Swaziland
Newsletter No. 947 – 9 October 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.
Lawyer
forces ‘Times of eSwatini’ to correct social media post declaring ‘Messi the
greatest footballer of all time’
By
Bongiwe Dlamini, Swaziland News, 8 October 2026
MBABANE: Lawyer Kuhle Mabuza-Dlamini has
successfully forced the Times of Eswatini to edit its social media post,
declaring Lionel Messi, the “greatest footballer of all time”.
The lawyer posted on her social media page
that, saying she “is blocking the Times for feeding the Nation with
subjective opinions not facts” she suggested that the reporting was supposed to
read; “one of the greatest footballer of all time is retiring” reminding
journalists that their reporting should be based on facts not their own opinion.
The debate on who is the ‘greatest’
between Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo has been a
‘headache’ for journalists not only in Eswatini but around the world as fans
“are very sensitive and expect the media to be fair between the retiring
greatest footballers”.
The Times subsequently corrected
their reporting to “one of the greatest footballer of all time, Argentina’s
Captain Lionel Messi, played his last official match for the National Team this
morning”.
Lawyer Kuhle Mabuza-Dlamini who commands a
huge following on social media, subsequently welcomed the correction saying;
she will “now unblock and follow the Times again”.
 |
Lawyer, Kuhle Mabuza-Dlamini
Three
US-linked third-country nationals leave eSwatini voluntarily
By
Stanley Khumalo, Times of eSwatini, 7 October 2026
MBABANE:
Three Third Country Nationals sent to Eswatini under a bilateral
arrangement with the United States have voluntarily returned home.
Government confirmed on Wednesday that the
three nationals, from Yemen, Belize and Laos, requested to leave Eswatini and
reunite with their families.
Acting Government Spokesperson Thabile
Mdluli, in a statement, conveyed that three Third Country Nationals (TCNs), who
arrived in the Kingdom under the existing bilateral arrangement with the
Government of the United States of America, have voluntarily departed the
Kingdom and returned to their respective countries of origin at different
intervals in recent weeks.
She said the first TCN, a national of
Yemen, voluntarily departed the Kingdom on Tuesday, 8 September 2026, following
his request to return to his country of origin.
Mdluli said: “The second TCN, a national
of Belize, voluntarily departed the Kingdom on Wednesday, September 30, 2026,
following his request to return home. The third TCN, a national of Laos,
voluntarily departed the Kingdom on Sunday, October 4, 2026, also following his
request for voluntary repatriation to his country of origin.”
These departures, she said, form part of
the ongoing arrangements concerning TCNs temporarily residing in the Kingdom.
Mdluli said government continues to engage with the relevant authorities and
partners to facilitate requests for voluntary repatriation, where made, in
accordance with the applicable arrangements and procedures.
She conveyed government’s appreciation to
the countries and relevant authorities that have cooperated with the Kingdom in
facilitating the transit of the TCNs as they travelled to their respective
countries of origin.
Such cooperation, she said, has
contributed to the smooth and orderly facilitation of their journeys home.
Mdluli reiterated Eswatini’s commitment to ensuring that the rights, dignity
and well-being of TCNs are respected and protected throughout their temporary
stay in the Kingdom, while safeguarding the security and interests of the
Kingdom and its people.
The acting government spokesperson said
the Administration will continue to provide updates on any significant
developments concerning TCNs in the Kingdom, as appropriate.
SWADNU
calls for reinstatement of health workers
By
Nokuphila Haji, eSwatini Observer (press reader edition), 2 October 2026
The Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union
(SWADNU) has called for the immediate reinstatement of health workers
whose contracts ended on September 30.
The union is calling on government, members
of Parliament, Cabinet ministers and ministry of health to ensure that
the affected workers were brought back into the health system.
The workers, who were funded through
health grants, include HIV testing and counselling (HTS) counsellors, phlebotomists,
data clerks and expert clients, according to SWADNU.
In a statement, the union said the workers
had played an important role alongside nurses in providing HIV-related services,
including prevention of mother-to-child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) and
work linked to the 95-95-95 HIV targets.
SWADNU said the termination of the contracts
would increase the workload of nurses, who it described as already
short-staffed and overstretched.
“Devastatingly, the discontinued contracts
for the workers visibly implies that the workload would now pile up for the
already acutely short-staffed, overstretched and battling with burnout
nurses,” the union said.
It warned that the loss of the workers
could undermine progress made in the country’s fight against HIV/AIDS.
“The gains that we have achieved as a country
on HIV/AIDS matters would now be reversed, with jet-like speed the nation
would be plunging again in the pool of the already soaring high HIV figures
again,” the statement reads.
SWADNU said it was prepared to take to
the streets if the affected workers were not reinstated within a fortnight.
The dispute follows letters issued by the ministry of health informing
some grant-funded employees that their contracts would end on September 30.
In a letter dated September 4, 2026, the
ministry informed affected employees that their contracts, funded by the
United States Government through the
National Emergency Response Council on HIV and AIDS (NERCHA), would expire at
the end of September.
The ministry said the affected employees
would receive payment for outstanding annual leave days and any terminal
benefits due under their contracts and the Employment Act, 1980.
