Swaziland Newsletter No. 927 – 22 May 2026

 

Swaziland Newsletter No. 927 – 22 May 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.

 

Govt investigates child safety at discipline camps

By Melisa Msweli, eSwatini Observer, 16 May 2026

SOURCE 

Deputy Prime Minister’s office Director of Social Welfare Services Mcusi Shongwe met with stakeholders including the police and youth-based organisations to discuss growing concerns surrounding the safety and welfare of children in private discipline camps, ahead of planned engagements with the discipline camp operators.

The meetings form part of government’s ongoing assessment of the operation of discipline and rehabilitation camps across the country, amid concerns over child safety, vetting of trainers, discipline methods and compliance with the Child Protection and Welfare Act.

Shongwe said as the ministry responsible for children, government had an obligation to intervene in matters involving the welfare and protection of minors.

According to Shongwe, discussions with stakeholders focused on whether some of the discipline methods being applied in the camps were aligned with national laws, child protection standards and internationally accepted safeguarding frameworks.

This is after concerns from the DPM’s office over reports that children were being housed in tents in remote bush settings and subjected to harsh physical exercises, including prolonged exposure to mud and strenuous drills regardless of age or gender.

Government fears some of the practices may infringe on children’s rights and conflict with the country’s positive discipline framework, which promotes non-violent, age-appropriate and child-centred correction methods.

Section 14 of the Child Protection and Welfare Act of 2012 states that a child must be protected from cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment and that discipline must be appropriate to the child’s age and condition.

Concerns have since emerged over whether some activities conducted in the camps meet the threshold of humane and appropriate discipline.

Shongwe also said government remained concerned about the individuals entrusted with children in these camps and whether they had undergone proper vetting and training to work with minors.

The DPM’s office had earlier disclosed concerns that some individuals associated with certain camps allegedly had criminal records, including convictions related to child abuse, while there were fears that some trainers could themselves be engaging in substance abuse.

Authorities further questioned whether boys and girls of different ages were being subjected to the same forms of training without consideration of their developmental and physiological differences.

The social welfare director said having concluded engagements with stakeholders, government would now proceed to invite discipline camp operators for discussions. He said the purpose of the engagements would be to hear directly from operators about the programmes they offer and assess whether their operations comply with the law and child protection standards.

To read more of this report, click here

https://www.eswatiniobserver.com/dpm-office-engages-discipline-camp-operators-eswatini/

See also

DPM raises alarm over discipline camps (eSwatini Observer)

https://www.eswatiniobserver.com/dpm-office-discipline-camps/

 

eSwatini, UN pivot to E453M strategy to shield economy from shifting global aid

By Samkelisiwe Mavimbela, Independent News, eSwatini, 21 May 2026

SOURCE

MBABANE: The United Nations and the Government of Eswatini have launched an aggressive E453.1 million (US$27.6 million) economic survival plan designed to shield the local economy from a collapsing global foreign aid market.

Faced with a volatile international landscape where traditional donor funding has dried up, the two-year Joint Work Plan represents a drastic shift away from small-scale humanitarian charity toward massive, system-wide institutional reform and private sector investment.

The strategy officially kicked off at UN House on Thursday with 77.2% of the required capital already secured, leaving an E95.4 million (US$5.8 million) funding gap that UN officials and the Ministries in line  intend to aggressively source through corporate partnerships and domestic revenue mobilization.

UN Resident Coordinator George Wachira warned that multilateral cooperation is undergoing its greatest test since 1945 as global tensions, rising fuel prices, and security demands squeeze international budgets.

“This reality informs but does not paralyse us,” Wachira told senior government and business leaders. “As the development financing landscape evolves, the implementation of the framework will depend increasingly on stronger domestic resource mobilization, strategic partnerships and catalytic investments. Our mindsets and language must shift away from project funding towards financing and investing at scale to achieve transformation,” he added.

To survive this tightening fiscal environment, the plan focuses heavily on overhauling Eswatini’s internal financial systems. Co-chaired by the Minister for Economic Planning and Development, Dr. Thambo Gina, the initiative will prioritize tightening tax collection, streamlining public financial management, cutting waste, and curbing corruption to expand the national budget internally.

