Swaziland
Newsletter No. 937– 31 July 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.
‘We’re
not asking for new rights’: eSwatini LGBTQ+ rights group continues registration
court battle
By
Luiz De Barros, Mamba Online (South Africa), 30 July 2026
Years after a landmark Supreme Court
victory, Eswatini LGBTQ+ group ESGM says the government is still refusing to
recognise its right to exist.
Eswatini’s leading LGBTQ+ rights
organisation has taken another step in its years-long legal battle for official
recognition after filing a reply in the High Court challenging the government’s
continued refusal to register the group.
Eswatini Sexual and Gender Minorities
(ESGM) announced on Thursday that it had submitted its replying affidavit in
the case of Simelane (N.O.) & Others v Minister of Commerce, Industry and
Trade & Others, paving the way for the matter to be set down for hearing.
The latest development comes despite a
unanimous 2023 Supreme Court ruling that declared the original refusal
to register ESGM unconstitutional and ordered the decision to be reconsidered.
Instead, the Minister of Commerce again rejected the application, prompting the
current court challenge.
In court papers, the Minister has defended
the decision by arguing that ESGM has an unlawful purpose, that its name is
misleading or morally offensive, and that it promotes conduct criminalised
under Eswatini’s laws. The Minister also contends that customary law does not
recognise same-sex relationships.
ESGM rejects those arguments, describing
the refusal as irrational and unrelated to the purpose of the Companies Act.
The organisation argues that it exists to
promote and protect the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and
intersex (LGBTI) people in Eswatini and notes that sexual orientation itself is
not a criminal offence in the country.
According to the applicants, advocating
for people who experience discrimination is entirely lawful, while customary
law has no bearing on a constitutional right to form an association
representing a shared community interest.
ESGM further argues that refusing
registration reinforces stigma by signalling that LGBTQ+ people are not
entitled to organise, advocate or express themselves on equal terms with other
citizens.
“We are not asking for special treatment”
Melusi Simelane, founder and Board
Chairperson of ESGM, said the organisation’s struggle has always been about
equal constitutional rights rather than special privileges.
“When we founded ESGM, it was because
LGBTI emaSwati had nowhere to turn — no organisation that could stand up for
them openly and lawfully. Seven years and a unanimous Supreme Court judgment
later, we are still being asked to justify our existence.”
To read more of this report, click here
Health
Minister flags obesity surge
By
Sifiso Nhlabatsi. eSwatini Positive News, 29 July 2026
MBABANE: Minister of Health Mduduzi
Matsebula has raised concern over the rapid increase in overweight, obesity and
diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Eswatini.
The minister has warned that poor
nutrition is becoming one of the country’s biggest public health threats.
Speaking during the official opening of
the Eswatini Food and Nutrition Policy and Nutrition Bill Validation Workshop
at the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel in Mbabane on Wednesday, the minister said while
the country continues to battle undernutrition and stunting among children, it
is also experiencing a worrying surge in overweight and obesity across all age
groups.
He said the increase in obesity has been
accompanied by a rise in diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and
cardiovascular conditions, placing additional pressure on the country’s
healthcare system.
“Our country faces a complex triple burden
of malnutrition,” Matsebula said. “On one hand, we continue to combat
undernutrition and stunting, particularly among our young children, which
quietly robs them of their physical and cognitive potential. On the other hand,
we are witnessing a rapid rise in overweight, obesity and diet-related
non-communicable diseases across all age groups.”
The minister said the growing burden of
malnutrition requires urgent and coordinated action beyond the health sector.
He noted that nutrition is closely linked to agriculture, education, social
protection and economic development, making it a national development issue
rather than solely a health concern.
He said food and nutrition are fundamental
to human dignity, economic prosperity and sustainable development, adding that
a healthy and well-nourished population is essential if Eswatini is to achieve
its long-term development aspirations.
To read more of this report, click here
https://eswatinipositivenews.online/are-we-a-fat-nation/
Crime
rate up by 4.6% in first quarter
By Nokuphila
Haji, eSwatini Observer, 27 July 2026
The country recorded a 4.6 per cent
increase in crime during the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year, with
police expressing concern over rising cases of murder, robbery, copper theft
and housebreaking.
According to the Royal Eswatini Police
Service (REPS) first-quarter performance report, covering the period from April
to June, the overall crime volume increased from 13 604 cases recorded during
the same period last year to 14 237 cases this year.
The report indicates that murder cases
increased from 31 to 34, representing a 9.7 per cent rise.
Armed robbery also increased
significantly, with 52 cases recorded compared to 44 during the corresponding
period last year, reflecting an 18.2 per cent increase.
Robbery cases rose slightly from 486 to
500, an increase of 2.9 per cent, while copper theft increased by 4.1 per cent,
from 418 cases to 435.
Housebreaking and theft cases also
increased, with 1 570 incidents reported compared to 1 530 during the same
period last year, representing a 2.6 per cent increase.
Despite the overall increase in crime, the
police reported declines in several offences, including fraud, stock theft,
motor vehicle theft and car robbery.
