Swaziland Newsletter No. 884 – 4 July
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.
eSwatini grapples with escalating GBV crisis
By Mandisa Mdluli, Times of eSwatini, print
edition (edited), 1 July 2025
MBABANE – An infant aged four
was raped by her 86-year-old grandfather at Mankayane.
The infant was reportedly
sexually violated by the grandfather behind a shack while at Deda, Mankayane,
on Thursday. The perpetrator of the sexual violence has since been arrested.
The minor was one of the 13 people sexually violated in the past week.
In the wee hours of Friday, a
woman aged 23 of KaLanga, Mpaka, was said to have been sexually violated inside
a car, without protection and by someone known to her. In a community within
Mpaka, on the same day, a teenager (16) of Dvokodvweni was reportedly forced
into sexual intercourse without a condom by an unknown person while she was
inside a house at Mpaka.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, a
teenager (14) was said to have been raped by her step-father, who is 42 years
while at Mahlabatsini, Matsapha. Also, two women, aged 22 and 20 respectively,
both from Phumlamcashi, reported being forced into sexual intercourse at
knifepoint inside a house.
Two suspects have since been
arrested and charged in connection with this case, while between May and June
2025, a 22-year-old was arrested for statutory rape of a 17-year-old..
A woman aged 21 from Nkhaba
was said to have reported being raped once, without a condom, by a known
individual inside a house at Nkhaba.
At Logoba, a teenager, aged
15, was reportedly raped once without the use of a condom by her step-parent
inside a house. The suspect in this case has not yet been arrested, while in
the same area, another girl aged 14 was said to have been raped once without
the use of a condom inside a house by a known individual. The suspect has not
yet been apprehended.
These sexual violations are
against the backdrop of a gender-based violence (GBV) crisis which this
publication reported that there were five children murdered, 312 raped, 20
sexually assaulted, 67 domestically abused since the beginning of the year.
This horrid reality,
compounded by an increase in intimate partner violence, signals a deep societal
breakdown that demands urgent and collective intervention, according to a press
statement released by the Deputy Prime Minister (DPM), Thulisile Dladla.
In the communiqué, Dladla said
the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) reports that between January and May
this year, a total of 540 cases of GBV against children have been recorded.
She said these include 89
cases against children below the age of five, 103 cases against children aged
6-11 years old and a distressing 384 cases affecting adolescents aged 1217
years old.
Dladla condemned the senseless
killings and highlighted the broader severity of the situation with blunt
statistics. She said the National Surveillance Report of 2024, alongside data
from the REPS (DCS Unit), reveals an overwhelming 14 308 reported cases of GBV
in 2024 alone.
Of these, 3 336 cases targeted
children under 18 years old, while a vast majority, 9 690, were perpetrated
against women. Dladla said this data emphasises the growing severity of GBV in
the country and it was further confirmed by daily media headlines reporting on
these gruesome acts of violence.
…
One of the most alarming
aspects of these reports is the revelation that several survivors were
allegedly raped by individuals familiar to them. At Lomahasha, a 19-year-old
woman reported on May 20, 2025 that she was forced into sexual intercourse by
her own cousin. This incident, occurring within a residential setting, raised
serious questions about safety within perceived secure environments and the
betrayal of trust.
Siphofaneni also recorded two
deeply troubling cases that highlighted the pervasive nature of this crime and
the vulnerability of young girls. In one instance, reported on May 20, 2025, a
12-year-old was allegedly subjected to repeated sexual intercourse by a known
person over an extended period, from February 2024 to May 2025.
This timeline of abuse,
spanning over a year, indicates a horrific, prolonged ordeal for the young
survivor. Another report from Siphofaneni, also on May 20, 2025 detailed an
11-year-old girl being raped by an unknown individual in January 2025 within a house.
While the perpetrator is unknown in this instance, the setting again points to
a violation occurring in what should be a safe space.
In Gege, a 13-year-old girl
was reportedly raped by a known person in a wattle forest on May 19, 2025.
Fortunately, a suspect was arrested in this case on the subsequent day.
Authorities fail to make progress in addressing dismal
state of the independence of judges and lawyers
International Commission of Jurists, 30 June 2025
Four months on from the
publication of the ICJ’s report on attacks on the legal profession, and after
multiple expressions of concern relating to the state of judicial and legal
independence by the UN Special Rapporteur on judges and lawyers, Eswatini has
failed to take concrete measures to address the crumbling state of rule of law
in the country.
