Swaziland Newsletter No. 952 – 13 November 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.
Youth unemployment: A ticking time bomb
Comment by Emmanuel Ndlangamandla, Times of
eSwatini, 9 November 2026
Eswatini’s youth unemployment
is a leading national emergency that requires urgent action from all sectors of
society.
The long, winding queues
wrapping around recruitment centres across Eswatini’s four regions tell a
sobering story of modern Eswatini. When over 2 000 desperate young men and
women queue up in a single region to apply for a handful of advertised
entry-level posts in the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS), it is no longer
just a routine recruitment exercise. It is a visual manifestation of a national
emergency.
Youth unemployment in Eswatini
sits at alarmingly high levels, with recent official data and global reports
estimating that over half of young emaSwati (ages 15–24) remain out of work.
For a nation where young people make up the bulk of the demographic structure,
this state of economic exclusion is quickly transforming from a socio-economic
strain into an existential threat.
The overwhelming turnout
during recruitment drives highlights three underlying realities of the Eswatini
labour market:
There is a distorted demand vs
supply. Thousands of university graduates, vocational certificate holders and
high school leavers are competing for jobs that require basic entry
qualifications. When degree holders apply for general constable positions, it
signals severe underemployment and a structural mismatch between education
outputs and market needs.
There is over-reliance on
public sector employment. This is due to the fact that Eswatini’s private
sector remains constrained by high operating costs, limited access to capital
and modest regional expansion. As a result, government remains the perceived
primary employer, carrying a burden it cannot sustain indefinitely.
Surveys, including data from
Afrobarometer, reveal that half of young emaSwati have actively considered
emigrating in search of livelihoods abroad due to dissatisfaction with local
economic conditions.
Characterising youth
unemployment as a ‘ticking time bomb’ is not sensationalism; it is a reality.
We have recently seen thousands graduating from various institutions of higher
learning, where graduates were conferred degrees and diplomas. Eswatini has in
recent years expanded training institutions that have churned out graduates in
various fields of study. To this end, thousands of new youths enter the
workforce each year without corresponding job creation, which has heightened
frustration among the youth.
This crisis results in social
vulnerability where prolonged inactivity and a lack of hope in finding a job
fuel substance abuse, mental health struggles and rising crime rates across
urban and semi-urban centres. Tragically, some resort to suicide as they lose
hope. Unfortunately, government also ends up being a loser too, as a large
unemployed demographic narrows the national tax base and stifles domestic
consumption, limiting broader economic growth.
 |
Aspiring
police officers queue along the roadside from Futhi’s to Buy Cash Hardware in
Siteki on the second day of the Royal Eswatini Police Service recruitment
exercise. (Pic: Mukelo Magagula)
To read more of
this commentary, click here
https://times.co.sz/48127/comments/youth-unemployment-a-ticking-time-bomb/
eSwatini gives illegal foreign businesses 12 months to
leave
By Ondiro Oganga, BBC, 11 November 2026
Businesses owned by Asian
nationals are being closed across Eswatini, previously known as Swaziland, as
the government cracks down on foreign-owned enterprises.
It follows parliament’s
approval of a law that seeks to increase ownership and participation by
emaSwati, as citizens of the kingdom are known.
The legislation comes after
complaints from local traders that foreign-owned businesses are encroaching on
traditional retail markets, increasing competition and threatening livelihoods.
South Africa has witnessed
more severe enforcement action, including raids, arrests and the disruption of
foreign-run informal businesses, while Kenya has also stepped up action against
foreign traders.
Eswatini is a small landlocked
kingdom in southern Africa, led by absolute monarch King Mswati III, where
about 70% of its population live below the poverty line.
Those angered by economic
hardships have become increasingly vocal in demanding political reform.
Pro-democracy protests broke
out in 2021- and the royal family has faced criticism by activists for its
extravagant spending as many emaSwati with a job work in neighbouring South
Africa and send their earnings home.
The government says the new
law is intended to expand economic opportunities, amid concerns that poverty
and hunger could fuel further political unrest.