To read more of this report, click here

https://independentnews.co.sz/43637/business/economy/eswatini-un-pivot-to-e453m-strategy-to-shield-economy-from-shifting-global-aid/

 

King Mswati appointing brothers and sisters to head Ministry of Home Affairs since taking over the Throne, these alleged corrupt royal thieves are collapsing the Government

Opinion by Zweli Martin Dlamini, Swaziland News, 18 May 2026

SOURCE 

It is clear now that, the Ministry of Home Affairs is regarded as “Liphakelo” within royalty, Ministers are appointed from the royal family and these alleged royal thieves have been collapsing the Ministry of Home Affairs.

But let me state that during the then Home Affairs Minister Prince Sobandla’s term, the Ministry was doing well, other Home Affairs Ministers who were not deeply involved in corruption include Prince Gabheni and Princess Tsandzile.

Now we have Home Affairs Minister Princess Lindiwe, an alleged thief who disregarded a warning from Finance Minister Neal Rijikernberg and continued to award multimillion tenders to African Drums Events Management (Pty) Ltd, a company allegedly linked to her ‘JC’ religious cabal.

As the situation stands, emaSwati are struggling to access passports and other Identity Documents (IDs) and corruption contributed to this social crisis.

But the King must never think he will be divorced from this mess, it’s him who regularly appointed his brothers and sisters to head of the Ministry of Home Affairs thus turning the Ministry into “Liphakelo”.

Currently, we have an alleged thief Princess Lindiwe of the JC syndicate and emaSwati are now struggling to access passports and other services.

 

Inside the secret mission to fly Taiwan’s President to Africa

By Chris Buckley and Amy Chang Chien, New York Times. 14 May 2026

SOURCE 

TAIPEI: From satellite phone check-ins to a borrowed royal plane, new details show how Taiwan’s leader’s team outwitted China and pulled off an audacious journey to southern Africa. 

There were no heavy suitcases aboard the borrowed jet that secretly carried President Lai Ching-te of Taiwan toward Africa. Instead, to save fuel for a secret, 15,000-mile journey to get around restricted airspace, his entourage brought only carry-on bags.

The stripped-back, high-stakes mission, revealed by Taiwanese officials who had been on the flight, and who showed documents to back up their account of what happened, was aimed at outmaneuvering Beijing’s latest attempts to isolate Taiwan.

China had been gloating earlier after it dealt an embarrassing blow to the president of Beijing’s rival, Taiwan, and his government’s efforts to preserve the island’s standing on the global stage.

President Lai Ching-te of Taiwan had been invited by the tiny southern African kingdom of Eswatini to attend celebrations in April marking King Mswati III’s 40 years on the throne. Eswatini is the only African country that still maintains official diplomatic relations with Taiwan and not China.

Mr. Lai was forced to call off the trip after three other countries rescinded permits for him to fly through their airspace to reach Eswatini. The three nations did so apparently because of pressure from Beijing, which says Taiwan is its territory and has no rightful place in diplomacy.

Then, in a twist, Mr. Lai announced in early May: “I’ve arrived.”

He had reached Eswatini on a covert flight across the Indian Ocean that appeared to have caught Beijing by surprise. The Chinese government likened Mr. Lai’s actions to a rat running across a street. Mr. Lai celebrated his trip as a plucky victory against China’s campaign to marginalize Taiwan.

This account of Mr. Lai’s covert journey to Africa and back draws on interviews with two officials who had accompanied him on the trip. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive security and diplomatic details and to share related documents, such as the flight permits that were revoked.

King Mswati III gave Mr. Lai a full military welcome ceremony, seen in an image provided by the Taiwan Presidential Office. Credit: Taiwan Presidential Office, via Associated Press

To read more of this report, click here

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/14/world/asia/taiwan-eswatini-china-flight.html

 

Skills mismatch fuels unemployment crisis – BE

By Sibusiso Dlamini, eSwatini Observer, 18 May 2026

SOURCE 

Business Eswatini (BE), the leading private sector organisation, says the country’s unemployment crisis is being driven by a dangerous combination of slow economic growth, outdated qualifications and a culture that still trains young people to seek jobs rather than create them.

BE CEO E. Nathi Dlamini said this following the release of the country’s 2023 Integrated Labour Force Survey, which revealed that about 68 000 employed people earn below E2 000 per month despite being counted as formally employed.

The survey reported that the kingdom’s unemployment rate stood at 35.4%, while youth unemployment among economically active people aged between 15 and 24 has climbed to 56%.

Dlamini said the labour market crisis could not be understood through unemployment figures alone because deeper structural problems were feeding into one another.

