Swaziland Striving For Freedom Vol 22 March To June 2016

Swaziland:
Striving for
Freedom
As seen through the pages of
Swazi Media Commentary
Compiled by Richard Rooney
Volume 22: March to June 2016
SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM
CONTENTS
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Introduction
UN Review of Human Rights
Human Rights
King Mswatis Private jet
King Mswati III
Drought
Media
Police Violence
About the Author
Other Publications from Swazi Media Commentary
Occasional Paper Series
Previous Editions
2
3
14
23
30
36
40
44
46
47
48
49
INTRODUCTION
Swaziland spent an uncomfortable time at the United Nations in May hearing organisations
from within the kingdom and outside give details accounts of human rights violations
committed by King Mswati IIIs regime. The UN Human Rights Council was given cases
involving the correctional services, police, game rangers and attacks on LGBTI people. An
11-year-old boy has been locked up in detention for ten years although he has committed no
offence.
These are some of the stories contained in Swaziland: Striving for Freedom, volume 22, that
contains a compilation of reports published by Swazi Media Commentary website from
March to June 2016. King Mswati, who rules Swaziland as sub-Saharan Africas last absolute
monarch is to use his subjects money to buy a private Airbus jet at a cost of US$13 million.
This at a time when Swaziland has gone begging to the international community for cash aid
to feed its population who face starvation due to drought.
The King, who will assume the chair of the Southern Africa Development Community
(SADC) in August, has also been misleading the world about the extent of democracy in his
kingdom. He says there are elections in Swaziland so that demonstrates its credentials,
omitting to say that political parties are banned from taking part.
Swazi Media Commentary website has no physical base and is completely independent of
any political faction and receives no income from any individual or organisation. People who
contribute ideas or write for it do so as volunteers and receive no payment.
Swazi Media Commentary is published online updated regularly.
1 UNITED NATIONS REVIEW OF HUMAN RIGHTS

Innocent boy, 11, locked up for 10 years
22 June 2016
Children as young as eleven years old are being incarcerated in juvenile correction facilities
in Swaziland for up to ten years, even though they have committed no crimes.
And, the trend to lock innocent children up is increasing, a United Nations group examining
human rights in Swaziland was told.
Parents collaborate with the Commissioner of Correctional Services in what was described as
the best interests of the child.
A report submitted jointly to the United Nations Human Rights Council Universal Periodic
Review of Swaziland April-May 2016 by SOS-Swaziland, Super Buddies, Prison Fellowship
and Luvatsi Swaziland Youth Empowerment Organisation, gave the example of one child
aged 11.
Their report stated, There is a growing trend of child and youth abuse done by the state and
the parents purportedly in the best interests of the child. Children and youths are illegal
incarcerated in prison centres by parents in collaboration with the Commissioner of
Correctional Services who claims that the children are unruly.
In one incident, Grace (not her real name) who is a single parent to John (not his real name)
wrote a request letter to the Commissioner of Correctional Services requesting that John be
incarcerated for unruly behaviour. In the letter, Grace states her concerns that eleven years
old John might not finish school; hence her reason for wanting him incarcerated and
attending the juvenile school at Malkerns Industrial School for Rehabilitation.
Responding to the same letter of request by Grace, the Commissioner of Correctional
Services stated that under normal circumstances, they do not admit persons who have not
been sentenced by the courts and directed therein through committal warrants.
However, the Commissioner agreed to rehabilitate John under the stated conditions; that the
11 years old John is institutionalised at the juvenile school for 10 years; there is an order from
a presiding officer giving him a custodial order of ten years without remission; and that he
will cooperate with His Majestys Correctional Services while under its care.
With that response, Grace [sic] the letter to a presiding officer who then wrote a custodial
order for the stipulated time and John was admitted to the juvenile school in 2013. The 11
years old John lodges with other juveniles who have been charged by the court of law for
various crimes they have committed. Grace pays tuition fees and up-keep fees for John, and
she will continue doing so for the next ten years until 11 years old John is 21 years.
This case is one of many, and the children are of different ages and varying backgrounds. It
is only recently that a joint task team comprising of UNICEF, Prison Fellowship Swaziland,
Lawyers for Human Rights-Swaziland, Save the Children Swaziland working together with
the department of home affairs are exploring means to curb this situation and probably
provide solutions for both the parents and children.
In 2012, the Times Sunday newspaper in Swaziland reported that Isaiah Mzuthini Ntshangase,
Swazilands Correctional Services Commissioner, was encouraging parents to send their
unruly children to the facility if they thought they were badly behaved.
Ntshangase was speaking at the open day of the Juvenile Industrial School at the Mdutshane
Correctional Institution. He told the newspaper, Noticing the strife that parents go through
when raising some of their children who are unruly, we decided to open our doors to assist
them.
The school not only corrected offenders but assisted in the fight against crime by rooting out
elements from a tender age, the newspaper reported him saying. The children will be locked
up, rehabilitated and integrated back to society, the Times reported.
The school accommodates pupils who were both in conflict with the law as well as
delinquents, the Times said. There were 279 children locked up at the time of the interview.
The Times interviewed some of the inmates and found a 15-year-old girl locked up by her
guardian because she had developed a relationship with a boyfriend that the guardian did not
like.
Another girl interviewed was an orphan who lived a town life. She was reported saying, In
our dormitories which we share, we are deprived all the nice and good things.
4
She added the rules at the institution were tough, This place is not for the faint-hearted
because you lose a lot of privileges that are freely accessible outside. There is neither
clubbing, drinking nor time for boys.
One unemployed father of an 11-year-old boy said he put his son in the facility because he
did not have money to pay school fees. I am grateful that my son is in school. I cannot afford
his education because I am old. My wish is that he finishes school to earn a decent living, he
said.
The guardian of one girl said before she was admitted at the school, she had not been able to
contain her behaviour. My biggest problem was that I had lost her. She dropped out of
school together with my niece (sisters daughter) who is an orphan, she said.
Children reported that they were not beaten but they were badly fed, getting their supper at
around 3pm, which meant they went to bed hungry.
This was not the first time the Swazi juvenile correction facility had been under the spotlight.
In August 2010, it was revealed that a 12-year-old boy was serving one year in Mdutshane
because he insulted his grandmother. He had been sentenced to an E300 fine (about US$40),
but was too poor to pay so was jailed instead.
See also
BOY, 12, JAILED FOR INSULTING GRANNY
Boy, 15, among police torture victims

