Swaziland
Newsletter No. 921 – 3 April 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.
Fuel shortage hits Mbabane, scramble ensues
By Ntombi Mhlongo and Mbongiseni Ndzimandze, Times
of eSwatini, 1 April 2026
MBABANE: Several filling
stations within the Mbabane Central Business District (CBD) were hit by a fuel
shortage yesterday, forcing motorists to scramble for fuel outside the city.
Most service stations in the
capital had run out of petrol, leaving frustrated motorists with no option but
to drive to surrounding areas in search of fuel.
There were long queues at
filling stations in Sidwashini, Ezulwini and Hilltop, as motorists flocked to
the few outlets that still had fuel.
At a Galp Filling Station in
Ezulwini, a notice placed at the entrance informed motorists that only diesel
was available, with petrol stocks depleted.
Motorists interviewed
expressed frustration over the situation, saying they had to travel long
distances after being turned away from several filling stations in Mbabane.
“We have been moving
from one filling station to another in town, only to be told there is no
petrol. Now we have to queue here for hours,” said one motorist.
Another said the situation was
affecting daily operations, particularly for those who rely on vehicles for
business and commuting.
The shortage comes amid
growing concerns over fuel supply challenges in the country, which have been
attributed to global supply disruptions.
To read more of
this report, click here
See also
Fuel shortages may
drive bus fare hikes, warns NRTC (eSwatini Observer)
https://eswatiniobserver.com/fuel-shortages-fare-hikes-nrtc-warning/
Fuel prices shoot up, govt provides
E334m cushion (Times of eSwatini)
Pupils expelled for same sex
By Bongiwe Dlamini, eSwatini Observer, 30
March 2026
Six pupils are currently
idling at home after being found to be involved in same-sex relationships.
The girls, three couples, were
reportedly expelled from Dvokolwako High School last Monday.
Sources close to the matter
said the decision to dismiss the learners was made following a vote by a
majority of the parents with children at the school.
Impeccable sources disclosed
that prior to the decision, on Thursday, March 19, school authorities
discovered that some learners from different grades were involved in romantic
relationships. It is alleged that several couples were identified, some heterosexual,
while 10 learners were involved in same-sex relationships.
While all pupils were punished
for engaging in relationships, sources said only three of the alleged same-sex
couples were confirmed.
A source alleged that these
couples openly declared their sexuality in the presence of their parents,
representatives of the parents’ body and school authorities including
Headteacher Sabelo Sibandze.
However, Sibandze’s tenure is
said to have elapsed on the same week.
Sources further revealed that
the developments prompted a resolution to convene a parents’ meeting last
Monday.
The report of same-sex
relationships did not sit well with a majority of the parents, who reportedly
voted for the six girls to be removed from the school.
To read more of
this report, click here
https://eswatiniobserver.com/pupils-expelled-same-sex-relationships-eswatini/
See also
Parents to plead
case for expelled Dvokolwako pupils (eSwatini Observer)
https://eswatiniobserver.com/dvokolwako-parents-plead-expelled-pupils/
Government moves to scrap school fees
By Musa Nsibande, eSwatini Observer, 30
March 2026
The ministry of education and
training is currently working on a proposal to raise funds for funding
education, which could see school fees being scrapped completely.
Principal Secretary (PS)
Naniki Mnisi explained that this could either come as a levy imposed on parents
or mandatory contribution drawn from the salaries of all employed individuals
towards the funding of education, which she described as an ‘education tariff’.
She said this could go a long
way towards solving the financial problems dogging the country’s education
system like arbitrary school fee hikes from school administrators, charging of
unregulated fees or even non-payment of school fees by dodgy or irresponsible
parents.
“The solution to all education
issues around finances is an education tariff. We will make an adequate request
through the right channels to Cabinet, and then Parliament,” she said.
The ministry is planning to
bring in the regulation once they are done with the preliminary planning stages
preceding selling the idea to Cabinet and ultimately bringing it to Parliament
for final approval. Mnisi said the proposed law would check arbitrary fee hikes
by school administrators and further cushion vulnerable children against the
uncertainty engendered by parents who often renege from their promises to pay
school fees.
The move comes after outcries
over inconsistencies in the charging of school fees across the country’s
schooling system, as well as complaints from school administrators who
encounter challenges in running schools given similar inconsistencies from
parents towards the payment of school fees.