To read more of this report, click here

https://www.eswatiniobserver.com/skills-mismatch-driving-unemployment-eswatini/

 

eSwatini quickly embraced Trump’s deportee program despite doubts over legality

By Tim Cocks, Reuters, 21 May 2026

SOURCE 

MBABANE: Upon learning through the U.S. embassy that President Donald Trump was looking for African nations ⁠to take ⁠in deported third-country migrants, Eswatini was one of the first to ⁠volunteer despite questions over the legality of the program.

According to three senior government sources briefed on the matter, Prime Minister Russell Dlamini met then-Acting U.S. Charge d’Affaires Caitlin ​Piper in mid-February last year to discuss the matter in private.

Dlamini took the proposal to King Mswati III, who marked 40 years on the throne of the mountainous southern African nation in April. Mswati listened and immediately agreed to host the deportees, two of ‌the sources said, describing previously unreported closed-door talks.

The speed of the ‌agreement, under which 19 migrants have been detained in a prison south of the capital Mbabane so far, reflects how keen Eswatini was to keep its U.S. partner happy.

“The king embraced the deal as Eswatini’s contribution to world order,” King Mswati’s spokesperson, ⁠Percy Simelane, told Reuters of ⁠the decision.

The U.S. was Eswatini’s largest single external donor in 2024, according to U.S. Official Development Assistance figures, with a large share of ​aid going towards HIV/AIDS programmes. The landlocked kingdom of 1.2 million people has one of the highest rates of HIV in the world. 

In return for hosting up to 160 deportees, Eswatini - where a third of the population live below the $2.15-a-day World Bank poverty line - was to be paid $5.1 million, according to a leaked copy of the deal seen by Reuters.

To read more of this report, click here

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2026-05-21/eswatini-quickly-embraced-trumps-deportee-program-despite-doubts-over-legality

 

SWAZI MEDIA COMMENTARY

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Swaziland Newsletter No. 912 – 30 January 2026

 

Swaziland Newsletter No. 912 – 30 January 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.

 

Govt breach­ing UN chil­dren’s rights con­ven­tion - Par­ents

Sunday Observer (eSwatini) Press Reader edition, 25 January 2026 

Par­ents have joined the Swazi­l­and National Asso­ci­ation of Teach­ers (SNAT) in con­demning gov­ern­ment’s hand­ling of sweep­ing edu­ca­tion reforms.

They warned that the rushed rol­lout of Com­pet­ency-Based Edu­ca­tion (CBE) and a new four-year sec­ond­ary school pro­gramme amounts to poor gov­ernance and is a breach of an inter­na­tional chil­dren’s rights con­ven­tion.

Eswat­ini Schools Com­mit­tee and Par­ents Asso­ci­ation (ESCAPA) Pres­id­ent Cedric Chirwa said the asso­ci­ation fully agrees with the Swazi­l­and National Asso­ci­ation of Teach­ers (SNAT) that the min­istry of edu­ca­tion and train­ing was press­ing ahead with reforms without proper con­sulta­tion, adequate pre­par­a­tion or trans­par­ency, des­pite schools open­ing on Tues­day.

Chirwa said par­ents were neither con­sul­ted nor given access to reports eval­u­at­ing pilot pro­grammes, leav­ing them in the dark about what kind of edu­ca­tion their chil­dren will receive. “We agree with SNAT and it is even more alarm­ing that par­ents have also not been engaged,” Chirwa said.

“We have not seen any report on CBE or on the four-year pro­gramme. Par­ents do not know what edu­ca­tion will be taught to their chil­dren, and teach­ers them­selves are con­fused. That is a wor­ry­ing state of affairs as schools open,” he added. The cri­ti­cism comes as gov­ern­ment pre­pares to intro­duce CBE across sec­ond­ary schools and restruc­ture the sys­tem into a single four-year cycle cov­er­ing Grades 8 to 11.

The min­istry says the reforms will pri­or­it­ise prac­tical skills, cre­ativ­ity and mas­tery of com­pet­en­cies, while mov­ing away from tra­di­tional exam rank­ings and intro­du­cing new sub­jects such as music, dance, fine art and drama.

Chirwa said the man­ner in which the reforms are being imposed may place Eswat­ini in breach of the United Nations Con­ven­tion on the Rights of the Child (CRC), to which the coun­try is a sig­nat­ory.