To read more of this report, click
here
https://www.pressreader.com/eswatini/eswatini-observer-9zb3/20261002/281612427336482
E558M
to fund eSwatini’s health security defence plan
By
Sifiso Nhlabatsi, eSwatini Positive News, 7 October 2026
EZULWINI: Government will require an
estimated E558 million to implement Eswatini’s National Action Plan for Health
Security (NAPHS) over the next five years, as the country moves to establish a
fully integrated, multi-sectoral defence system against public health
emergencies.
The NAPHS, officially launched by Minister
of Health Mduduzi Matsebula at Royal Villas on Wednesday, sets out
interventions to be implemented from 2026 to 2030 under a comprehensive One
Health Framework, bringing together human health, animal health, agriculture,
environmental management and disaster risk management.
Matsebula described the plan as more than
a policy document, saying it was intended to serve as a “shield to protect our
citizens” and an operational blueprint for safeguarding the country against
public health risks.
“Today, our country is building a fully
integrated, multi-sectoral defence system under a comprehensive One Health
Framework, that requires an estimated budget of E558 million to implement
interventions over a period of 2026 to 2030,” said Matsebula.
The minister said the investment was
necessary to ensure that Eswatini could detect, prevent and contain health
emergencies before they escalate, particularly as the country remains connected
to regional and international movement of people and goods.
He said Eswatini could no longer afford to
wait for health emergencies before strengthening its preparedness systems.
According to Matsebula, the country’s
health security priorities include strengthening early warning and surveillance
systems, expanding local laboratory capacity and institutionalising
multi-sectoral mobilisation during emergencies.
He said early warning systems needed to be
strengthened through responsive community-level networks capable of detecting
pathogens before they reached national borders.
The minister also identified the
decentralisation of diagnostic systems as a priority, saying this would allow
dangerous biological threats to be confirmed and managed locally without
unnecessary delays.
The third priority is improved
coordination between human health, animal welfare, agriculture and
environmental sectors to ensure rapid responses when emergencies occur.
To read more of this report, click
here
https://eswatinipositivenews.online/e558m-to-fund-eswatinis-health-security-defence-plan/
King
Mswati’s R35million alleged bribe’ for advocating for Taiwan to be recognized
by the United Nations as an independent State
By
Zweli Martin Dlamini, Swaziland News, 2 October 2026
MBABANE: King Mswati is highly expected to
receive $2million (about R35million in current exchange rate) from Taiwan after
advocating for the Chinese Province to be recognized by the United Nations (UN)
as an independent State.
This comes after the King, in violation of
the UN Security Council Resolution 2758 of 1971 that recognized and endorsed
the “One China Policy”, addressed the UN General Assembly in New York, the
United States last and called for the UN recognition of Taiwan, a Chinese
Province.
Documents in possession of this Swaziland
News and sourced through the Taiwan Embassy and Eswatini Government
communications systems suggest that, the money is normally processed and
disguised as a donation for the King’s Palaces security upgrades when in fact,
Palaces renovation are funded by Government and included in the National
Budget.
But King Mswati’s Spokesperson Percy
Simelane when responding to this publication earlier on the subject matter,
denied that the money was a bribe.
The King’s Spokesperson first asked this
journalist to send the documents so that he could share an informed comment, he
then denied these the money was a bribe processed as a token of appreciation by
Taiwan for the King’s consistent advocacy for Taiwan to be recognized as an
independent State.
“The letters in question conform to
Government House Style for requesting for financial assistance from its
development partners and we have no reasons to believe they were agents of ulterior
motives,” said the King’s Spokesperson.
Simelane did not clarify why the King now
receives money from Taiwan for security upgrades when Parliament approved and
released a multibillion royal budget and why the money “is processed every
after the King” addressed the UN General Assembly and advocate for the
recognition of Taiwan.
But an insider who shared a highly
confidential document, confirming the chain of communication between Mswati’s
Government and the Taiwanese Embassy when facilitating the alleged bribe, told
this publication that the King normally demand his payment shortly after
returning from the UN General Assembly.
“As you can see in the documents, the
facilitation of the payment was rushed because the King said he wanted his
money urgently after delivering the speech. Previously the payment was
US$1,000,000,00(about R18million), it was then increased to US$2,000.000.00”,
said the royal insider.
Reached for comments on Saturday
afternoon, Mlungisi Makhanya, the President of the People’s United Democratic
Movement (PUDEMO), accused the King of manipulating the Sovereignty of the
country to engage in what he described as dollar diplomacy while depriving
emaSwati of opportunities that comes with the establishment of diplomatic
relations with China.
“We have an urgent duty as emaSwati to
take back our Sovereignty autonomy and independence from Mswati who is abusing
it to prostitute our Sovereignty for monetary benefits like it is the case here
where the interest of the Nation is not prioritized but his interests are there
ones that are considered. We have said Tinkhundla has been conducting what we
call “dollar diplomacy” where diplomatic relations are established and
maintained on the basis of payments to the establishment”, said the PUDEMO
President.
The PUDEMO President said even if the
money was disguised as a grant for development, the question would be; is it
subject to accountability by Parliament and the Office of the Auditor General (AG)?
Makhanya said monies received from
development partners on behalf of the country must be declared and be accounted
for, he noted that, the R40million “is normally paid straight to Mswati”
without being declared or accounted for.
On another note, King Mswati is highly
expected to travel to Taiwan next week after welcoming Ching-Lin Tsuei, the new
Taiwan Ambassador to the Kingdom of Eswatini.
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