Swaziland
Newsletter No. 931 – 19 June 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 calls for united action to end gender-based
violence as cases rise
By Gcwalisile Mhlabane, eSwatini Positive News,
17 June 2026
SIDVOKODVO: The Kingdom of
Eswatini is stepping up national efforts to address the growing challenge of
gender-based violence, as government and stakeholders call for stronger
coordination and collective action to protect vulnerable groups. With cases continuing
to rise, leaders have emphasized the need for urgent and sustained intervention
across all sectors of society.
This call was made during the
two-day National Gender-Based Violence Symposium/Indaba held on June 17–18,
2026 at the TLC Auditorium in Sidvokodvo, where government leaders, law
enforcement officials, development partners, civil society organisations, and
community representatives gathered to strengthen coordinated responses and
improve national protection systems.
The symposium is focused on
reinforcing prevention strategies, improving survivor support services, and
enhancing institutional coordination to ensure a more effective and long-term
response to gender-based violence.
Opening the engagement, Deputy
Prime Minister Senator Thulisile Dladla called for collective responsibility
across all sectors of society, emphasizing that ending gender-based violence
requires courage, accountability, and sustained action.
She urged government
institutions, traditional leaders, families, faith-based organisations, men,
and young people to work together in protecting vulnerable groups and
supporting survivors.
“Building safe communities
requires more than condemnation of violence; it requires action. It requires
courage to speak out, commitment to intervene, and determination to hold
perpetrators accountable. It requires us to create environments where survivors
are believed, supported, protected, and empowered to rebuild their lives,” she
said.
A key highlight of the
symposium was the presentation of national statistics by the National
Commissioner of Police, Vusie Manoma Masango, who described the situation as a
national emergency requiring urgent and united action.
To read more of
this report, click here
See also
GBV claims 22 lives in 3 months (Times
of eSwatini)
eSwatini marks Day of the African Child with WASH progress
Statement,
Deputy Prime Minister’s Office, eSwatini, 16 June 2026
The Government of Eswatini has
made significant strides in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), providing
access to basic water services to 80% of the population, while 58% now have
access to basic sanitation.
The Deputy Prime Minister
Thulisile Dladla revealed these achievements during her address to the media in
commemoration of the Day of the African Child, held under the theme: “Ensuring
Universal Access to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Every Child in Eswatini.”
“From 2024 to date, we have
constructed at least 300 houses with decent toilets and 5000-litre water tanks
for child-headed homesteads and vulnerable families under the government’s
decent shelter programme. Coordination of WASH programmes across communities,
schools, and health facilities has also improved to ensure children have
services where they need them most,” said the DPM.
Despite progress, challenges
remain. In rural areas, 11% of households still practice open defecation, and
poor handwashing practices persist. Inadequate sanitation facilities continue
to pose serious health risks, particularly for children under five who are most
vulnerable to waterborne diseases. Facilities suitable for children with
disabilities are also lacking, while child-headed households and those in
remote chiefdoms bear the heaviest burden of WASH deprivation.
The DPM emphasized that the
theme aims to accelerate progress toward universal access to safe water,
appropriate sanitation, and hygiene for children in Eswatini. It also
contributes to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 — ensuring the
availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by
2030. This includes improving water quality, increasing water-use efficiency,
and protecting water-related ecosystems.
“As the Government we reaffirm
our unwavering commitment to the well-being and holistic development of every
child. Achieving universal WASH requires government, communities, and partners
to work together. We are therefore accelerating multi-sectoral efforts to
improve WASH access as part of our broader mandate on community
development," the DPM said.
King Mswati selling one of his private jets for over
R40million as Government confirms in Parliament plans to purchase another plane
By Zweli Martin Dlamini, Swaziland News, 15
June 2026
MBABANE: King Mswati is
allegedly selling one of his private jets for over R40million but, struggling
to secure interested buyers.
The King owns two (2) private
jets and the other one, has been listed in aircraft sales online platforms for
sometime now, King’s Office Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Chief Mgwagwa Gamedze
was mentioned as the contact person.
Reached for comments by this Swaziland
News, King Mswati’s Spokesperson Percy Simelane said he was not aware of
the notice of sale, he then referred comments to King’s Office Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) Chief Mgwagwa Gamedze.
“I am not aware. The Chief
Officer, Mr Mgwagwa Gamedze should be able to assist as he is alleged to be the
face of the sale in question”, said the King’s Spokesperson.
But efforts by this
publication to reach the King’s Office CEO proved unsuccessful at the time of
compiling this report.