“Art­icle 29 of the Con­ven­tion defines the aims of edu­ca­tion and also recog­nises the liberty of par­ents to choose the kind of edu­ca­tion they want to give to their chil­dren,” he said.

“By not con­sult­ing par­ents and other stake­hold­ers, and by with­hold­ing key reports, gov­ern­ment is going against that con­ven­tion,” he added. While care­ful to avoid incit­ing lan­guage, ESCAPA warned that side­lin­ing par­ents risks deep­en­ing mis­trust and entrench­ing divi­sions around edu­ca­tion policy.

“This is dan­ger­ous because it cre­ates a situ­ation where one party sees itself as always right and the other as oppos­i­tion. That is not what we want. We want to move together, to speak openly about how to improve the sys­tem and agree on the way for­ward,” he stated.

He cau­tioned that without trans­par­ency and shared own­er­ship, failed reforms could degen­er­ate into blame-shift­ing rather than account­ab­il­ity.

“If it fails, people will point fin­gers, and oth­ers will defend decisions even when they know things were done wrongly, simply for the sake of defend­ing,” he said.

At the core of par­ents’ frus­tra­tion, accord­ing to him, is the absence of pub­licly avail­able reports on the per­form­ance of CBE at primary school level and on the pilot of the four-year sec­ond­ary pro­gramme con­duc­ted in selec­ted schools last year.

Without these, ESCAPA argues, there is no evid­ence base for scal­ing the reforms nation­wide.

“These reports should have been avail­able not only to par­ents, but also to the media, so they could be inter­preted and explained to the wider pub­lic,” Chirwa said.

 

Three years on, justice denied for assassinated eSwatini human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko as Amnesty International demands independent investigation

By Abigail Jele, Swaziland News, 28 January 2026

SOURCE 

MBABANE: It’s been three solid years since the assassination of Thulani Maseko, a highly respected human rights lawyer who was shot dead at his home on 21 January 2023 in Eswatini. 

Three years on, no one has been held accountable for his killing, his assassination sent shockwaves across the country, the region, and the international human rights community, and remains a stark reminder of the risks faced by those who defend human rights in Eswatini.

As demands for justice continue, Amnesty International has raised serious concerns about the slow pace and lack of transparency surrounding investigations into his death.

Reached for comments by this Swaziland News, Amnesty International Southern Africa Coordinator stated that, even though the motive behind Maseko’s assassination “remains unclear”, they strongly believe he was murdered for defending human rights.

“Although the motive behind his killing remains unclear, Amnesty International has reason to believe that Thulani Maseko was murdered in connection with his work as a human rights defender and lawyer. Amnesty International is concerned that the search for those responsible for his violent death is dragging on, despite longstanding calls from civil society organizations, governments and intergovernmental organizations for an independent investigation into his murder.

Amnesty International calls on King Mswati III. to promptly, thoroughly and impartially investigate the unlawful killing of Thulani Maseko and to bring any responsible individuals to justice in a fair trial. Amnesty International also urges that Thulani Maseko’s family be granted access to justice and effective legal remedies. They must also be protected from intimidation”, said the Amnesty International Coordinator.

Three years after his killing, justice for Thulani Maseko remains elusive and continued absence of accountability not only deepens the pain of his family but also entrenches a culture of impunity that places all human rights defenders at risk.

 

‘Expel them’: eSwatini minister sparks alarm with anti-LGBTQ school rhetoric

By Luiz De Barros, Mamba Online, 28 January 2026

SOURCE  

LGBTQ+ young people have come under attack in Eswatini after the country’s Education Minister called for queer school pupils to be expelled, comparing them to gangsters.

According to local media, Minister of Education and Training Owen Nxumalo made the troubling remarks on Tuesday while visiting schools in the capital, Mbabane, to mark the start of the academic year.

Nxumalo claimed that learners in the southern African nation were being “coerced” into what he described as “unacceptable behaviour”, including gangsterism and homosexuality.

He told scholars and staff that same-sex relationships had no place in schools because they conflicted with religious beliefs and cultural traditions.

“We do not know where these practices come from, and we rebuke them in the name of Jesus,” Nxumalo was quoted as saying. “One fails to understand why a girl would convince another girl to fall in love with her.”

The minister added, “I will not tolerate any issues that come with homosexual relationships in our schools,” and vowed to personally ensure that any pupils involved in such relationships were expelled.