The service attributed the reductions to
intensified policing strategies, including visible policing, public education
campaigns and strengthened partnerships with stakeholders.
The report, however, indicated that
murder, copper wire theft, robbery and housebreaking remained areas of concern,
with police pledging to intensify interventions to curb the crimes.
To read more of this report, click
here
https://www.eswatiniobserver.com/crime-rate-up-by-4-6-in-first-quarter/
Chief
Justice Bheki Maphalala says Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) will never
succeed in securing warrants of arrest as long as Prime Minister Russell Mmiso
Dlamini other politicians interfere with its independence
By
Musa Mdluli, Swaziland News, 27 July 2026
MBABANE: Chief Justice Bheki Maphalala has
stated categorically clear that, the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) will
never succeed in securing warrants of arrest for as long as Prime Minister
Russell Mmiso Dlamini and other politicians “interfere with it’s independence”.
The Head of the Judiciary was addressing a
press conference on Monday in Mbabane after the Prime Minister told Parliament
that efforts to fight corruption are being undermined by the CJ’s refusal to
sign warrants of arrest.
But the Chief Justice said “it’s not true
that efforts to fight corruption are undermined by him instead, he blamed the
PM and other politicians for interfering with the independence” of the ACC.
“Politicians must stay away from the ACC,
that Commission will never function properly for as long as politicians are
interfering with its independence”, said the Chief Justice.
On another note, the CJ emphasized the
importance of respecting the Constitution and fundamental human rights, he said
people cannot be jailed without sufficient evidence.
 |
Justice Bheki Maphalala
See also
Political interference in ACC
fuelling corruption – CJ (eSwatini Observer)
https://www.eswatiniobserver.com/political-interference-in-acc-fuelling-corruption-cj/
Govt denies interfering with
Judiciary (eSwatini Observer)
https://www.eswatiniobserver.com/govt-denies-interfering-with-judiciary/
Until
when will emaSwati suffer from brutal land evictions?
Comment
by Emmanuel Ndlangamandla, Times of eSwatini, 27 July 2026
Once again, we woke up to the devastating
news of another family eviction. The heartbreaking demolition of a family
homestead valued at E450 000 at KaNcesi serves as yet another painful reminder
of the deep-seated crisis of land tenure and forced evictions plaguing our
nation.
Overnight, life savings, sweat and
hard-earned security were reduced to rubble. A family has been left homeless,
exposed to harsh weather conditions, insecure about their belongings; children
face an uncertain future, which will bear deeper psychological scars way into
their adulthood, and families are stripped of their human dignity, which is
assured in the national Constitution.
Unfortunately, this is not an isolated
incident; it is part of a recurring pattern where ordinary emaSwati are
systematically dispossessed, displaced and cast into severe poverty under the
shadow of heavy machinery and police enforcement of court orders.
A nation built on fragile ground cannot
stand. For far too long, the people of Eswatini in Swazi Nation Land have lived
under constant anxiety.
Despite customary allocations and
substantial investments made by citizens to build homes for their families, the
lack of formal, legally protected security of tenure leaves everyday families
vulnerable to sudden court orders, elite land grabs and ruthless bulldozing.
When a E450000 home can be flattened in a
single morning without alternative accommodation provided, we must confront the
urgent question facing our society: Until when will emaSwati suffer this brutal
injustice?
While the deputy prime minister (DPM) and
government are busy restoring the dignity of some emaSwati who lack decent
shelter, a family that has used all its savings to build a decent home now
joins thousands of emaSwati who are hoping for the housing project initiative
by the DPM’s Office to reach them.
This action is indeed counterproductive.
It further undermines the country’s commitment to Sustainable Development
Goals, where global leaders, including Eswatini, committed to ‘leave no one
behind’.
Let us recall that Eswatini is a
constitutional State, with a Bill of Rights. Under the Bill of Rights, Section
19 guarantees every person the right to own property, either alone or in
association with others. The Constitution protects from compulsory deprivation
of property, meaning government cannot seize land or property interests unless:
It is necessary for public use, defence,
safety, order or health.
The acquisition is made under a law that
provides for the prompt payment of fair and adequate compensation.
The affected person is granted access to a
court of law.
The Constitution unveiled by the King at
Sibaya, the sacred institution in our cultural and traditional context, was a
promissory note that emaSwati rights from henceforth will be guaranteed and
protected.
The Constitution has been in place for
over 20 years now, but emaSwati continue to suffer the pain of evictions, which
leaves families with loss of many years of investment in constructing a house.
No development, administrative process, or
private dispute justifies rendering human beings homeless. In alignment with
fundamental human rights and international standards, we call for:
An immediate moratorium on forced
evictions is required, where there would be a complete freeze on all land
evictions and home demolitions across Eswatini until comprehensive legal and
procedural safeguards are enacted.
Also critical is urgent legal land reforms
where Parliament and relevant authorities must urgently reform land tenure laws
to grant secure, enforceable title rights to ordinary citizens living on both
Swazi Nation Land and peri-urban areas.
To read more of this commentary, click
here
https://times.co.sz/39748/opinions/until-when-will-emaswati-suffer-from-brutal-land-evictions/
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