Swaziland
Newsletter No. 934 – 10 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.
93% girls in rural areas already moms
By Kwanele Sibiya, eSwatini Observer, 6 July
2026
An estimated 93% of girls
under the age of 18 living in rural communities are already mothers.
This has raised alarm over the
prevalence of teenage pregnancy and the vulnerability of young girls across the
country.
The figures were revealed by
Colani Hlatjwako, the Africa Regional Coordinator of the One Billion Rising
Campaign on Thursday during the closing session of the three-day Chiefs’ Summit
held at Esibayeni Lodge.
Hlatjwako said the One Billion
Rising Campaign, which is active in 42 tinkhundla centres across the country,
was working closely with chiefs and women community support groups to address
gender-based violence, teenage pregnancy and unsafe abortions, amongst others.
She said the organisation
recently conducted research in the Manzini region to establish the underlying
causes of teenage pregnancies and abortions.
She said according to the
findings, men were identified as the primary drivers of unintended pregnancies,
with many women indicating that they have little control over reproductive
decisions within relationships.
“The women we interviewed told
us their partners decide whether they should have children or not,” Hlatjwako
said.
She added that the research
also found that many women remain financially dependent because of high
unemployment, making it difficult for them to negotiate issues relating to
contraception and family planning.
She said according to the
research, about 93% of young girls under the age of 18 already have children in
the rural areas.
Hlatjwako expressed concern
that, despite the law criminalising sexual relations with anyone under the age
of 18, very few perpetrators were ever brought before the courts.
“Having sexual intercourse
with a child under the age of 18 is a criminal offence, yet our research found
that no one is arrested for such,” she said.
She attributed this largely to
fear among victims, saying many children lack confidence in the justice system
and believe the law did not adequately protect them.
She further noted that while
legislation permits survivors of rape to access lawful termination of
pregnancy, many girls encounter delays in accessing the service.
“Our findings show that some
children only receive these services when the pregnancy is well advanced,
making the process even more traumatic while others would give birth without
accessing the services,” she said.
To read more of
this report, click here
https://www.eswatiniobserver.com/93-girls-in-rural-areas-already-moms/
From assassination target to refugee — the heavy price
of defending eSwatini human rights
By Timothy Fish Hodgson and Kaajal-Ramjathan
Keogh, The Daily Maverick (South Africa) republished from The Nation
(eSwatini), 6 July 2026
Prominent Eswatini human
rights lawyer Maxwell Nkambule has been granted asylum in France, highlighting
the escalating state-sponsored terror, violence, and assassinations targeting
the kingdom’s legal professionals.
On 11 May, after a long and
arduous process, the French authorities recognised Maxwell Nkambule, a well-known Eswatini
human rights lawyer, as a refugee.
Nkambule’s asylum application
included information about an assassination attempt made on his life,
documented in the International Commission of Jurists’ 2025 report “No Situation is Permanent: Repression,
Intimidation, Harassment and Killing of Lawyers in Eswatini”. Relying on this
report, as well as information provided by a range of other international and
local organizations, and on a communication to the Eswatini authorities by
the UN Special
Rapporteur on the
independence of judges and lawyers, he told the French authorities that his
life — and that of others in a similar position — was at risk simply for
providing legal representation in cases considered political and/or
controversial by the Swazi authorities.
The Eswatini government has
yet to respond to the communication issued by the Special Rapporteur (dated 7
April 2025), nor did it engage with her during her visit to the country for the
purpose of holding dialogues with Eswatini human rights lawyers later the same
month.
In a letter responding to
questions raised to the minister of justice and constitutional affairs by the
International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) before the publication of its report,
the minister said, “Eswatini endeavours to provide a safe and respectful
environment for everyone to exercise their human rights in the ambit of the
law.”
Seemingly responding directly
to the case of Nkambule, the minister continued: “However, there was once a
report to the police by a lawyer that he was allegedly followed by an unknown
foreign-registered motor vehicle and felt his life was under threat. Subsequent
to that, investigations were instituted, but unfortunately nothing came out due
to insufficient facts.”
The letter concluded: “To be
precise [there is] no repression and harassment of lawyers in the Kingdom of
Eswatini.”
The minister’s response
provided cold comfort for human rights lawyers in the country. It flies in the
face of the evidence documented by the ICJ, accepted by the UN Special
Rapporteur as credible, and relied upon by the French authorities in Nkambule’s
asylum application.
 |
Lawyer
Maxwell Nkambule. (Photo: International Observatory of Lawyers / Wikipedia)
To read more of this report, click here
One Billion Rising eSwatini calls upon all emaSwati to
unite against GBV
By Gcwalisile Mhlabane, eSwatini Positive News,
8 July 2026
MBABANE: As the Kingdom
of Eswatini continues to experience a troubling increase in gender-based
violence (GBV) cases, with reports of domestic abuse, sexual violence and
killings dominating headlines over the past few weeks, One Billion Rising
Eswatini has called upon all emaSwati to unite in confronting the scourge and
building safer communities.
The call was made by Colani
Hlatshwayo, the Africa Regional Coordinator for One Billion Rising and National
Director of Women and Law in Southern Africa (WLSA) – Eswatini, who said ending
violence requires a collective commitment from families, communities, men,
institutions and leaders.