But the implementation of the
Citizen Economic Empowerment Act has sparked a heated debate in Eswatini’s
parliament, with MPs divided over how quickly foreign businesses owners should
be required to leave.
On Tuesday, Mbabane East MP
Welcome Dlamini said that officials from the trade ministry had already begun
enforcing the law by closing Asian-owned shops.
Hhohho Regional MP Tanele
Magagula called for immediate action, saying: “Businesses owned by foreigners
in the rural areas must be seized immediately.”
Dlamini questioned whether
local entrepreneurs were ready to take over the businesses, arguing that
foreigners should be given time to train their successors.
“Why can’t we give the Asians
or foreigners at least three years before ‘kicking them’ out so that emaSwati
can learn to run the businesses?” he asked.
To read more of
this report, click here
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm4gnq2pw2kro
Delay in the processing of payments for Government
suppliers destroying families
By Zweli Martin Dlamini, Swaziland News, 10 November
2026
MBABANE: Government’s delay in
processing payments for suppliers has allegedly destroyed families, some
financially struggling businesspeople have been divorced by their wives amid
failure to provide.
But this disclosure comes
after this Swaziland News conducted an investigation and the
investigation was triggered by a Ministry of Home Affairs Second Quarter
Performance Report tabled by Acting Home Affairs Minister Senator Pholile
Dlamini-Shakantu in Parliament last month.
The Home Affairs Second
Quarter Performance Report suggests that, two hundred and one (201) divorce
related marriage-certificate expungements were processed between July and
September 2026, adding that, eighty-seven (87) cases were recorded in July,
fifty (50) in August and sixty-four (64) in September.
But the Ministry of Home
Affairs Report tabled in Parliament further “indicates that, the divorce cases
escalated thirty-seven (37) higher than the one hundred and sixty-four (164)
cases reported for the preceding quarter, covering April to June 2026”.
An independent investigation
conducted by this publication uncovered names of some prominent and little
known businesspeople who were allegedly divorced by their wives but further
research suggests that, the marriages started to experience challenges after
the husbands whose names cannot be revealed for ethical reasons, failed to
provide for their respective families.
Nonhlanhla Dlamini is the
Executive of the Eswatini Action Group Against Abuse (SWAGAA), she told this
Swaziland News on Tuesday afternoon that, “financial stress is one of the
biggest causes of divorce” adding that it destroys trust and love.
“The high number of divorce
cases in the country is of great concern and particularly among government
suppliers whose livelihoods have been affected by delayed payments. Many of our
suppliers are small business owners. They use their own money, they take loans
from banks, and they borrow from families to deliver goods and services to
Government, trusting that they will be paid. When payment is delayed for
months, they are left in debt, their businesses collapse, and their homes
become places of stress instead of peace. Financial stress is one of the
biggest causes of divorce. It destroys families , it destroys trust, and it
destroys love”, said the SWAGAA Executive Director.
The SWAGAA Executive Director
appealed to Government “to urgently prioritize the payment of suppliers.
“This is not just an economic
issue, it is a moral and family issue. To the couples who are struggling: Do
not suffer in silence. Talk to someone, talk to your Pastor, talk to a
counsellor, talk to a trusted person. Do not let a temporary financial problem
destroy a lifetime commitment”, she said.
See also
Finance Minister
Neal Rijikernberg vigorously working towards paying all Government suppliers
this month (Swaziland News)
https://swazilandnews.co.za/articles/40555
UK Statement at eSwatini’s Universal Periodic Review
at the Human Rights Council in Geneva
9 November 2026
The United Kingdom recognises
Eswatini’s progress on human rights issues since its last UPR review, which
followed the violent response against protesters during civil unrest earlier
that year. We welcome the improved social stability in Eswatini and encourage
the government to develop a proportionate approach towards protests, in line
with international human rights law, to facilitate this important form of
freedom of expression.
We remain concerned that
levels of violence against women and girls in Eswatini remain high, and LGBT+
people continue to face discrimination and harassment.
The UK recommends
that Eswatini:
Decriminalises consensual
same-sex sexual conduct and takes effective measures to eliminate
discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, including by
ensuring LGBT+ rights groups and organisations are able to register and operate
freely.