23 June 2016
A 15-year-old boy was tortured by police in Swaziland after his mother reported him for
stealing E85 (US$6). The boy said he was beaten with a metal blade and a club for five hours.
The case was just one of many reported to a United Nations review panel looking into human
rights in Swaziland, where King Mswati III rules as sub-Saharan Africas last absolute
monarch.
A joint report by four organisations working to improve human rights stated, In Mbabane
[the Swazi capital], police tortured a 15-year-old boy after his mother had reported him for
stealing E85.00. The boy alleges that he was beaten with a slasher (metal blade tool for
cutting grass) and knobkerrie (club) for five hours. While enduring the pain, he alleges that
he was made to count the strokes aloud for the police to hear. Instead of being charged, the
boy was physically assaulted and made to sit in a chair for thirty minutes before he was sent
back home.
The report was submitted to the United Human Rights Council Working Group on the
Universal Periodic Review of Swaziland by the Swaziland Multi-Media Community
Network, Swaziland Concerned Church Leaders, Swaziland Coalition of Concerned Civic
Organisations and Constituent Assembly Swaziland.
They also reported the case of Phumelela Mkhweli, a political activist who died after alleged
assault by police after they arrested him.
The report also stated, In April 2011, a 66-year-old woman was confronted by three police
officers regarding the wording on her t-shirt and headscarf. The police allegedly pulled off
her T-shirt, throttled her, banged her head against the wall, sexually molested her, kicked her
and threw her against a police truck.
The US Department of State reported on many allegations of torture and ill-treatment by
police; including beatings and temporary suffocation using rubber tube tied around the face,
nose, and mouth, or plastic bags over the head, the report stated.
There have been numerous reports of torture by police and military personnel in Swaziland
over the past few years.
In July 2015, Swazi MP Titus Thwala reported that Swaziland soldiers beat up old ladies so
badly they had to be taken to their homes in wheelbarrows. He said that elderly women were
among the local residents who were regularly beaten by soldiers at informal crossing points
between Swaziland and South Africa. Thwala said the soldiers made people do push ups and
other exercises.
In 2011, a man was reportedly beaten with guns and tortured for three hours by soldiers who
accused him of showing them disrespect. He was ordered to do press ups, frog jumps and told
to run across a very busy road and was beaten with guns every time he tried to resist. His
crime was that he tried to talk to a man whose vehicle was being searched by soldiers at
Maphiveni.
The incident was one of many examples of soldiers being out of control in Swaziland. The
Army, in effect, has a shoot-to-kill policy. In May 2011, three unarmed South African men
were shot dead by Swazi soldiers when they were caught trying to smuggle four cows from
Swaziland into the Republic.
In July 2011, three armed soldiers left a man for dead after he tried to help a woman they
were beating up. And in a separate incident, a woman was beaten by two soldiers after she
tried to stop them talking to her sister.
In January 2010 soldiers were warned that their attacks on civilians amounted to a shoot to
kill policy and this was unconstitutional.
There have been many accounts of soldiers killing or beating up civilians, including a coldblooded murder of two women accused of smuggling a car across the border with South
Africa; a man who had five bullets pumped into his body after being beaten to a pulp; an
attack on sex workers after three soldiers refused to pay them for their services; an attack by a
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bus load of soldiers on a security guard after he asked them to move their vehicle; and five
drunk soldiers who terrorised two boys, smashing one of them to a pulp.
See also
SWAZI ARMYS IDEA OF PEACE
SWAZI STUDENT LEADER TORTURED
KINGS PAPER SUPPORTS POLICE TORTURE
ROUGH JUSTICE FOR SEX WORKERS
MORE POLICE TORTURE IN SWAZILAND
Swaziland fails on freedom promise

24 June 2016
Swaziland has failed in the promise it gave a United Nations review in 2011 to change laws
in the kingdom relating to freedom of association and assembly so they met international
standards, according to a report by Human Rights Watch.
Swaziland is ruled by King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africas last absolute monarch. Political
parties are banned from taking part in elections; only 55 members of the 65-seat House of
Assembly are elected by the people and none of the 30-seat Senate.
In 2011 at a United Nations Human Rights Council Working Group on the Universal Periodic
Review of Swaziland, Swaziland agreed to [a]lign the national legislation with international
standards to guarantee freedom of assembly and association, in particular as regards the
notification of the organization of peaceful assemblies.
In a report to the Working Group in May 2016, Human Rights Watch stated, The [Swazi]
government has yet to repeal, or amend as appropriate, a number of repressive laws that
restrict basic rights guaranteed in Swazilands 2005 constitution, including freedom of
association and assembly. On the contrary the government has intensified restrictions on
these rights over the past four years. The laws in need of amendment include the 2008
Suppression of Terrorism Act (STA), the 1938 Sedition and Subversive Activities Act, and
the 1963 Public Order Act.
Police have sweeping powers under the Public Order Act. The kings 1973 decree banning
political parties remains in force despite repeated calls from local political activists to have it
revoked. The constitution does not address the formation or role of political parties. Section
79 of the constitution provides that Swaziland practices an electoral system based on
individual merit and excludes the participation of political parties in elections.
Traditional leaders and chiefs have powers to restrict access to their territories, and have
often used these powers to bar civil society groups and political groups like the Ngwane
National Liberatory Congress (NNLC) and the Peoples United Democratic Movement
(PUDEMO) from having meetings, recruiting, or any kind of presence in their areas. In 2011
PUDEMO challenged in court the governments refusal to register political parties but the
court said PUDEMO has no legal standing to approach the court as it did not exist as a legal
entity.
The Suppression of Terrorism Act (STA) places severe restrictions on civil society
organizations, religious groups, and the media because it includes in the definition of
terrorist act a wide range of legitimate conduct such as criticism of government, enabling
officials to use the provisions of the Act to target perceived opponents of the government.
The government has also misused the STA to target independent organizations by accusing
them of being terrorist groups, and harassed civil society activists through abusive
surveillance and unlawful searches of homes and offices.
Individuals who have been targeted for arrest or prosecution under the STA include the
leaders of Peoples United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) and Swaziland Youth
Congress (SWAYOCO) who were arrested and detained under the STA in 2014. Police
arrested PUDEMO leader Mario Masuku in May 2014, on terrorism charges for criticizing
the government in a speech on May 1. At the time of writing Masuku was out of jail on bail
pending the outcome of his trial. If convicted, he could serve up to 15 years in prison.
Police used violence to halt May Day celebrations organized by trade unions in May 2013.
In March 2015 police beat leaders of the Swaziland National Association of Teachers and
prevented them from hold a meeting ostensibly because the discussions would have included
calls for multi-party democracy.
See also
RESPECT FOR SWAZI RULE OF LAW FAILS
OPPOSITION TO KING IS TERRORISM
SADC URGED TO ACT ON HUMAN RIGHTS
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH ON SWAZILAND
No amnesty in terror cases

27 June 2016
Swaziland refused to withdraw all charges against people brought under the Suppression of
Terrorism Act (STA), when it appeared before a United Nations review of human rights in
the kingdom.
The STA has been criticised across the world because it is used to arrest and jail people,
including trade unionists, who are legitimately calling for their rights.
Human Rights Watch in its World Report 2016, said The Suppression of Terrorism Act, the
Sedition and Subversive Activities Act of 1938, and other similarly draconian legislation
provided sweeping powers to the security services to halt meetings and protests and to curb
criticism of the government, even though such rights are protected under Swazilands 2005
constitution. In September 2015, eight human rights defenders challenged the
constitutionality of these security laws in the High Court of Swaziland. A final ruling has yet
to be handed down.
The STA was regularly used by the police to interfere in trade union activities, Action for
Southern Africa (ACTSA) said in a submission to the Commonwealth Ministerial Action
Group (CMAG) in 2015.
Amnesty International has criticised of Swaziland for the continued persecution of peaceful
political opponents and critics by the King and his authorities. It said the Swazi authorities
were using the Acts, to intimidate activists, further entrench political exclusion and to
restrict the exercise of the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful
assembly.
Swaziland is ruled by King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africas last absolute monarch. Political
parties are not allowed to contest elections. The people are only allowed to select 55 of the 65
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members of the House of Assembly, with the King appointing the others. No members of the
30-strong Swaziland Senate are elected by the people.
Swaziland appeared before the United Nations Human Rights Council Working Group for a
five-yearly Universal Periodic Review in May 2016.
A draft report of the review published online, stated that Swaziland refused to accept 14
recommendations from members of the review panel, including one from Norway that
recommended a, Withdraw all criminal charges brought against human rights defenders and
political opponents under laws such as the Suppression of Terrorism Act of 2008 and other
security legislation, and ensure that proposed amendments to these acts bring them in
conformity with international human rights standards.
See also
SWAZI TERROR LAW COURT CHALLENGE
SWAZI TERROR ACT STOPS FREE SPEECH
Swazi game rangers shoot-to-kill