Nxumalo reportedly also praised US President Donald Trump’s stance on the LGBTQ+ community, describing it as the correct position to take.

LGBTIQ+ advocacy group Eswatini Sexual and Gender Minorities (ESGM) expressed its “deep concern” about the minister’s statements, noting that the Constitution guarantees equality and that every Swazi child has the right to education.

“Expelling learners on the basis of real or perceived sexual orientation or gender expression directly undermines these constitutional and statutory protections,” ESGM said in a statement.

“Such actions risk denying children their right to education, exposing them to stigma, violence, and long-term harm.”

The group stressed that “sexual orientation and gender identity are not misconduct” and said that “schools have a duty to address behaviour in a manner that is lawful, non-discriminatory, and consistent with child protection principles, not through exclusion or fear.”

ESGM called on the Ministry of Education and Training to ensure that schools are safe and inclusive environments for all learners, and to stop making statements that encourage discrimination, bullying or the exclusion of vulnerable children.

Eswatini remains one of the world’s last absolute monarchies and has a poor record on human rights. Although not actively enforced, men “suspected” of sodomy can be arrested without a warrant under the Criminal Procedure Act of 1938.

ESGM has been engaged in a years-long legal battle to overturn the government’s refusal, despite a court order, to register the organisation as an official entity.

 See also

Minister’s same-sex relationships statement: Minister must retract – CANGO (eSwatini Observer)

https://eswatiniobserver.com/ministers-same-sex-relationships-statement-minister-must-retract-cango/

 

15 minors raped in just 25 days

By Bongiwe Dlamini, eSwatini Observer, 26 January 2026

SOURCE 

At least 15 children under the age of 18 have been raped since the beginning of the year.

These statistics are according to cases that were officially reported to the police across the country.

The latest case was reported in Mankayane on January 21, where a four-year-old girl was raped allegedly by her 18-year-old neighbour. The incident happened at Nhlotjeni in December.

Sources close to the matter said the four-year-old and other minors usually went to the 18-year-old man’s home to play.

All seemed normal until early last week when the four-year-old girl’s mother overheard some children older than her daughter discussing what the teenager did to them when they went to play at his home.

Surprised, the mother is said to have then called her daughter aside and asked her what happened to them when they were playing at the neighbour’s home.

“The girl narrated that they were violated by the 18-year-old. Her mother reported the matter to the police, while parents and guardians of the rest of the children said they were still to discuss the matter,” said a source.

The suspect has not been arrested yet, as confirmed by Acting Deputy Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Inspector Mazwi Ndzimandze.

This case is at least the 15th to be reported to the police this month.

The cases reportedly happened in various areas in all four regions of the country.

The Lubombo region leads with six cases, followed by the Manzini and Hhohho regions with four cases each.

Only one case has so far been reported in the Shiselweni region.

More than half of the survivors of abuse are under 14 years, while at least four are aged 10 or below, indicating extreme vulnerability among younger children.

In the majority of the cases, the alleged perpetrators are known to the victims, including relatives such as uncles, cousins, stepfathers, neighbours, and boyfriends.

This points to abuse occurring largely within trusted environments such as homes, family settings and neighbourhoods, as previously articulated by SWAGAA in its latest report (December 2025).

To read more of this report, click here

https://eswatiniobserver.com/15-minors-raped-in-just-25-days/

 

The King’s Imbasha: How royal patronage is bankrupting the State

Opinion by Velaphi Mamba, Swaziland News, 25 January 2026

SOURCE 

King Mswati III has long relied on cultural nationalism as a substitute for democratic legitimacy. 

Culture, in his hands, is not simply heritage but a governing technology that is employed to manufacture obedience, suppress dissent, and convert public resources into royal loyalty. 

Under the banner of tradition, state power is reproduced not through accountable institutions but through ritual, spectacle, and increasingly, cash incentives meant to buttress a patronage system that has now bankrupted the country.

It is within this context that the practice of imbasha must be understood. Following the weeding of the King’s fields after the Incwala ceremony, regiments are paid a cash stipend, framed as cultural appreciation and a symbol of the king’s benevolence. 

This year alone, the reported cost of imbasha reached a staggering E45 million. At E1,000 per regiment member, this implies that roughly 45,000 people will be paid representing only 3.75% of Eswatini’s population of approximately 1.2 million. Fewer than four out of every hundred emaSwati will receive this benefit, while the remaining 96% are excluded, many facing chronic unemployment, food insecurity, and failing public services. 

