Swaziland Newsletter No. 861 – 24
January 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.
Wife arrested for viewing husband’s WhatsApp messages,
appears at Mbabane Magistrate Court
By Musa Mdluli, Swaziland News, 23 January,
2025
MBABANE: Dumsile Dludlu has
been arrested for allegedly viewing her husband’s WhatsApp messages thus
contravening the Computer Crime and Cyber Crime Act, the Times of eSwatini reported
on Thursday morning.
Dludlu appeared at the Mbabane
Magistrate Court and was remanded out of custody pending trial.
The Computer Crime and Cyber
Crime Act comes with up to three hundred thousand Rands (R300,000.00) fine if
found guilty, alternatively, five (5) years or more in prison.
The police previously warned
that viewing “your love partner’s cellphone is now a crime in eSwatini”, this
was confirmed by Prince Mvilawemphi, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the
Eswatini Communications Commission (ESCCOM) when speaking to this Swaziland
News earlier.
The Prince was asked if “it’s
true” that emaSwati will now be arrested for viewing their love partner’s
cellphone and he confirmed the existence of the cyber security law.
“Yes, there is. It’s covered
under illegal access to a computer system in the Cybersecurity Act of 2022.The
300k fine is the maximum, depending on the gravity of the case. A lenient Judge
may impose a 5k fine”, said the Eswatini Communications Commission CEO.
Human Rights Watch eSwatini Report
2024
In 2024, Eswatini’s human
rights record deteriorated, as civic space, judicial independence, and the rule
of law remain under threat. The authorities have yet to apprehend the killers
of human rights lawyer and opposition activist Thulani Maseko, who was shot in
his home in January 2023. There is no indication that the government has
undertaken or is prepared to undertake a credible investigation into Maseko’s killing. The rights of women and girls remain a
concern as incidences of brutal intimate partner violence, rape, and femicide
persisted throughout the year.
Civil and
Political Rights
The authorities in Eswatini
have failed to implement long overdue democratic reforms in the absolute
monarchy. In power since 1986, King Mswati III maintained control over the
executive, parliament and judiciary in 2024. On January 21, 2023, the King, during
a public address, warned those calling for democratic reforms that mercenaries
would deal with them. The king accused pro-democracy activists of causing
instability in the country. Hours after that warning, Thulani Maseko, a human
rights lawyer and activist was fatally shot and killed at his home in the
presence of his wife and children.
Eswatini received a score of 17 out of 100 in Freedom House’s Freedom in
the World 2024 report. It scored 1 out of 40 on political freedoms and 16
out of 60 for civil liberties, with a conclusion that Eswatini was “not free.”
The country’s score has been consistently low for years, correlating with its
entrenched culture of impunity for human rights violations.
Conduct of
Security Forces
The authorities have yet to
hold anyone to account for the scores of activists killed, and the hundreds
injured by security forces during the 2021 crackdown against pro-democracy
demonstrations. Instead, the government has escalated its clamp down on dissenting views by arresting government critics on spurious
charges, hindering peaceful assembly, and resisting longstanding calls for democratic reforms.
Subversion of the
Rule of Law
In addition to the lack of an
investigation into Maseko’s killing, the authorities have targeted and harassed
his widow, who has been calling for justice and accountability for her
husband’s death.
On July 15, a court in
Eswatini sentenced two former members of parliament, Mduduzi Bacede
Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube, to prison terms of 25 and 18 years, respectively. Both were initially
arrested in 2021 for participating in and supporting pro-democracy protests, and remained in pretrial
detention since then. In June 2023, the duo was found guilty of all the bogus
charges against them, including terrorism, sedition, and murder under the 2008 Suppression of Terrorism Act
(STA) as well as the 1938 Sedition and Subversive Activities Act (SSA). The
hefty sentences handed to Mabuza and Dube highlight the lack of impartiality
and independence of the judiciary. This is compounded by the lack of accountability and justice for the serious violations committed by law
enforcement, including during the 2021 protests.
To read the full
report, click here
https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2025/country-chapters/eswatini
20% of the
population controls nation’s wealth
By Sifiso Dlamini, eSwatini Observer, 22
January 2025
The country’s wealth
distribution is controlled by 20 per cent of the population according to a
comprehensive survey conducted by FinMark Trust, which said this was
concerning.
According to the Blended
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Survey 2023 report, the country’s wealth
distribution remains a concern, with a mere 20 per cent of the population
controlling a staggering 80 per cent of the nation’s wealth.
The findings come after the
Centre for Financial Inclusion (CFI), ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade,
Eswatini Economic Policy Analysis and Research Centre (ESEPARC), and the
Central Statistical Office (CSO), conducted a comprehensive survey to better
understand the financial landscape and access to financial services for micro,
small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the country.
Known as the FinScope Survey,
this was a global initiative developed by FinMark Trust (FMT) in South Africa
and was conducted in over 30 countries worldwide.
The study also revealed that
the country faces significant social challenges, including a high HIV/AIDS
prevalence rate of 24.8 per cent among adults which poses a substantial burden
on the healthcare system and economy.
Unemployment was identified as
another pressing issue, with a staggering 49.2 per cent rate among citizens
actively seeking work.