28 June 2016
People are being shot and killed in Swaziland because they are suspected of poaching and
game rangers are immune from prosecution, a United Nations review on human rights has
been told.
The Swaziland Coalition of Concerned Civic Organisations (SCCCO) reported, There are
numerous of cases where citizens are shot and killed by game rangers for alleged poaching as
raised by community members in several communities such as Lubulini, Nkambeni, Nkhube,
Malanti, Sigcaweni, and Siphocosini.
In terms of Section 23 (3) [of the Game Act] game rangers are immune from prosecution for
killing suspected poachers and empowered to use firearm in the execution of their duties and
to search without warrant, SCCCO told the United Nations Human Rights Council Working
Group on the Universal Periodic Review of Swaziland in a report.
11
It added, For example, there is a case of Jika Jika Mabila and another, who were shot by the
Mlawula game rangers for suspected poaching during the night inside the game reserve. The
other died on the spot, and Jika Jika was hospitalised at the Good Shepard Hospital, as he
shot on the leg, on the ribs, and on the left arm, and was eventually arrested.
SCCCO recommended the Game Act be amended, to give effect to the full protection and
realisation of the right to life and to allow for the prosecution of all perpetrators of
extrajudicial killings.
There has been concern in Swaziland for many years that game rangers have immunity from
prosecution and can legally shoot-to-kill.
In January 2014, Swazilands Police Commissioner Isaac Magagula said rangers were
allowed shoot people who are hunting for food to feed their hungry families.
Commissioner Magagula publicly stated, Animals are now protected by law and hunting is
no longer a free-for-all, where anybody can just wake up to hunt game whenever they crave
meat.
He told a meeting of traditional leaders in Swaziland, Of course, it becomes very sad
whenever one wakes up to reports that rangers have shot someone. These people are
protected by law and it allows them to shoot, hence it would be very wise of one to shun
away from trouble.
His comments came after an impoverished unarmed local man, Thembinkosi Ngcamphalala,
aged 21, died of gunshot wounds. He had been shot by a ranger outside of the Mkhaya Nature
Reserve. His family, who live at Sigcaweni just outside the reserves borders, said he had not
been poaching.
Campaigners say poor people are not poaching large game, such as the endangered black
rhinos, but go hunting animals, such as warthogs, as food to feed themselves and their
families. Hunger and malnutrition are widespread in Swaziland where seven in ten of King
Mswatis subjects live in abject poverty. Many are forced to become hunters and gatherers to
avoid starvation.
12
King Mswati III, who rules Swaziland as sub-Saharan Africas last absolute monarch, has
given game rangers permission to shoot-to-kill people suspected of poaching wildlife on his
land and protects them from prosecution for murder in some circumstances.
Ted Reilly, the chief executive of Big Game Parks (BGP), which owns and manages
Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary and Mkhaya Nature Reserve and also manages Hlane National
Park, the kingdoms largest protected area, held in trust for the Nation by the King, holds a
Royal Warrant to allow him to shoot-to-kill.
He has had this for at least twelve years. In 2004 Reilly appeared in a documentary produced
by Journeyman Pictures in which he spoke of his relationship to the King and showed his
warrant on camera.
The documentary commentator said, He [the King] gave Ted a Royal Warrant that allowed
him to arrest and if necessary shoot-to-kill the poachers.
The commentator added, The Royal Warrant, still in force today, protects rangers from
prosecution for murder as long as the poacher draws his weapon first.
Reilly said, It is the biggest honour that you could possibly imagine.
Reilly showed the documentary makers a specially-made fort with gun turrets, where rangers
can hide to shoot at poachers. He also showed surveillance towers. From here, we go out, we
launch attacks, he said.
On camera, Reilly said the automatic weapons his rangers used against poachers, are much
smaller than the AK-47, but are equally as devastating. You dont survive one of those shots
if it hits you properly.
Reilly told the documentary, Our guys arent to be messed with. If they [poachers] come
after rhino theyre going to get hurt, and if he gets killed or maimed, well, you know, whos
to blame for that?
See also
SWAZI COPS LET MAN BE EXECUTED
TRUE FACE OF INJUSTICE IN SWAZILAND
KING LETS GAME RANGERS SHOOT-TO-KILL
13
2 HUMAN RIGHTS
School principal reported to police after caning
15 June 2016
A school principal in Swaziland has been reported to police after allegedly giving a 20-yearold female student nine strokes of the cane on the buttocks.
The incident reportedly happened at the Herefords High School, according to a report in the
Swazi Observer newspaper on Wednesday (15 June 2016).
The newspaper said the young woman who they named, was badly injured after the
thrashing and a case of assault has been opened with the Buhleni Police, against Principal
Colsile Maphanga.
The newspaper quoted an anonymous teacher at the school who said the alleged assault
happened on Monday 13 June 2016. After assembly, the said pupil was called by a teacher to
go to the deputys office. She was taken to the principals office, apparently because she is
troublesome, the teacher said.
The newspaper reported, She was given nine strokes on the buttocks by the principal while
the deputy helped her by holding the pupils hands as she was made to lie down, said the
source.
The Observer reported the young womans father, said the bruises were not only visible but
also bad as he claimed his daughter had difficulty sitting down.
The newspaper reported Maphanga disputed all the claims laid against her.
Corporal punishment in Swazi schools is widespread and there have been a number of bizarre
cases reported in the kingdoms media in recent years.
As recently as September 2015, the Times reported a 17-year-old school pupil died after
allegedly being beaten at school. The pupil reportedly had a seizure.
In March 2015, a primary school teacher at the Florence Christian Academy was charged
with causing grievous bodily harm after allegedly giving 200 strokes of the cane to a 12-yearold pupil on her buttocks and all over her body.
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In February 2015, the headteacher of Mayiwane High School Anderson Mkhonta reportedly
admitted giving 15 strokes to a form 1 pupil for not wearing a neck tie properly.
In April 2015, parents reportedly complained to the Ndlalane Primary School after a teacher
beat pupils for not following his instruction and shaving their hair.
In October 2014, 20 pupils were thrashed before they sat an examination because they had
been absent from school studying for the exam the previous day.
Girls at Mpofu High School were reportedly flogged by teachers on their bare flesh and if
they resisted they were chained down so the beating could continue. They said they received
up to 40 strokes at a time.
In 2011, it was reported that Edward Khayoni, Principal at Elangeni High School, had
administered public floggings to adults who dated girls from his school. The men reportedly
were forced to attend in front of the entire school, lie down on a bench and receive a
whipping. The girls were also flogged.
In March 2016, it was reported there had been 4,556 cases of severe corporal punishment of
children in Swazilands schools over the past four years.
See also
SWAZI SCHOOL TORTURES STUDENTS
CHILDREN CHAINED AND FLOGGED BARE
PROBE VICIOUS SCHOOL BEATINGS
SCHOOL FLOGGINGS OUT OF CONTROL
SCHOOL HEAD PUBLICLY FLOGS ADULTS
Botswana supports Swaziland at ILO