Strengthens legislation and
penalties for acts of violence against women and girls, and increases public
awareness and community engagement to help prevent and reduce its prevalence.
Formally abolishes the death
penalty, giving legal effect to its abolitionist posture, and commutes all
existing death sentences.
King appoints first female acting CJ
By Sibusiso Tsabedze, eSwatini Observer, 11
November 2026
 |
King Mswati
III has appointed Judge Mumcy Dlamini as acting Chief Justice
His Majesty King Mswati III
has appointed High Court Judge Mumcy Dlamini as the country’s first female
acting Chief Justice, marking a historic milestone for Eswatini’s Judiciary.
Dlamini becomes the first
woman to occupy the nation’s highest judicial office following the death of
Chief Justice Bheki Maphalala, who passed away while receiving medical
treatment in South Africa.
Her appointment also places
her among a small number of women who have risen to the highest judicial
leadership position on the African continent.
She is described as the sixth
female Chief Justice in Africa.
The appointment was announced
by Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Prince Simelane during a
media briefing held at the Supreme Court boardroom yesterday. The event was
attended by members of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), Civil Service
Commission (CSC) Chairman Simanga Mamba, Attorney General Sifiso Khumalo,
Dlamini’s family members and the media.
Following the announcement,
Dlamini was then sworn-in as acting CJ in a ceremony presided over by the
attorney general.
She took the oath of
allegiance and the oath of office in accordance with Section 143 and the Second
Schedule of the Constitution.
The appointment comes nearly
two months after the death of Maphalala, leaving the Judiciary without its
substantive head.
Mamba welcomed the appointment
and thanked the attorney general for initiating and supporting the inauguration
of Dlamini as acting CJ. Speaking on behalf of the CSC, Mamba said the
appointment was an important development for the Judiciary. “We are happy that
we now have a leader in the Judiciary,” he said.
He made the remarks while
welcoming Minister Prince Simelane to the podium.
In congratulating Dlamini, the
minister said the appointment came with enormous responsibilities and
challenges, but encouraged her to remain strong as she assumed the leadership
position. He used biblical references to explain the significance of the king’s
decision, saying the challenges ahead should not discourage her because she had
been entrusted with an important responsibility. “His Majesty has assigned you
a huge and not easy task,” he said, referring to the Siswati expression, “Inkhosi
ikubulele.”
The minister also invoked the
biblical principle that what is blessed on earth is also blessed in heaven. “What
has been blessed by His Majesty has also been blessed by God in heaven,” he
said.
To read more of
this report, click here
https://www.eswatiniobserver.com/king-appoints-first-female-acting-cj/
Minister Maseko humanizes fight for HIV access
By Sicelo Maziya, eSwatini Positive News, 9
November 2026
MBABANE: Commemorating World
AIDS Day has become one of the critical milestones in the national calendar,
demanding deepest reflection and unified resolve – and this year, Government
says the fight hinges on one word: Access.
Under the theme “Ending AIDS
in Eswatini Starts with Access,” Minister of Public Service Mabulala Maseko led
the Ministry’s commemoration at uMlamuli Building, anchoring his address on
both policy and painful human reality.
His Majesty’s Government has
fully embraced the theme because, while science has provided robust therapeutic
and preventive tools, their efficacy depends entirely on availability to every
citizen.
“Access is the bridge that
translates medical innovation into human survival,” Minister Maseko said.
In an emotional moment that
brought the theme home, the Minister shared the story of a woman who came to
his office just last week seeking employment. The woman revealed that her
entire family is HIV positive, and while she is on ART, there is no food at
home.
“Taking the drugs on an empty
stomach is a challenge for all,” Maseko said, highlighting how poverty
undermines access even when medication is available.
The Minister said access must
mean dismantling economic, geographic, socio-cultural and bureaucratic barriers
to ensure testing, counselling, PrEP and ART are universally accessible,
equitable and free of stigma.
To read more of
this report, click here
See also
DPM calls for
stronger HIV domestic funding (eSwatini Positive News)
https://eswatinipositivenews.online/dpm-calls-for-stronger-hiv-domestic-funding/
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