The ICJ’s report, No Situation
is Permanent” – Repression, Intimidation, Harassment and Killing of Lawyers in
Eswatini, underscored
that lawyers, particular those taking human rights cases and cases in public
interest, face immense obstacles in operating independently in the country.
The UN Special Rapporteur has
conveyed similar concerns to the Eswatini authorities, most recently in a communication issued on 7 April, pointing to reports she had
received of regular and targeted attacks on lawyers, including killings and
attempted killings. Prominent among these is the extrajudicial
killing of human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko, regarding which there has so far not been an
effective investigation, nor have those responsible been held to account.
According to Eswatini human
rights lawyer Mzwandile Masuku: “the UN Special Rapporteur’s communication
raises pertinent issues that we as Eswatini lawyers have repeatedly raised with
the authorities to no avail. The government’s apparent lack of response to the
communication is disappointing”.
The ICJ is also concerned at
the relative passivity of the Law Society of Eswatini in performing its
statutory mandate to protect the rule of law and secure the independence of
lawyers.
“The Law Society of Eswatini
must play a bigger role in ensuring that lawyers are able to perform their
mandate. Disappointingly, the Law Society has generally not responded
adequately to complaints of its members about harassment and intimidation and
has failed to put pressure on authorities to investigate the extra-judicial
killing of Mr Thulani Maseko”, said Kaajal Ramjathan-Keogh, ICJ’s Africa
Director.
The failure of the State
authorities to ensure the rights of lawyers, coupled with the inadequacy of the
Law Society to in discharging its protective function, have left the legal
profession with little recourse.
“It is critical that lawyers
are permitted to undertake their work without any fear of reprisal and that
authorities endeavour to secure the independence of the judiciary.
Unfortunately, it is often the case that the authorities have taken steps to
endanger the independence of the judiciary instead of guarding it as required
by the Constitution”, said Mzwandile Masuku.
To read the full
report, click here
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/eswatini-authorities-fail-make-progress-mr6ye
By Bongiwe Dlamini, Swaziland News, 2 July 2025
MBABANE: The Public Sector
Unions (PSUs) have collectively rejected a request by Government to delay the
release of the highly anticipated salary review report, the Ministry of Public
Service wanted a four (4) months extension to allow the Consultant to conclude
the review process.
Worth-noting, the four months
was expiring in November during the commencement of Incwala ritual ceremony and
this means, Government was systematic seeking to delay the salary review at
least until the 2026/27 financial year.
But Mbongwa Dlamini, the
President of the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) told workers
outside the Ministry of Public Service on Wednesday that, as PSUs they granted
Government only six (6) weeks to conclude the salary review process.
“We granted Government only
six weeks not months the four months,” he said.
Eswatini Government workers
including security forces, are financially struggling amid the delayed
implementation of a salary increase.
A decade of deception: uncovering eSwatini’s
multibillion accounting scandal
By Zwelethu Dlamini, Inhlase Centre for
Investigative Journalism, 27 June 2025
Eswatini’s
government finances are trapped in a cycle of systemic failure, marked by
recurring material misstatements in bank balances, fictitious assets and
liabilities, widespread unauthorised expenditure, and a glaring lack of
adherence to financial regulations, year after year.
From the most
recent 2024 audit pinpointing over E1.6 billion in understated expenditure and
nearly E1 billion in unauthorised spending, to historical reports showing
multi-billion Emalangeni discrepancies, the Auditor General’s consistent
“qualified opinions” underscore a deep-rooted crisis of public financial
mismanagement that demands urgent and decisive reform.
Part One: Eswatini’s
multibillion Emalangeni accounting scandal
For nearly a decade, the
public accounts of Eswatini have been shrouded in a fog of financial
irregularities, material misstatements, undisclosed liabilities, a pervasive
lack of accountability and unauthorised expenditures, as revealed by a
relentless stream of “qualified” audit reports from the Auditor General and the
parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) reports.
Billions of Emalangeni remain
unaccounted for, with total misstatements reaching E8.44 billion in 2016 and
E2.56 billion in 2024. This includes E155 million in fictitious assets and E645
million in undisclosed liabilities in 2024 alone.