17 June 2016
The Botswana Government has been accused by trade unionists in that country of supporting
Swazilands violation of workers rights.
15
Botswana Federation of Trade Unions (BFTU) said members were shocked when Botswana
supported Swaziland, a fellow member of the Southern African Development Community
(SADC), at the recent International Labour Conference (ILO) in Geneva, Switzerland.
Mmegi newspaper in Botswana reported on Wednesday (15 June 2016) that BFTU president
Bohithetswe Lentswe said that the government of Swaziland appeared before the committee
of application of standards for violation of right to organise and collective bargaining and
right to freedom of association and protection of the right to organise.
Lentswe said that Botswana speaking on behalf of SADC as the chair of the regional bloc
said that there is no need for any intervention from the ILO as it noted progress in addressing
the issues by both governments.
In the Swaziland case, Lentswe said that it was noted that it was the seventh consecutive time
the case was discussed in the conference committee and the kingdom had been examined 14
times, but Botswana government again said that the Swaziland government was progressing
to implement the convention.
In Swaziland political parties are banned and King Mswati III rules as sub-Saharan Africas
last absolute monarch. King Mswati will take over the chair of SADC in August 2016.
Lentswe added, The Botswana government noted with satisfaction the significant progress
made by the convention as amendments have been tabled in Swaziland parliament to create a
conducive environment for effective social dialogue while saying this was evidenced by the
registration of federations of trade unions. Botswana expressed confidence that SADC would
address the issues.
Lentswe said that this was wrong coming from SADC chair. He said as the World of Work
actors, they strongly believe in social dialogue and condemn the decision of Botswana to
condone bad-boy behaviour.
Lentswe said that the situation in Swaziland was bad and needed ILO intervention as the
government continued to violate the fundamental right of freedom of association and
protection of the right to organise. He further said that they were happy that the conference
heeded their plea for intervention to send a commission to assess the situation in the
kingdom.
16
See also
ILO URGES SWAZI WORKERS REFORM
SWAZILAND IN TOP TEN WORST FOR WORKERS
People with albinism demand government protection

20 June 2016
People with albinism in Swaziland have called on the Government to protect them because
they say they are hunted down like animals.
The call came on Friday (17 June 2016) during a march to raise awareness of the albinos
plight.
The Swazi News reported, The message was loud and clear that government should put in
place policies to protect people living with albinism; who are always on the run, as they are
hunted down like animals.
People living with albinism took to the streets in Mbabane, the kingdoms capital, as part of a
global campaign to raise awareness.
People living with albinism are often hunted down and ritually killed in Swaziland and their
body parts used in witchcraft.
During the national elections in Swaziland in 2013, albinos lived in fear that their body parts
would be harvested by candidates seeking good luck.
Independent Newspapers in South Africa reported at the time, In the past albinos, who lack
the skin pigment melanin, as well as epileptics have been specifically targeted, prompting the
police to set up registries.
In 2010, the killing and mutilation of albinos, including in one instance the decapitation of
two children in Nhlangano, prompted panic.
Twenty-eight-year-old Sipho Dlamini said such albino killings regularly take place, but in
the past were masked by rumours about albino behaviour.
17
People were told that when an albino dies, he would go and die far away where he or she
would not be found. I think they were killed, he said.
Swazi LGBTI people live in fear

21 June 2016
A gay club has been formed in the Northern Hhohho region of Swaziland to help tackle
prejudice in the kingdom.
The motivation to form the gay club is to address stigmatisation suffered by homosexuals
who cannot find immediate safety amongst their peers, parents and the community at large,
the Swazi Observer newspaper reported on Monday (20 June 2016).
The newspaper reported club president Nkhosinati Fly Dlamini saying, We want to inform
our immediate family members and friends that we are here and proud. They must also know
that we are not sick or confused it is just that we are people who want our basic human rights.
We dont want to live in fear.
The move comes shortly after a searing condemnation of Swazilands violation of the rights
of LGBTI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex) people was made to a United
Nations group.
In May 2016, Rock of Hope, which campaigns for LGBTI equality in Swaziland, reported to
the United Nations Universal Periodic Review on Swaziland that laws, social stigma and
prejudice prevented LGBTI organisations from operating freely.
It stated, As a result, the few organisations that seek to advance the rights and welfare of
LGBTI people, such as House of Our Pride and Rock of Hope, are forced to operate under a
fiscal sponsor, usually a larger organisation dealing with HIV/AIDS or gender issues to avoid
official scrutiny. Rock of Hope which has been successful at acquiring formal registration did
so under a cloud of fear to fully disclose their full mandate and nature of their beneficiaries
being LGBTI persons whose existence is denied and prohibited by the state.
The report to the UNUPR was presented by Rock of Hope jointly with three South Africanbased organisations.
18
The report added, In Swaziland sexual health rights of LGBTI are not protected. There is
inequality in the access to general health care, gender affirming health care as opposed to sex
affirming health care and sexual reproductive health care and rights of these persons. HIV
prevention, testing, treatment and care services continue to be hetero-normative in nature
only providing for specific care for men born as male and women born as female, thereby
leaving out trans men and women as an unprotected population which continues to render the
states efforts at addressing the spread and incidence of HIV within general society futile.
The report added, LGBTIs are discriminated and condemned openly by society. This is
manifest in negative statements uttered by influential people in society e.g., religious,
traditional and political leaders. Traditionalists and conservative Christians view LGBTIs as
against Swazi tradition and religion. There have been several incidents where traditionalists
and religious leaders have issued negative statements about lesbians.
Human rights abuses and violations against members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender and intersex population continue to go undocumented, unreported, unprosecuted
and not addressed.
It added, There is no legislation recognizing LGBTIs or protecting the right to a nonheterosexual orientation and gender identity and as a result LGBTI cannot be open about their
orientation or gender identity for fear of rejection and discrimination. For example, the
Marriage Act, only recognizes a marriage or a union between a man and a woman. Because
of the absence of a law allowing homosexuals to conclude neither marriage nor civil unions,
same-sex partners cannot adopt children in Swaziland.
The report made seven recommendations to the Swazi Government, including to review laws
that undermine LGBTI persons rights in particular and human rights in general especially as
they conflict with the Constitution; and to ensure prosecution of State agents who commit
human rights violations against LGBTI individuals and their organizations.
See also
LESBIAN AND GAY MURDERS IN SWAZILAND
SWAZI MINISTER LIES TO UN ON GAYS
COMMUNITY POLICE BANISH GAY MEN
19
Call for global pressure on government

30 June 2016
Action for Southern Africa (ACTSA) has called on the international community to apply
serious pressure on the Government of Swaziland so that it respects human rights and
develops a genuinely democratic constitution.
The absolute monarch King Mswati III is due to become the chairperson of the Southern
African Development Community (SADC) in August 2016 while his government continues
to violate human rights with impunity. In a report published on Wednesday (29 June 2016),
ACTSA warned that Swaziland might plunge into a protracted crisis unless African
governments, as well as bilateral and multilateral donors, vigorously and consistently engage
with the Government of Swaziland so that it genuinely protects and serves all of its citizens.
In a statement, ACTSA said, The report, Swazilands Downward Spiral, outlines how the
current Constitution of Swaziland fails to respect democratic norms, and many laws
undermine basic freedoms, especially those of women. The countrys largest opposition
party, the Peoples United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), is banned.
Trade unions and other civil society organisations seeking to promote human rights and
democracy endure systematic oppression. As a result of mismanagement and corruption, the
economy is in a dire state, with 63 percent of the population living below the poverty line,
and wealth concentrated in the hands of the royal family and a tiny elite close to the King.
The statement continued, The report argues that the international community has not
sufficiently engaged with the denial of human rights and with authoritarianism in Swaziland.
Some, especially those within the country, interpret this as condoning the actions of the King
and his government. Ultimately, real and lasting change will only come about if the King
enters into meaningful dialogue with his political opponents, as well as with all sections of
civil society. Internal pressure for reform can and must be bolstered by significant external
pressure.
The report is the latest in a long line of reports published over the past two months
highlighting human rights abuses in the kingdom where King Mswati III rules as sub-Saharan
Africas last absolute monarch.
20
The United Nations Human Rights Council Working Group on the Universal Periodic
Review of Swaziland met in May 2016 and received reports from a large number of
organisations within Swaziland and outside calling on the Swazi regime to improve its human
rights record.
Among them, The Swaziland Coalition of Concerned Civic Organisations (SCCCO) reported,
people were being shot and killed in Swaziland because they were suspected of poaching and
game rangers were immune from prosecution.
Human Rights Watch reported that Swaziland had not kept its promise made in 2011 to
change laws in the kingdom relating to freedom of association and assembly so they met
international standards.
A joint report from Swaziland Multi-Media Community Network, Swaziland Concerned
Church Leaders, Swaziland Coalition of Concerned Civic Organisations and Constituent
Assembly Swaziland stated Swazi police tortured a 15-year-old boy after his mother had
reported him for stealing E85 (US$6).
A joint report from SOS-Swaziland, Super Buddies, Prison Fellowship and Luvatsi
Swaziland Youth Empowerment Organisation, stated children as young as 11 years old were
being incarcerated in juvenile correction facilities in Swaziland for up to 10 years, even
though they had committed no crimes.
Rock of Hope, which campaigns for LGBTI equality in Swaziland, reported that laws, social
stigma and prejudice prevented LGBTI organisations from operating freely.
Arsonists at Royal kraal get bail

