development and future wellbeing.
Dladla specifically warned gay
adults against targeting or influencing minors. She stressed that adults’
personal lifestyles must remain among consenting adults and must never involve
children.
“If people want to be gay,
they should do so among themselves and with other consenting adults,” she said.
Children, she noted, are innocent and vulnerable, and exposing them to abuse
places them at serious risk of lifelong trauma.
To read more of
this report, click here
https://eswatiniobserver.com/deputy-pm-dladla-stop-child-abuse/
See also
35 boys sexually
abused in 2025 – SWAGAA (eSwatini Observer)
https://eswatiniobserver.com/35-boys-sexually-abused-in-2025-swagaa/
Soccer legends join GBV fight
By Nompumelelo Mhlanga, Times of eSwatini, 9
March 2026
MBABANE: Former football stars
have partnered with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to combat
gender-based violence (GBV).
The partnership was launched
on Monday, March 9, 2026, when the Deputy Prime Minister and former players
unveiled a nationwide prevention campaign aimed at engaging men and boys.
The initiative, rolled out
with the Umhluma Women and Youth Foundation, will use sport to spread anti-GBV
messages and promote gender equality.
Deputy Prime Minister Thuli
Dladla said the campaign forms part of the office’s Gender-Based Violence
Action Plan adopted in 2023, which emphasises involving men and boys in
prevention efforts through sport and community activities.
She said football tournaments,
walks and other sporting events would be held across the country to encourage
men and boys to take an active role in ending violence against women and girls.
While statistics often
identify men and boys as the main perpetrators of violence, Dladla said the
campaign aimed to encourage them to become agents of change and champions of
gender equality.
“Involving men and boys helps
challenge harmful social norms and promotes values such as respect, empathy and
accountability,” she said.
Umhluma Women and Youth
Foundation Executive Director Lungelo Zulu said the campaign would start with a
town-to-town outreach programme, where partners and former football stars will
travel around the country spreading anti-GBV messages.
The outreach will culminate in
a one-day soccer tournament in May at Mavuso Sports Centre in the Manzini
Region.
Teams will feature former
players from traditional clubs including Manzini Wanderers, Mbabane Swallows,
Mbabane Highlanders, Moneni Pirates and Denver Sundowns.
Zulu said the tournament would
rotate between regions annually to sustain the campaign.
He added that public transport
operators had also joined the initiative to amplify the message. Women
Unlimited will supply bibs carrying anti-GBV messages for operators to wear
throughout the campaign.
Several organisations pledged
support during the launch. Instacash will provide jerseys for the legends,
while other partners include Ant Construction, Orchard Insurance, Cardo Square,
SOS Children’s Villages, Viva Water, the Stukie Motsa Foundation and the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Zulu said although civil
society groups had called for GBV to be declared a national disaster, campaigns
like this were vital in sustaining prevention efforts.
Representatives of the
football legends and partner organisations also stressed the importance of
involving men in conversations about violence, noting that football was a
powerful platform to bring men together.
Dladla welcomed the
initiative, saying former players would serve as role models for young boys,
particularly those growing up in communities where violence may be normalised.
She also praised the inclusion
of transport operators, saying the campaign would help remind men of their
responsibilities within families and communities.
Former football stars have partnered with the Office of the Deputy Prime
Minister to combat gender-based violence (GBV)
Govt calls for greater opportunities for women
By Adekunle Owolabi, Independent News
eSwatini, 12 March 2026
MATSAPHA: Women leaders
from across Eswatini gathered at Esibayeni Lodge on Wednesday for the Eswatini
Women’s Dialogue 2026, where government and development partners discussed
advancing women’s leadership, economic empowerment and justice.
The engagement formed part of
activities marking International Women’s Day and brought together
representatives from different sectors to examine ways of promoting the rights
of women and girls in the country.
Acting Deputy Prime Minister
Jane Mkhonta-Simelane addressed the gathering and spoke about the role women
continue to play in the country’s social and economic development.
She said empowering women
contributes directly to stronger families, resilient communities and national
progress.
“When women are given
opportunities to lead, learn, and participate fully in the economy, the entire
country benefits. I would like to reaffirm government’s commitment to promoting
gender equality, expanding opportunities for women, and ensuring their voices
and leadership continue to shape a more inclusive and prosperous country,” the
ADPM said.
Participants also discussed
collaboration between men and women as a key element in advancing gender
equality.
Colani Nhleko, Country
Coordinator for SAFAIDS, told delegates that partnerships between men and women
remain necessary in strengthening women’s leadership in society.
He noted that “men need to
hold hands with women as accelerating women’s leadership is both timely and
urgent.”
The European Union also took
part in the dialogue. Jose Becerra Marta spoke about the role women play in
sustaining households and communities.
“Investing in women is imperative to build inclusive societies. Women play an important role in supporting households and communities to achieve food security, generate income and improve livelihoods,” he said.
See also
Let’s allow women
to wear pants in parly – MP (eSwatini Observer)
https://eswatiniobserver.com/mp-calls-women-pants-parliament-eswatini/
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