It is important to also highlight the fact that imbasha is paid to men and boys only, who are the ones that culturally weed the king’s fields. The gender dimensions of the matter should therefore not go unnoticed.

The imbasha stipend is not a marginal expense nor a once-off gesture. If imbasha continues at E45 million per year and the 45 000 regiments’ figure remains constant, the state will have spent E450 million over a decade buying loyalty from a narrow segment of society. Nearly half a billion Emalangeni will have been transferred not through developmental programmes or social protection, but through a patronage system designed to reward ritual compliance and entrench royal hegemony. 

This is not a sustainable national redistributive program but selective appeasement, financed by a state already massively failing to meet its most basic obligations. The swelling numbers to weed the king’s fields are not a sign of the people’s love of culture and the king. 

They are emblematic of the economic desperation of the masses.

Worse still, the imbasha system is riddled with corruption and opacity. The money does not reach regiment members through transparent, auditable payment mechanisms. Instead, it is channelled through layers of traditional leadership – tindvuna and royal structures where discretion replaces accountability. 

This creates fertile ground for skimming, favouritism, and exclusion. Numerous accounts indicate that not all regiments receive the full E1,000, while others receive nothing at all, depending on their proximity to power. Portions of the E45 million vanish before reaching the intended recipients, shrinking even further the already tiny share of emaSwati who benefit. 

The absence of beneficiary registers, payment trails, independent audits, or parliamentary oversight means that tens of millions of Emalangeni are being moved annually in ways that offend basic principles of public finance management and potentially violate anti–money laundering laws. In any functioning state, such cash-heavy, politically controlled disbursements would trigger an investigation. 

In Eswatini, they are normalized and we are witnessing money laundering by the king in plain sight. This is egregious exercise of public finances and needs to be revisited.

King Mswati (centre) during the end of 2025-2026 Incwala ceremony

To read more of this commentary, click here

http://www.swazilandnews.co.za/fundza.php?nguyiphi=11208

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Swaziland Newsletter No. 909 – 9 January 2026

 

Swaziland Newsletter No. 909 – 9 January 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.

 

WHO warns eSwatini has world’s highest male suicide rate

By Sibusiso Dlamini, eSwatini Observer, 4 January 4, 2026

SOURCE 

Eswatini has recorded the highest male suicide rates in the world, placing the country at the centre of a deepening public health emergency that the World Health Organisation (WHO) says demands immediate, coordinated national action.

Globally, the kingdom ranks second overall for suicide, with men accounting for about 80% of completed cases.

This assessment has been highlighted by BIO50+, a research and briefing platform, which analysed the WHO’s Q3 2025 public health briefing for Eswatini, that warns that suicide rates in the kingdom have reached levels that can no longer be treated as a marginal or isolated health concern.

Instead, the agency frames it as a systemic national challenge with implications for health policy, social cohesion and economic stability.

According to the WHO briefing, men bear a disproportionate share of suicide deaths in the country, accounting for roughly four out of every five completed cases.

The imbalance mirrors a broader global pattern, but is far more pronounced in the kingdom, pushing the country to the top of global rankings for male suicide mortality.

Data compiled from health facilities and law enforcement between 2021 and 2025 point to hundreds of suicide-related cases, with the majority involving adults aged 25 and above.

While women and adolescents are also affected, the scale among men has raised particular concern among public health experts, who link the trend to social expectations around masculinity, economic pressure and low rates of help-seeking for mental distress.

The WHO cautions that these figures likely underestimate the true scale of the problem, as suicides are often underreported due to stigma, misclassification of deaths and gaps in community level surveillance, particularly in rural areas.

“The rising number of suicides in Eswatini is a serious public health concern that requires urgent and coordinated action,” the WHO has warned, calling on government, communities, institutions and the media to treat prevention as a shared national responsibility.

To read more of this report, click here

https://eswatiniobserver.com/who-warns-eswatini-has-worlds-highest-male-suicide-rate/

Parents frustrated as most urban schools full

By Siphosethu Dlamini and Sabelo Majola, Times of eSwatini, 8 January 2026

SOURCE 

MBABANE: With the new academic year just days away, parents are still desperately searching for spaces for their children, while head teachers maintain that most schools are already full.