29 June 2016
Three members of the Swaziland Communist Party who are accused of setting houses alight
as a protest against a chief have been granted bail by the High Court after spending 115 days
in jail on remand.
Sithembiso Sibandze, Qiniso Mkhatshwa and Siyabonga Gina were accused of burning four
huts at Chief Mshikashika IIs Royal Kraal at KaNgcamphalala. They have been charged
under the Suppression of Terrorism Act.
21
They have been given bail of E15,000 each and banned from crossing the Mzimnene River to
the Manzini city centre or going to Siphofaneni.
Their bail application was opposed by the office of the Swazi Director of Public Prosecutions
on the grounds that they would interfere with potential crown witnesses, some of whom were
their relatives.
The Swazi Observer, a newspaper in effect owned by King Mswati III, who is sub-Saharan
Africas last absolute monarch, reported on Wednesday (29 June 2016) that the prosecution
argued two of the men had already admitted guilt, since they confirmed to have torched the
houses, causing over E100,000 [US$6,676] worth of damage.
According to the newspaper, the accused, said they wanted the chief to spring into action
and convene a meeting for the residents. They claimed that the chief was abusive towards the
residents and stifled their development because he demanded too much money from the sugar
cane schemes, where he demanded to be paid E5,000 yearly from each of the 65
associations.
22
3 KING MSWATIS PRIVATE JET

MPs block Swazi Kings new jet
7 April 2016
Members of the Swaziland Parliament have blocked a move to pay E96 million (about
US$6.4 million at the present ever-fluctuating exchange rate) for a jet plane for the
kingdoms autocratic monarch King Mswati III.
The money had been allocated to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International
Cooperation in the kingdoms annual budget announced in February 2016.
In February 2016 the Swazi Observer, a newspaper in effect owned by King Mswati, reported
the E96 million was set aside for a jet for the King after members of the parliament, many of
them appointed by the King, urged the Swazi Government to consider buying the King a
plane to replace the DC-9 jet (also known as an MD-87) which he already has. It has been the
subject of legal disputes in both Canada and the British Virgin Islands.
Once news of the intended spending was made public outside of Swaziland the King came in
for heavy criticism. Swaziland is in the grip of a drought crisis and in February the Swazi
Government declared a national emergency and said the kingdom would need E248 million
(US$16 million) before the end of April 2016.
The King has a reputation for lavish spending. He already owns a private jet aircraft and
fleets of Mercedes and BMW cars. He also has 13 palaces in his kingdom where seven in ten
of his 1.3 million subjects live in abject poverty with incomes of less than US$2 per day.
It is reported that about 300,000 (one in four of the Kings subjects) need drought relief with
rural people in danger of severe malnutrition.
The Star Africa news site reported that Swazi legislators felt the allocation of money for the
jet, is a waste of resources as there are other options that can cost far less.
23
Swazi MPs about-turn on Kings jet

7 April 2016
Swaziland parliamentarians have made an abrupt about-turn over the purchase of a private jet
for the kingdoms autocratic monarch, King Mswati III. They had decided to reject part of the
kingdoms annual budget that would have approved E96 million to be spent on a private jet
for the King.
But days later they overturned that decision and have agreed to pay E200 million (US$13.2
million) more than twice the original amount budgeted for to China Airlines in Taiwan
for an Airbus A340-300, built in 2001.
Unconfirmed reports circulating on the Internet said that King Mswati had refused to sign-off
Swazilands budget announced in February 2016 unless he got his jet.
On Tuesday (5 April 2016), the Swazi Observer, a newspaper in effect owned by King
Mswati, reported that the E96 million allocated to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
International Cooperation for the jet had been cancelled by the Ministry of Finance.
There had been complaints both inside and outside Swaziland that the money could be put to
better use. About 300,000 people in Swaziland are presently at risk of severe hunger as a
result of drought.
The Observer reported the Ministry of Finance had listened and cancelled the allocation and
the money taken to the Consolidated Funds. This would allow it to be spent on other things.
Two days later on Thursday (7 April 2016), the Times of Swaziland, the only independent
daily newspaper in the kingdom, reported that following a three-hour long caucus by both
Members of Parliament (MPs) and senators in the Parliament canteen, the latter agreed that
the E96m, which had been frozen by MPs, be released to pay a deposit to China Airlines,
based in the Republic of China on Taiwan.
The Prime Minister Barnabas Dlamini, who was not elected to office but appointed directly
by King Mswati, later presented a statement. The Times reported, [T]he PM said following a
Parliament resolution that government find a solution to ensure that Their Majesties are
secured a mode of travel, they had sent a ministerial subcommittee headed by Chief
24
Mgwagwa Gamedze, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, to look
at the various options available.
The newspaper reported, The balance for the Airbus A340-300, which has been identified,
will be paid up in the 2017-2018 government financial year.
The PM said the jet to be used by Their Majesties for international trips was a long range
and, therefore, it did not have to make fuelling stops every now and then.
King Mswati already has a private jet that has been the subject of a legal dispute in both
Canada and the British Virgin Islands.
Reporting on the about-turn by MPs, the Times said, The MPs approved the motion and said
they had not released the money because government had failed to bring feedback on the
Kings jet and instead had just made an unexplained E96 million under the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs budget allocation for the 2016/2017 financial year.
See also
SWAZI KINGS DROUGHT BLUNDER
MONEY FOR KINGS JET, BUT NOT DROUGHT
KING BUYS JET, UN FUNDS DROUGHT RELIEF
King steals from children to buy jet