The proposed law could either
regulate fees charged by schools or ultimately abolish the payment of school
fees, which could be funded from a mandatory contribution to be drawn from
salaries of all employed individuals.
PS Mnisi said they were still
trying to process the regulations, indicating that they were likely to settle
for the latter, where a mandatory contribution would be sought from taxpayers
towards the funding of education. According to a senior official, the ministry
is consulting all stakeholders and trying to build a consensus before the move
is implemented.
“There is a committee that has
been put in place by the ministry to work on the spadework. The ministry is
having internal discussions on this. It is also reaching out to relevant
stakeholders for consensus,” said the senior official.
Interviewed parents welcomed
the idea.
“But we will have to wait and
see if its implementation works for everyone,” said a curious parent.
See also
Govt moves to cut
teacher intake amid rising unemployment crisis (eSwatini Observer)
https://eswatiniobserver.com/govt-cuts-teacher-intake-unemployment-eswatini/
‘No more than a drop in the ocean’: this drug could end new HIV infections
in Eswatini – why isn’t there enough?
By Kat Lay, The Guardian (UK), 2 April 2026
The southern
Africa country has the world’s highest prevalence of HIV but the amount of
lenacapavir reaching it is too small to reach all those at risk
MBABANE: If Precious asks her
client to use a condom, she can charge him 100 lilangeni – about £4.50. If she
agrees not to use one, she can charge double. The financial incentive for sex
workers in Eswatini not to use protection is obvious – as is the risk, in a
country where one in four people are infected with HIV.
Last year, Precious visited a
clinic with five other sex workers to get tested. Four of them had the virus.
Eswatini, formerly known as
Swaziland, has the world’s highest HIV prevalence. It records about 4,000 new HIV infections a year
among its population of 1.2 million.
Its leaders hope that a new
“miracle” drug, lenacapavir, will finally turn off the tap of new infections.
Lenacapavir, given as an injection every six months, can prevent people from
contracting HIV. Although it is not technically a vaccine, it is being referred
to as one by patients and clinicians alike in this southern African country,
one of the first to roll it out.
The question is whether
lenacapavir will reach Eswatini – and other countries in the region – in
sufficient quantities and at sufficient speed to turn the tide. It is arriving
in the wake of hugely disruptive US aid cuts, which have hit HIV prevention efforts in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa.
To read more of
this report, click here
Community-led co-creation advances sustainable tourism
in eSwatini’s Matsanjeni Cultural Landscape
UNESCO, 2 April 2026
Communities in Eswatini are
taking the lead in shaping the future of sustainable tourism in the Matsanjeni
Cultural Landscape, following a high-level national work planning session
convened by UNESCO, the Eswatini National Trust Commission (ENTC), and the
National Commission for UNESCO (NatCom) from 25 to 26 March 2026. The two-day
session brought together traditional leaders, government institutions, and
cultural stakeholders to agree on concrete actions that will guide the
development of culture and heritage-based tourism in Matsanjeni North Inkundla.
Moving beyond dialogue to
action, the session was designed as a hands-on working platform rather than a
conventional workshop. Participants translated findings from recent baseline
studies into a clear, prioritising interventions focusing on practical,
implementable solutions and strengthening collaboration among stakeholders to
deliver shared results.
This was not a typical
workshop, it was a working session where co-creation is central. The value lies
in bringing everyone together to jointly define what needs to be done and how
we move forward collectively.
Participants agreed on a set
of concrete, action-oriented measures to drive the development of sustainable
tourism in Matsanjeni, focusing on governance, destination development,
storytelling, and community empowerment. Key priorities include establishing
stronger coordination mechanisms and partnerships, developing culture and
heritage-based tourism trails, and advancing destination planning through a
structured approach such as a Destination Management and Marketing Organisation
(DMMO).
The plan also places strong
emphasis on sustainability and inclusion. Stakeholders committed to integrated
management approaches, ranging from disaster risk preparedness and improved
visitor facilities to disability inclusion, ensuring tourism development
benefits all. At the same time, efforts to enhance visitor experience will be
strengthened through improved storytelling, documentation of local knowledge,
and the training and professionalisation of local tour guides.
To read more
of this report, click here
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