Across Mbabane and surrounding areas, anxious parents were seen moving from one school to another in a last-minute rush to secure placements, particularly for pupils entering Form I. At several schools visited yesterday, long queues formed outside administration blocks as parents waited from dawn, hoping to be among the few lucky ones to secure spaces.

Others were seen clutching envelopes, ready to make immediate payments should an opportunity arise. However, many schools have reached full capacity and are no longer accepting new admissions.

At St Mark’s High School Head Teacher Khanyisile ‘Baah’ Shabangu confirmed that registration closed at 3pm yesterday for pupils who had already passed their entrance interviews. She revealed that only about 30 spaces were available on Monday for those who met the school’s admission requirements and those slots had since been filled.

“Ninety-five per cent of the admitted pupils have already paid their fees. Even if a few do not return, the number of available spaces will still be very limited,” said Shabangu.

She added that while she sympathised with parents who continue to visit the school despite being informed that spaces are full, there was little the school could do due to infrastructure and resource limitations.

“We wish we could take them all in, but our facilities simply cannot accommodate more learners. The only chance some parents have is the eventuality of a few admitted pupils not showing up by the 3pm deadline,” she said.

A similar situation was observed at Ka-Boyce High School, where parents said they had arrived as early as 6am hoping to be assisted. However, school officials told them that all spaces had been filled.

The Deputy Head Teacher at Ka-Boyce, Nathi Nkambule, said: “It is very disturbing and painful to be turning parents away, as we know they wish for their children to learn here, but it is beyond our control. We had hoped to admit 135 pupils for Form I, planning three classes of 45 learners maximum, but we have long surpassed that.”

One parent, when asked why he remained at the school despite being told the school was full, said: “We were told the school is full, but we’re still waiting, hoping something changes.” He requested anonymity.

To read more of this report, click here

https://times.co.sz/news/readmore.php?bhsadjgfoh=Parents+frustrated+as+most+urban+schools+full&yiphi=2444&bvhdgsj=News

 

PUDEMO notes escalating number of deaths amid shortage of drugs in public hospitals

By Bongiwe Dlamini, Swaziland News, 1 January, 2026

SOURCE 

MBABANE: The People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) has noted with great concern the escalating number of deaths in the country amid shortage of drugs in public hospitals.

In a New Year Statement released by Deputy Secretary General (DSG) Maxwell Dlamini and sent to this Swaziland News, the Eswatini main liberation movement said the public healthcare system “remains” in a state of collapse.

“The public healthcare system remains in a state of collapse. Hospitals and clinics across the country, including Mbabane Government Hospital, Raleigh Fitkin Memorial Hospital, and facilities in Shiselweni and Lubombo are characterized by chronic drug shortages, broken equipment, and understaffing and corruption-ridden procurement systems. PUDEMO notes with deep anger the shocking increase in the number of Swazi families who have unnecessarily lost their loved ones in public hospitals. These deaths are not inevitable; they are the result of neglect and mis-governance. The government’s failure to consistently provide dialysis services has condemned patients to slow and painful deaths, while the permanent absence of blood at the national blood bank has turned routine medical emergencies into death sentences,” said the PUDEMO Deputy Secretary General.

On another note, PUDEMO further condemned the continued plight of un-hired doctors and medical professionals, alongside interns who have remained in compulsory internships for over two years without salaries, while communities die for lack of care. 

“This is not incompetence, it is criminal neglect of public duty,” reads the statement in part.

See also

PUDEMO blames Tinkhundla undemocratic Government amid escalating Gender Based Violence (Swaziland News)

http://www.swazilandnews.co.za/fundza.php?nguyiphi=11007

 

Rife child sexual abuse exposes home vulnerability

By Bongiwe Dlamini, eSwatini Observer, 5 January 2026

SOURCE 

The arrest of three men in separate rape cases, including fathers and stepfathers allegedly sexually abusing their daughters, indicates the continued exposure of children to grave harm within spaces meant to offer protection.

The cases happened at Bhunya and Malkerns. Bhunya police arrested two suspects in connection with separate rape cases.

In one case, a 42-year-old man from Zondwako was charged under the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence (SODV) Act for allegedly repeatedly raping his biological daughter (19). The police said investigations indicated that the abuse occurred over five years, from 2020 to 2025, when the girl was 14 years old.

In a report, the police alleged that the suspect exploited the victim’s innocence by raping her in his consultation room (indumba) and manipulating her into believing that the acts were culturally acceptable.