11 April 2016
The best-known of the prodemocracy groups in Swaziland has accused King Mswati III of
stealing from children so he could have his own personal jet aircraft.
The Peoples United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) said the move to buy a A430-300
Airbus for E200,000 (US$13.2 million) was corrupt and insensitive at a time when about
one in four of Swazilands 1.3 million population was in extreme danger of hunger because
of the prolonged drought in the southern Africa region.
PUDEMO, which is banned in Swaziland where King Mswati rules as sub-Saharan Africas
25
last absolute monarch, said that the US$13.2 million could have been better spent.
In a statement it said, Our view is that it is corrupt, insensitive and arrogance to buy a jet
when there is the crisis of drought. There are families who cant take their children to
school. There are university students who cannot afford education. There are farmers who
lost everything during the drought. There is 43 percent unemployment.
That money used to buy the jet can pay for 2,500 students to finish their degrees at the
university from 1st year to 4th year. The same amount can pay for 42,500 children to start
form one up to form five in public schools. So the king decided to steal from 45,000 children
to live a luxury life.
PUDEMO also estimated the money spent on the jet could alternatively, recapitalise farmers
with 20,000 new cattle and feed; or build a new fully furnished hospital; or build 40 fullyequipped clinics; or build 35 new fully-furnished schools; or build 10 tar roads in rural areas
each 20km.
The announcement that the money for the Kings jet would be paid from public funds came
as Swaziland asked for international aid to help provide US$16 million in drought relief
before the end of April 2016.
King Mswati lives a lavish lifestyle. He already owns a McDonnell Douglas DC-9 jet aircraft
that cost about US$11 million in 2010, but he considers it too small. The King also has 13
palaces and fleets of BMW and Mercedes cars.
Meanwhile, seven in ten of his subjects live in abject poverty with incomes of less than
USS$2 per day.
Court retains Kings $3.5m jet cash

18 May 2016
King Mswati III of Swaziland has lost another round in a long-running court dispute over an
alleged unpaid bill of US$3.5 million for improvements and repairs to his private jet.
26
SG Air Leasing and SG Commodities Trading, two companies associated with businessman
Shanmuga Rethenam, popularly known as Shan, have been chasing the King through courts
in Canada and the British Virgin Islands for the money they allege is owed by the King and a
company he solely owns called Inchatsavane.
At one time the Kings DC-9-87 private jet was impounded in Canada while courts decided
on its future. The jet has since been released but the King was required to place US$3.5
million in a trust account in Canada pending the final decision of the court.
On 5 May 2016, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice ordered that the money must remain in
the trust account. It also ruled that King Mswati and Inchatsavane must not dispose of the
aircraft until the matter is settled by the court.
On Sunday (15 May 2016), the Times Sunday, an independent newspaper in Swaziland,
where King Msawti rules as sub-Saharan Africas last absolute monarch, reported the Swazi
Prime Minister Barnabas Dlamini saying the DC-9-87 would not be sold.
The newspaper said the decision had been taken after a due diligence process of business
viability analysis.
It added, He said it was decided that the aircraft would make a lot of money being leased out
to private clients in its customised state.
The Swazi Government has already announced it will buy the King a A340-300 jet from
China Airlines in Taiwan at a cost of about US$13 million.
Swaziland is presently in the grip of a drought and 300,000 of the populations 1.3 million
people are in need of food and other aid. The Swazi Government has appealed to the
international community for financial assistance.
About seven in ten of the population live in abject poverty with incomes of less than US$2 a
day.
27
Times climb down over Kings critic

18 May 2016
The Times of Swaziland newspaper has been made to retract a story and apologise after it said
one of King Mswati IIIs fiercest business critics was robbing Swaziland of billions.
The target was Shanmuga Rethenam, popularly known as Shan, who has been pursing King
Mswati through courts in Canada and the British Virgin Islands over an alleged unpaid debt
of US$3.5 million relating to repairs and improvements to the Kings private jet.
Shan was also a business partner with the King in an iron ore mine venture at Ngwenya that
collapsed among bitter recriminations.
The article appeared in the Times of Swaziland on 28 September 2015 and made a number of
statements about Shans business dealings that it presented as fact.
A letter from Shans solicitor Rosin Wright Rosengarten to the Times of Swaziland said the
article had directly copied various sections of an article published by the City Press [a South
African newspaper].
The City Press had also made an apology to Shan. In its apology, City Press said allegations
against Shan, have been made by parties who are currently in litigation with Mr Shanmuga
Rethenam and remain unproven.
In its retraction the Times of Swaziland, published in the print edition of the newspaper on 9
May 2016 and carried on the newspapers website every day since, said We would like to
clarify that these are allegations contained in court documents whose veracity is yet to be
tested in a court of law.
We therefore retract this statement and further unreservedly apologise to Mr Rethenam for
any embarrassment that might have been caused by the article which we have now withdrawn
from the online version of the newspaper.
On Tuesday (17 May 2016) newspapers in Swaziland reported that the Swazi Director of
Prosecutions Nkosinathi Maseko had charged Shan with 14 counts relating to business
activities.
28
The Swazi Observer, a newspaper in effect owned by King Mswati III who is sub-Sharan
Africas last absolute monarch, said charges against Shan included, fraud, money
laundering, cheating public revenue and theft.
The newspapers report which ran for nearly 2,200 words appeared in full on its website.
Usually, the newspaper only publishes one or two paragraphs of a selection of its stories
online and then directs readers to a paysite for the rest.
See also
HOW SWAZI KING DESTROYED IRON MINE
NEW MOVE IN KINGS JET COURT DISPUTE
29
4 KING MSWATI III

King misleads SADC on democracy
2 June 2016
King Mswati III of Swaziland, sub-Saharan Africas last absolute monarch, mislead a SADC
forum when he said the kingdom he ruled was a democracy because elections were held.
He told members of the SADC Parliamentary Forum that Monarchical Democracy, an

invention of the King dating back to 2013, was a new democratic ideology that works.
The Times of Swaziland, the only independent daily newspaper in the kingdom where media
are heavily censored, reported on Thursday (2 June 2016) that a message from the King read
by the Deputy Prime Minister Paul Shabangu said, The ballot box is the will of the people
who vote for an individual, who will provide advice and counsel to the King and country in a
manner that ensures transparency and accountability.
He did not mention that in Swaziland political parties are banned and that the Swazi people
were only allowed to select 55 of the 65 members of the House of Assembly, with the King
appointing the others. No members of the 30-strong Swaziland Senate are elected by the
people.
The Prime Minister, his deputy and all cabinet ministers are chosen by the King.
The remarks were given during the official opening of the 39th Plenary Assembly Session of
the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Parliamentary Forum in Ezulwini.
The Times reported, As put to the global community, the Kingdom of Eswatinis
[Swazilands] position is that it believes in democracy as an idea but not as an ideal because
things that are ideal to you may not be ideal to other people, the King said.
King Mswati is presently the Deputy Chair of the SADC and will assume the chair in August
2016. n
King Mswati invented the concept of Monarchical Democracy in 2013, when he said the
idea came to him during a thunderstorm. The media and his other supporters claimed it was
different from the tinkhundla system of government that already existed in the kingdom.
30
The King told media in Swaziland at the time this meant he would take advice from his
subjects before making decisions that affected the kingdom.
His description of Monarchical Democracy was vague, but in Swaziland, people, even
journalists who purport to act on their behalf, are too scared of the King to ask him for
clarification.
In fact, the tinkhundla system of government puts all power in the hands of the monarchy.
King Mswati chooses the Prime Minister, cabinet ministers, members of the judiciary, and he
appoints all senior political posts in his kingdom.
When the King made his announcement about Monarchical Democracy, many people
hoped this would mean a change from the present system to something approaching
democracy.
But, the supine Press in Swaziland did not explain to their readers that this was not going to
happen.
Instead, it took the Reuters news agency to get at the truth. It interviewed the King and asked
him outright what Monarchical Democracy was all about and what was going to change.
The King replied, No change really. It's just a name so people can understand.
It was, Reuters reported, merely a name change for foreign consumption.
The news agency reported the King saying, The world really doesnt understand the
tinkhundla system, but everybody can understand monarchical democracy. Its an English
name. This monarchical democracy is a marriage between the traditional monarchy and the
ballot box, all working together under the monarchy.
So, the King confirmed in his own words that tinkhundla and Monarchical Democracy
were one and the same thing.
Reuters report was published worldwide, as well as on social media circulating within
Swaziland. Swazi newspaper editors read the report with everyone else.
But, even though the Reuters report was published in September 2013, the Swazi newspapers
continue with the fiction that Monarchical Democracy might be something new.
31
See also
KING ADMITS NO CHANGE ON DEMOCRACY
NEW NAME FOR NON-DEMOCRACY
GOD TELLS KING MSWATI A HOME TRUTH
Observer hides Kings MTN links