On another note, a Government
insider told this publication that, the sale was first facilitated by the
Ministry of Public Works and Transport, it remains unclear if a buyer has been
secured but, the Ministry of Public Works recently told Parliament that,
“Government is planning to buy another jet”.
 |
King Mswati
III
No ILO Special Paragraph threats against eSwatini
By Mfanukhona Nkambule, Times of eSwatini, 12
June 2026
MBABANE: It is a notable shift
in the longstanding industrial relations narrative of the Kingdom of Eswatini
that, as the International Labour Conference convenes in 2026, the nation is
not subject to the intense scrutiny of a Special Paragraph.
An ILO Special Paragraph is a
highly publicised mechanism used by ILO.
It serves as a tool of
"naming and shaming" within the ILO's supervisory system,
specifically deployed when a member country commits continuous, systematic or
mass violations of ratified ILO Conventions
This development marks a
significant departure from previous decades, particularly the turbulent era
under the leadership of the late Jan Sithole of the Swaziland Federation of
Trade Unions (SFTU), and even the more recent challenges faced during the tenure
of current Secretary General Mduduzi Gina.
In an interview last night,
Gina and Minister for Labour and Social Security Phila Buthelezi said there was
not much about Eswatini in this year’s annual ILO conference in Geneva,
Switzerland.
“We are attending the
conference without anything particular to Eswatini,” Gina said.
The minister said: “There’s
nothing much about the Kingdom, besides updating committees through reports on
progress made regarding issues discussed before.”
While the International Trade
Union Confederation (ITUC) and the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA)
have submitted observations, the overall disposition of the Committee of
Experts indicates a government that is increasingly engaging with technical
assistance and procedural mechanisms to address long-standing labour disputes.
To read more of
this report, click here
UN presence in eSwatini not shrinking – Wachira
By Musa Simelane, Sunday Observer (eSwatini) 14
June 2026
UN Resident Coordinator
in Eswatini, George Wachira, has dismissed perceptions that the United
Nations is scaling down or withdrawing from the kingdom.
Instead, he said its
presence is being strengthened under a restructured operating model.
He pointed to the
conclusion of the 2021–2025 UN Cooperation Framework in December 2025,
noting that 17 UN agencies had been implementing the framework over the
previous five years.
“For the 2021 to 2025
cycle, we had 17 agencies signing the agreement to implement it, while the
newly launched framework now includes 21 agencies, an increase of four,” said
Wachira.
“So that is the true
story; it is not that the United Nation’s presence is reducing or withdrawing,
but rather it depends on where each entity is located while still covering
Eswatini.”
He explained that
globally, some UN agencies are relocating from expensive duty stations
such as New York, to more cost-efficient locations closer to the regions
they serve.
This shift has also
led to the establishment of multi-country offices, where a single representative
may cover several countries within a region.
For example, UNFPA
has its accredited representative based in Pretoria, South Africa, covering
Eswatini, Lesotho, and Botswana under one arrangement.
While the representative
is based in another country, he said staff members remain in Eswatini and
continue to implement programmes locally.
“What changes is
where the representative is located and how many countries they cover as
one representative,” he said.
Wachira stressed that
the UN is not withdrawing from Eswatini. “It is not like the United Nations
is walking away. In fact, it will not walk away, but what is changing is the
mode of organisation and ofcourse, as a way of reducing operational
costs,” he said.
He explained that in
some cases, rather than having a representative in every country, the UN
appoints one representative to cover multiple countries while staff
remains on the ground.
However, he confirmed
that Eswatini will continue to host the UN resident coordinator office to
ensure national coordination of UN activities. Wachira also acknowledged
that staffing levels could fluctuate depending on funding availability.
“Of course, as you
know, resources diminish, we have had instances where staff was downsized
because some programmes they were implementing were not funded anymore,”
he said.
“So at that point,
the staff would have to leave and as soon as new projects open, there is likelihood
of those staff members being called back.”
Asked to name a UN
agency locally that had undergone such a situation, he pointed out the
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), noting that a specific project had
ended and led to reduced staffing, though he could not recall the project
name.
“But UNICEF remains
in the Kingdom of Eswatini. No entity has actually left. Instead, we have
more entities that are implementing the new cooperation framework,” he
said.
He further noted
that under the new arrangement, agencies such as UNFPA, whose representative
is based in Pretoria, and UNICEF, which also has its country representative
based in South Africa, will continue to support Eswatini.
Wachira emphasised
that these changes reflect broader UN reforms aimed at improving efficiency,
coordination, and impact in delivering sustainable development goals,
rather than a reduction in presence.
He reiterated that
despite structural adjustments, the UN’s commitment to Eswatini remained
unchanged and its development partnership with government continued to
guide all programmes.
Overall, he said the
changes should not be interpreted as withdrawal, but as an evolution in how
the UN operates to better serve countries in the region
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