He allegedly told her that it was customary for a girl to engage in sexual relations with relatives first and further allegedly threatened to kill her if she disclosed the abuse.

The matter came to light after the victim discovered that she was pregnant. She reportedly confided in her mother, who then involved her uncles.

On December 31, 2025, one of the uncles is said to have escorted her to the Manzini One Stop Centre, where the case was reported and later transferred to Bhunya police, leading to the suspect’s arrest.

In a separate case, Bhunya police also arrested a 24-year-old man from Mangcongco in connection with the alleged rape of a 16-year-old girl from the same area.

The two suspects appeared before the Manzini Magistrate’s Court last Friday, where they were remanded in custody pending the setting of their trial dates.

Meanwhile, the Malkerns police arrested a 37-year-old man from Ndinda in connection with the alleged sexual abuse of his stepdaughter.

The victim, a 17-year-old girl from Timbutini, was reportedly abused for nearly two years between 2023 and 2025.

To read more of this report, click here

https://eswatiniobserver.com/rife-child-sexual-abuse-exposes-home-vulnerability/

 

MPs visit paving way for ex-MP’s release amid United Nations pressure

By Zweli Martin Dlamini, Swaziland News, 2 January, 2026

SOURCE 

MBABANE: Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza, the convicted pro-democracy ex-Eswatini Member of Parliament (MP) might soon be released as the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNRC) Working Group deadline approaches. 

In a ‘ruling’ seen and previously reported by this publication, the UN Working Group gave the Kingdom of Eswatini a six (6) months ultimatum from October 2025 to release Mabuza and ex-MP Mthandeni Dube or else, the unlawful and/or politically motivated conviction will be escalated with the higher structures of the United Nations.

The United Nations Working Group investigates cases of deprivation of liberty imposed arbitrarily or inconsistently with the international standards set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, or the international legal instruments accepted by the States concerned.

But the UN Working Group communicated the ruling or report to King Mswati’s Government on the 15th October 2025 after investigating the politically motivated conviction of MPs Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube.

Subsequent and/or after receiving the directive, the King released MP Mthandeni Dube after tricking him through Justice Minister Prince Simelane to apologize while MP Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza is still behind bars at Matsapha Prison for politically motivated crimes he never committed. 

The pro-democracy MPs were unlawfully convicted by Judge Mumcy Dlamini who is married to a royal family member Prince Majahenkhaba and, the Judge was allegedly acting on orders or directive issued by King Mswati.

But as per an investigation report previously published by this Swaziland News, a delegation of MPs accompanied by King’s Protocol Officer Khandlela Mdluli subsequently visited ex-MP Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza at Matsapha Correctional Complex this week.

But even though the delegation claimed to have gone to Matsapha Correctional Complex to visit inmates as part of the Christmas celebration, this journalist subsequently gathered that ex-MP Bacede Mabuza was “again negotiated to apologize” to King Mswati and be immediately released.

Eswatini is an absolute Monarchy, the then MPs Mabuza and Dube MPs were arrested merely for demanding democracy and subsequently charged with terrorism, murder and other fabricated politically motivated criminal charges.

Phindile Dlamini, the Commissioner General of the Correctional Services declined to comment about the meetings held to discuss the release of the pro-democracy MP.

But sources within the corridors of powers told this publication that, appointed MP Prince Lindani is allegedly leading the process of attempting to force or convince ex-MP Mabuza to apologise to his father Mswati and be released.

“Attempts to intimidate him failed as he refused to apologise and now, the strategy is to be polite and negotiate him to before the UN deadline,” said a high profile insider within the corridors of power.

But Madala Mhlanga, the Deputy Speaker in the House of Assembly previously told this publication that, the delegation of MPs accompanied by King’s Protocol Officer Khandlela Mdluli visited ex-MP Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and other high profile inmates just to demonstrate love and appreciate them as members of the society despite their past ‘mistakes’.

The Deputy Speaker together with Kwaluseni MP Sifiso Shongwe donated soccer kits to the Matsapha inmates soccer team.

MPs visited convicted pro-democracy MP Bacede Mabuza who was arrested for demanding democracy in the undemocratic Kingdom of Eswatini

See also

MPs visit Bacede, Sipho Shongwe in prison (eSwatini Observer)

https://eswatiniobserver.com/mps-visit-bacede-sipho-shongwe-in-prison/

 

 

 

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