16 June 2016
The Swazi Observer has hidden the links between King Mswati III and MTN in its extensive
coverage of the cell phone service provider in recent days.
The Observer, which is in effect owned by King Mswati, who rules Swaziland as subSaharan Africas last absolute monarch, has devoted acres of space to MTN, which has the
monopoly of cell phone business in the kingdom.
On Wednesday (15 June 2016), the Observer reported as its main story on its front page the
news that MTN was scrapping scratch cards for lower denominations of airtime, but people
would still be able to top-up their phones from street vendors.
The story ran over pages two and three and was written by the Observer chief editor
Mbongeni Mbingo.
On previous days it had devoted pages and pages to the so-called 21 Days of Yello Care,
which is an ongoing promotion of the company that relies on its staff volunteering time and
money for good causes. This year the focus is on education.
What the Observer did not tell its readers was that King Mswati has a large personal financial
stake in the company. He owns 10 percent of the shares and is considered by MTN to be an
esteemed shareholder in the company.
MTN has been the monopoly mobile provider in Swaziland since 1998 and services are
provided in a joint venture between MTN, the Swazi Government and the Royal Family.
The Kings income from MTN is generally kept secret from his 1.2 million subjects. Seven in
ten of them live in abject poverty with incomes of less than US$2 per day. The King is
32
notoriously secretive about his own wealth; it had been estimated by Forbes that he had a net
wealth (assets minus liabilities) of US$200 million.
In 2014, The Sunday Times newspaper in South Africa reported that a number of companies,
including MTN had all brokered cosy relationships with the monarchy.
It added, These companies have either given large chunks of the shares in their Swazi
businesses to Mswati directly or to Swazilands investment institution, Tibiyo Taka Ngwane
over which Mswati has absolute control.
It reported that the King holds 10 percent of the shares in MTN in Swaziland and is referred
to by the company as an esteemed shareholder. It said MTN had paid R114 million
(US$11.4 million) to the King over the five years up to 2014.
The newspaper quoted a report from Freedom House which stated, Foreign companies
wishing to enter Swaziland must bribe Mswati with shares or cash in varying amounts
depending on the potential for profitability of the proposed venture and the new businesss
possible impact on Mswatis own business interests.
The Sunday Times reported that MTN had a monopoly in Swaziland and was used by 57
percent of the population. It said MTN was able to keep prices high, citing the cost of 300
megabytes of data in Swaziland as R149, while in South Africa the same amount of data cost
R79.
In 2009, Earl Irvine, then US Ambassador to Swaziland, wrote a confidential cable (later
published by Wikileaks) in which he said the King operated in his own financial interest. Part
of the cable said, Royal politics and King Mswatis business interests appear to have caused
the ouster of Mobile Telephone Network (MTN) CEO Tebogo Mogapi and halted parastatal
Swaziland Post and Telecommunications Corporation (SPTC) from selling the MTN shares it
owns to raise money for a Next Generation Networks (NGN) cell phone project.
Industry and press observers privately indicated that the King, who already owns many
MTN shares, had wanted to purchase the MTN shares himself at a cheaper price than the
buyer, MTN, was offering SPTC.
Government officials later prevented the sale, and recently did not renew the work permit for
CEO Mogapi, a South African citizen, apparently in retaliation for his role in the transaction,
33
as well as the CEOs reported decision to oppose government efforts to use the MTN network
for electronic surveillance on political dissidents.
The cable went on, The governments halt of parastatal SPTCs sale of MTN shares
demonstrates the impact the Kings and other influential individuals private business
interests can have on business transactions in Swaziland.
Government officials would likely prefer a more malleable Swazi CEO at MTN who would
cooperate more fully with royal and government wishes.
In 2011 it was reported that Prime Minister Dlamini owned E392,000 worth of shares in
Swazi Empowerment (Pty) Limited (SEL), a company that in turn had a 19 percent
shareholding with MTN Swaziland.
Dlamini is the man in charge of the government-controlled parastatal, SPTC and is therefore
a key decision maker in the affairs of Swazilands national posts and telecommunication.
This raised questions about Dlaminis impartiality when making decisions about SPTC.
A research article written by Ewan Sutherland of the University of the Witwatersrand,
Johannesburg, South Africa, and published in December 2014 in the Communicatio academic
journal, explored telecommunications in Swaziland and concluded there was no competition
for mobile phones in the kingdom and the monarch and his cronies are financially tied to
Swazi MTN, seeking to neuter the state-owned SPTC. The government has no concern for
consumers, service delivery or economic growth, with the King and his prime minister
looking after their personal financial interests.
Sutherland wrote, [I]t is difficult to see how any investor could have confidence, unless it
had the sovereign on their side and, more likely, in their pocket.
The monarch has a significant and lucrative investment in the principal operator, with the
effect of confusing and confounding an already feeble system of governance. The opaque
profit-seeking of the King conflicts with the purported aspiration to good governance of
telecommunications markets and the interests of his subjects. In a constitutional monarchy,
arrangements can be made to keep the investments of a monarch separate from politics,
allowing for transparency, accountability to parliament and the avoidance of interference with
governance (e.g., Japan and the Netherlands).
34
A feudal monarchy knows no such distinction, there are no conflicts of interest for ministers,
regulators and directors they obey their king. It echoes the problems of Morocco, where its
king has private interests in telecommunications, has ministers sit on the supervisory board of
the state-owned operator, and he appoints the regulator and is head of the judiciary.
Ordinarily the MTN Group would be expected to favour competition and market entry.
However, in the Kingdom of Swaziland it has violently opposed competition, going to
considerable lengths to block a second mobile operator and even a fixed wireless service.
This record removes any presumption in other jurisdictions that its actions are procompetitive. Equally, it has been happy to work with Mswati III, one of the exotic collection
of autocrats with whom it does business, with no fear of reputational risk.
35
5 DROUGHT
Drought aid reaches Swaziland
5 April 2016
International aid is beginning to flow into Swaziland as drought relief, despite controversies
over inappropriate spending by the Swazi Government.
In the February 2016 budget it was revealed that at least US$9 million has been set aside this
year for a jet aircraft for King Mswati III, the last absolute monarch in sub-Saharan Africa.
A further US$12 million is to be spent on the Royal terminal at King Mswati III (KMIII)
airport.
KMIII, formerly known as Sikhuphe, is an airport built in the wilderness in Swaziland. It has
been widely criticised outside the kingdom where King Mswati rules as sub-Saharan Africas
last absolute monarch as a vanity project for the King.
Now, the European Union has announced that in collaboration with the Finnish Red Cross it
will donate the equivalent of US$650,000 to assist more than 21,000 people from 4,200
households with food supplies.
In February the Swazi Government declared a national emergency and said the kingdom
would need E248 million (US$16 million) before the end of April 2016.
EU Ambassador to Swaziland Nicola Bellomo said at the time Swaziland would immediately
would seek E143 million from the donor community.
King buys jet, UN funds drought relief