To read more of
this report, click here
http://new.observer.org.sz/details.php?id=23432
By Musa Mdluli, Swaziland News, 22 January,
2025
MBABANE: Thembinkhosi Dlamini,
the Executive Director of the Coordinating Assembly of Non Governmental
Organizations (CANGO) says, the decision by newly inaugurated President of the
United States (US) Donald Trump to suspend foreign donor funding will affect
NGOs in eSwatini including HIV/AIDS programs.
Speaking to this Swaziland
News on Wednesday, the CANGO Director said, most NGOs rely on donor funding
sourced from the United States.
“This means the decision will
affect many NGOs in the country in including HIV/AIDS programs because the US
contributes a large amount to the Global Fund”, said the CANGO Director.
On another note, the Washington
Times reported on Wednesday that, President Trump signed an executive order
temporarily suspending all U.S. foreign assistance programs for ninety(90) days
pending reviews to determine whether they are aligned with his policy goals.
“It was not immediately clear
how much assistance would initially be affected by the Monday order as funding
for many programs has already been appropriated by Congress and is obligated to
be spent, if not already spent. The order, among many Trump signed on his first
day back in office, said the “foreign aid industry and bureaucracy are not
aligned with American interests and in many cases antithetical to American
values” and “serve to destabilize world peace by promoting ideas in foreign
countries that are directly inverse to harmonious and stable relations internal
to and among countries,” the Washington Times reported.
See also
Local transgender
community fears losing funding from US
http://www.times.co.sz/news/149083-local-transgender-community-fears-losing-funding-from-us.html
Nonhlanhla Dlamini: Leading
the fight against gender-based violence in eSwatini
Africa
Renewal, 21 January 2021
 |
Nonhlanhla Dlamini, Executive Director of the Swatini Action Group Against Abuse (SWAGAA)
Nonhlanhla
Dlamini believes every person has a right to a life of peace and safety.
As the Executive Director of the Swatini Action Group Against Abuse (SWAGAA),
she provides support, care and justice for GBV survivors. She explains her
aspirations, as well as her historic election as one of the first women Members
of Parliament in Eswatini:
What specific
moment or experience made you decide to focus on fighting gender-based
violence?
I was motivated by an incident
where a 6-year-old relative of mine was raped by a stranger. We reported the
matter to the police, but nothing ever happened. The Swatini Action
Group Against Abuse (SWAGAA) already existed, but I did not know
anything about them.
In 1997 I came across an
advertisement for a job at SWAGAA in the newspaper and I just knew this was the
place I wanted to work. When I learned more about what the organisation was
doing, I asked myself why I did not get to know about them when I had no one to
talk to or support me. So, when I saw this position advertised, I just knew
this was my job. My goal was to make SWAGAA a household name so others would
not go unsupported like we did.
How do you stay
motivated, and have you ever questioned your path?
I have questioned that path
several times, particularly when I get hurt. The world can be cruel. I wonder
how people can do such evil things. It can be depressing. Sometimes I ask
myself, out of all the jobs that I could be doing, why am I even doing this
one? However, I get my motivation from the success stories of our work. If I
quit, who else is going to do this? I am compelled to do it because there is a
whole lot of people that are looking up to me for help.
You were elected
MP back in the early 2000s, becoming the first woman ever to represent your
constituency. What made you decide to run?
I was part of the team that
drafted the Sexual Offenses and Domestic Violence Bill, but we did not manage
to have it proceed to legislation. Every time we inquired, we were told “It's
in the pipeline”, but nothing ever happened. The mistake we often make,
as advocates and women's rights activists, is always pushing for someone else
to go and make the changes that we desire.
So, I made a decision to stand
for the next elections, which were in 2008. I realised that for years, I had
been part of a ‘Vote for a Woman’ campaign, pushing women to vie for
seats and for people to vote for women during elections. I had never envisioned
myself running for elections. This time I ran for parliament and I won the
primary elections, but the secondary elections were not easy. I was the only
female candidate against seven men. It was very rough, but I pushed hard with
everything that I had to win. I won the parliamentary seat.
My first motion in Parliament
was for the Minister of Justice to bring the Sexual Offenses and Domestic
Violence Bill within 30 days. His response was no. I kept insisting and that is
how the Bill was eventually passed by Parliament.
Looking to the
future, if you could change one thing about the gender-based violence in
Eswatini, what would it be?
The most critical thing is
prevention of GBV. Why is prevention key? Because once GBV takes place, it is
difficult to pick up the pieces. And it is not just hard for the survivors
only, even their family members become secondary victims. Everyone is affected.
So, for me, the most crucial thing to focus on is preventing GBV because once
it takes place, it is like spilled water. We may provide counselling and
support to the survivors but we can never change the narrative.
I often say people come here
carrying a ‘suitcase’ but when you sit down with them you realize how much more
that person is actually carrying. Our motto as an organisation is that when you
come in with a [heavy] suitcase, by the time you leave, you may not be able to
put down the suitcase, but at least we can help make it feel lighter so you are
able to walk around with it.
The reason some people commit
suicide is because their suitcases feel so heavy that they feel there is no
hope. Our duty is to make sure that we make that the suitcase feel lighter.
Do you consider
yourself a human rights defender? Why?
Absolutely! I consider myself
a human rights defender 100 per cent because I am continuously standing up for
the rights of women and girls in Eswatini.
I have advocated for better
legislation in the country. I have also advocated for better services in the
country, be it in the police, hospitals, or the justice system. I have done
everything that needs to be done under the sun to stand for the rights of the
citizens of this country, and to advocate for the rights of women and children
in the country. I know people believe in me.
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