Speaking on Kusile Breakfast
on July 8, 2026, Hlatshwayo said the continued reports of abuse highlight the
need for society to strengthen efforts aimed at protecting vulnerable people
and creating environments where everyone feels safe.
She said the current situation
should encourage emaSwati to work together in finding lasting solutions to GBV
through prevention, awareness, support systems and accountability.
“These numbers and the cases
we continue to witness in Eswatini are deeply concerning. As a nation, it
places us in a position where we must ask ourselves what more we can do to
strengthen our programmes and ensure we are effectively fighting this scourge,”
Hlatshwayo said.
The GBV advocate said one of
the major challenges in addressing violence is that many cases happen within
homes, involving people who are known and trusted by victims.
She said this makes it
important for communities to strengthen protection networks and ensure that
victims are supported when they seek help.
“This violence is mostly
perpetrated by people who live together with the victims, meaning it largely
happens within homes. We are talking about people who are supposed to protect
them, but instead become the source of harm,” she said.
Hlatshwayo noted that GBV
affects not only survivors but also families, children and communities that are
left to deal with the emotional and social consequences of abuse.
She called for stronger
mechanisms to ensure that victims who report abuse receive the necessary
protection and support.
To read more of
this report, click here
An emotional wait for water nears its end for
communities in eSwatini's Manzini region
African Development Bank, 2 July 2026
For generations, the scarcity
of water has dictated the rhythm of daily life across Eswatini’s Manzini
Region.
In Nhlambeni, Manzini South,
Mthongwaneni, Mafutseni, and Manzini North, thousands of families have built
their daily routines around the absence of reliable water. Daily life has
meant: long treks to rivers and seasonal springs, harvesting rainwater,
waiting for water tankers, rationing the water received, and quietly
negotiating for late-night borehole access.
In some areas, families have
had to share water sources with livestock - a daily compromise between
necessity and health.
That long routine of hardship
is now drawing to a close.
In March 2024, the
Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini launched the construction of the Manzini
Region Water Supply and Sanitation Project backed by financing from the African
Development Bank Group.
The project includes a modern
water treatment plant with a capacity of 25 million litres per day, supported
by transmission mains and reservoirs capable of storing 21 million litres.
Crews are also laying more than 350 kilometres of distribution networks, along
with up to 14 water kiosks and 20 public sanitation facilities, to bring clean
water closer to communities. The initiative supports Eswatini’s broader goal of
achieving universal access to water and sanitation by 2030.
Access to at least basic
drinking water services in Eswatini is 80.4 per cent, while access to safely
managed drinking water services is 38.2 per cent. Access to at least basic
sanitation services is 64.5 per cent, compared with 60.8 per cent for safely managed
sanitation services. These stark figures highlight why the Manzini expansion is
critical to bridging the gap.
With construction now 92%
complete, the transformation is already visible. Water supply hours have been
extended, and pressure has surged across several neighbourhoods due to
interconnections bridging the old and new supply networks. When the project
launches later this year, it will provide clean, reliable water services to
approximately 35,000 people, transforming daily life for families across the
project footprint.
To read more of this
report, click here
Public calls for background checks on church leaders
By Phiwase Phungwayo, Saturday Observer
(eSwatini), 4 July 2026
Members of the public have
called for the introduction of mandatory, regular background checks on
religious leaders in the country,
following the arrest of a pastor accused of murdering multiple women.
Community members, civil
society voices and social commentators say the case involving Pastor
Nkosingiphile Zwane has raised urgent questions about accountability within
religious institutions, particularly where leaders occupy positions of trust
and moral influence over congregants.
The calls come after police
confirmed that Zwane, a pastor and community police member from Mfabantfu, was
arrested by Sigodvweni Police and has been charged with rape and murder.
Investigators allege that he
lured some of the victims through Facebook, reportedly promising them money and
employment opportunities.
Authorities from the Royal Eswatini Police
Service (REPS) said four women were recently recovered from a water canal at
Mfabantfu in Matsapha. Police
confirmed that all the victims had been strangled before their bodies were
dumped in the canal, adding that investigations are ongoing and the matter is
now before the courts.
Members of the public on this
publication’s social media platform, including users Thando Maseko and Sipho
Dlamini, have also contributed to the growing debate, calling for stricter
vetting processes for individuals who lead congregations or hold positions of
moral authority.
They said background checks
should not only be conducted at the point of appointment but should also be
repeated periodically to ensure continued suitability for such roles. Some
social media users argued that religious institutions should not rely solely on
initial screening processes, saying that ongoing monitoring could help prevent
individuals with criminal intent from remaining in positions of influence.
They added that churches and
faith-based organisations must take greater responsibility in ensuring the
safety of their congregants, particularly vulnerable women and young people.
To read more of
this report, click here
https://www.eswatiniobserver.com/public-calls-for-background-checks-on-church-leaders/
See also
Church distances
itself from shamed pastor (eSwatini Observer)
https://www.eswatiniobserver.com/church-distances-itself-from-shamed-pastor/
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