A qualified opinion means that
the Auditor General, while concluding that the government’s financial
statements were fairly presented, there were areas that prevented the auditors
from giving an ‘unqualified’/clean opinion. In simple terms, the consistent
qualified auditors’ opinion means that the country’s financial records are
unreliable.
Coordinating Assembly for NGOs
(CANGO) Director Thembinkosi Dlamini said this crisis is evident in the
government’s over-reliance on supplementary budgets. “What is approved in
February may be totally unrelated to the reported budget outcomes in the next
budget. In short, the usual Auditor General’s report then PAC appearance by
accounting officers is no longer enough; rather than a conversation about this
crisis should be held with all stakeholders in the room,” he said.
In 2024, government ministries
and departments incurred unappropriated expenditures amounting to E155.9
million, including foreign payments and unbudgeted accruals. According to
Auditor General Timothy Matsebula, this unlawful spending “translated to fictitious
assets” on the government’s books as of 31st March 2024. He further warned that
“unauthorised expenditures and unappropriated budgets are not only unlawful but
also provide room for misappropriation of public funds and result in serious
repercussions in the entire fiscal budget.”
A significant portion of the
fictitious assets (E70,465,085.94) resulted from “Unappropriated Expenditure on
Accounts Payable – Foreign Payments”, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
International Cooperation contributing 50 per cent of this amount.
This practice is not an
accounting error but a calculated act of financial deception. Funds were spent
without the legal authorisation from Parliament, and then, instead of being
accurately recorded as unauthorised expenditures, they were disguised as “assets”
to artificially balance the books. This mechanism effectively conceals illicit
spending, allowing ministries to bypass critical parliamentary oversight and
potentially divert public funds without transparent accountability.
To read more of
this report, click here
Nomcebo Zuma abandoned by King Mswati after honeymoon
period ended
By Rorisang Modiba, Scrolla.Africa, 2 July 2025
New details have emerged about
why Nomcebo LaZuma walked out on King Mswati III – and it’s all about being
ignored by her royal husband.
As Scrolla.Africa reported
earlier, the 22-year-old daughter of former president Jacob
Zuma left the Eswatini palace and returned to South Africa after just three
months of marriage.
Swaziland
News reports that the king spent
time with Nomcebo at first, but soon stopped paying attention to her and
focused on his other wives.
A source said the king usually
spends more time with a new wife until she becomes pregnant, but that didn’t
happen with Nomcebo.
The young bride became very
upset about the neglect. She was sad, angry, and once even wrongly accused her
bodyguards of stealing her jewellery.
The jewellery was later found,
but it showed how unhappy she was in royal life.
The king’s spokesperson Percy
Simelane said he doesn’t get involved in the king’s private life, only his
public work.
Nomcebo’s friend said she may
speak about her painful experience once she feels better.
Meanwhile, royal officials
went to Nkandla to speak to Jacob Zuma, but he refused to meet them. He had not
agreed with the marriage at first, but gave in after his daughter insisted.
King Mswati has more than 14
wives and over 50 children. The 56-year-old monarch is known for his polygamous
lifestyle and lavish spending, while most of his people live in poverty.
The marriage was intended to
be a cultural alliance between the Zuma family and Eswatini’s monarchy.
While her mother supported the
union, Jacob Zuma opposed it and didn’t attend the engagement or wedding. King
Mswati paid R2-million and 100 cattle in lobola.
Despite public appearances,
such as a Vatican visit in October 2024, the marriage reportedly had problems
from the start.
Nomcebo had paused her
university studies for royal duties, but it seems the sacrifice wasn’t worth
it.
Neither family has officially
commented on the separation, but the failed marriage has exposed the reality of
being one of many wives to an African king.
King Mswati
and Nomcebo LaZuma.
See also
Lonely Jacob Zuma’s daughter dumps
playboy Swazi King
https://sundayworld.co.za/news/lonely-jacob-zumas-daughter-dumps-playboy-swazi-king/
Former President
Jacob Zuma’s daughter Inkhosikati Nomcebo LaZuma received over R3million gift
from husband King Mswati before fleeing Palace
https://swazilandnews.co.za/fundza.php?nguyiphi=9407
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