8 April 2016
Just as the Swaziland Government announced it would spend E200 million (US$13.2 million)
of public funds on a private jet aircraft for King Mswati III, the United Nations has released
US$3.14 million funding to support 95,000 Swazis hardest hit by the current drought.
36
In February 2016 when it declared a national emergency the Swazi Government said it did
not have sufficient money to purchase food and other provisions for the estimated 300,000
people in danger of severe malnutrition. It appealed to the international community for help.
The Government estimated it would need US$16 million in aid before the end of April 2016.
The United Nations said the funding would enable the World Food Programme and UNICEF
to provide food and emergency water and sanitation to the 95,000 most vulnerable people.
The European Union in collaboration with the Finnish Red Cross has already said it would
donate the equivalent of US$650,000 to assist more than 21,000 people from 4,200
households with food supplies.
King Mswati III, who rules Swaziland as sub-Saharan Africas last absolution has an
international reputation for his lavish lifestyle. He already owns a jet aircraft, but he considers
it too small, so he will now get to an A340-300 Airbus built in 2001. It will be purchased
from China Airlines in Taiwan.
The King who rules over a population of 1.3 million subjects also has 13 palaces and fleets of
BMW and Mercedes cars.
Meanwhile, seven in ten of his subjects live in abject poverty with incomes of less than
USS$2 per day.
See also
SWAZI KINGS DROUGHT BLUNDER
SWAZILAND DROUGHT TRUTH REVEALED
SWAZI MPs ABOUT-TURN ON KINGS JET
MONEY FOR KINGS JET, BUT NOT DROUGHT
$12m SPEND ON ROYAL DECOR AT AIRPORT
King donates to Swazi drought relief

10 May 2016
King Mswati III the absolute monarch in Swaziland has donated US$150,000 to help
victims of drought in his kingdom. It came weeks after it was revealed the government he
handpicked will spend US$13 million on a private jet aircraft for him.
37
King Mswati came under intense criticism after a national drought emergency was declared
in Swaziland in February 2016 and the Swazi Government announced it could not pay for
necessary relief. It calculated it would need US$16 million in international aid by the end of
April 2016.
The European Union in Swaziland reported in February 2016, The drought caused by the El
Nino phenomenon has severely affected Swaziland resulting in the loss of more than 40,000
herd of cattle with more than 300,000 people in the country (about 25 percent of the
population) facing severe food shortages.
The Peoples United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), the best-known prodemocracy
group in Swaziland, said the move to buy a A430-300 Airbus for the King was corrupt and
insensitive at a time when about one in four of Swazilands 1.3 million population was in
extreme danger of hunger because of the prolonged drought in the southern Africa region.
In a statement, PUDEMO said, That money used to buy the jet can pay for 2,500 students to
finish their degrees at the university from 1st year to 4th year. The same amount can pay for
42,500 children to start form one up to form five in public schools. So the king decided to
steal from 45,000 children to live a luxury life.
PUDEMO also estimated the money spent on the jet could alternatively, recapitalise farmers
with 20,000 new cattle and feed; or build a new fully furnished hospital; or build 40 fullyequipped clinics; or build 35 new fully-furnished schools; or build 10 tar roads in rural areas
each 20km.
The Swazi Observer, a newspaper in effect owned by King Mswati, reported his donation as
if it were from his own money. It reported, His Majesty has always advocated the love thy
neighbour principle as he has always preached for people to help one another in times of
need.
However, the King has never held a salaried position in his life and his entire income comes
from the Swazi people, either in the form of their taxes or money he holds from company
profits and mineral royalties in trust for the Swazi nation.
38
In reality he uses the money to fund a lavish lifestyle. He already owns a McDonnell Douglas
DC-9 jet aircraft that cost about US$11 million in 2010, but he considers it too small. The
King also has 13 palaces and fleets of BMW and Mercedes cars.
Meanwhile, seven in ten of his 1.3 million subjects live in abject poverty with incomes of less
than USS$2 per day.
39
6 MEDIA
One in three use Internet for news
5 May 2016
Nearly one in three people surveyed in Swaziland said they got their news from the Internet
at least a few times a week.
One in three also said they used social media for news during the same period.
The figures were released on Tuesday (3 May 2016) by Afrobarometer as part of a World
Press Freedom Day report.
Afrobarometer surveyed 36 countries across Africa.
It reported that 32 percent of those surveyed in Swaziland said they used the Internet for
news, a few times a week or every day.
It also reported that 33 percent of those surveyed in Swaziland got their news from social
media such as Facebook and Twitter a few times a week or every day.
Swazilands mainstream media are heavily censored. All radio, except one Christian station,
is directly controlled by the Swazi Government. One of the kingdoms two television stations
is also under government control.
King Mswati III rules Swaziland as sub-Sahara Africas last absolute monarch. He in effect
owns the Swazi Observer which is one of only two daily newspapers in the kingdom. He also
in effect owns two of the four newspapers that publish at weekends.
Critics of King Mswatis government have taken to social media in recent years as part of
their campaign for multi-party democracy in the kingdom.
Afrobarometer, commenting on the trend for social media use across Africa, reported,
Distinct demographic patterns are evident in media use by different groups. In general men,
urbanites, youth and the better educated obtain news from all sources more than women, rural
dwellers, older people, and the less educated.
Afrobarometer is a research network that conducts public attitude surveys across Africa on
democracy, governance, economic conditions and related matters.
40
In 2014, a report jointly published by the Media Institute of Southern Africa and the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) found young people in
Swaziland were turning to social media sites such as Facebook because it allowed them to
enjoy the fundamental rights to freedom of expression that was denied to them elsewhere in
the kingdom.
They also bypassed mainstream media such as television, radio and newspapers in favour of
social media. The report called Youth Usage of Social media in Swaziland concluded, The
young people have welcomed the emergence of the social media because, among others, it
affords them an opportunity not only to inter-act but also enjoy the fundamental right to
freedom of expression provided in Section 24 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of
Swaziland adopted in 2005.
The report added, They can now easily and freely bypass the severely censored mainstream
media to access, produce, distribute and exchange information and ideas.
More importantly, the social media has afforded the young people an opportunity to speak in
their own voices, not mediated by the mainstream media.
See also
FACEBOOK BYPASSES CENSORED MEDIA
SOCIAL MEDIA FIRST WITH THE NEWS
SOCIAL MEDIA SITES PROMOTE FREEDOM
Increase in support for free press

5 May 2016
Nearly six in ten people surveyed in Swaziland said they supported the need for freedom of
the media.
The number supporting freedom had increased by 6 percent since 2013.
The figures were contained in a report from Afrobarometer released on Tuesday (3 May
2016) to coincide with World Press Freedom Day.
41
People were asked whether the media should have the right to publish any views and ideas
without government control. A total of 57 percent of people of people asked agreed or very
strongly agreed with the statement. This placed Swaziland 13th out of 36 African countries
surveyed.
Media in Swaziland, where King Mswati III rules as sub-Saharan Africas last absolute
monarch, is heavily censored. The Swazi Government controls the main television channel
and all radio that broadcasts news and information. One of the kingdoms two daily
newspapers is in effect owned by the King.
A separate report from Freedom House, also released on World Freedom Day, concluded that
media in Swaziland are not free.
Afrobarometer, which produces reports by social scientists working together across Africa,
concluded that support for free media in Swaziland had increased by 6 percent since it last
surveyed opinion in 2011 2013.
The report suggested that 64 percent of Swazis interviewed believed the media should
continually investigate and report on government mistakes and corruption. This placed
Swaziland 27th out of the 36 African countries surveyed.
In its report, Afrobarometer said, Investigating government mistakes and corruption is seen
as a critical role for the media. It asked people in Swaziland how effective were the news
media in the kingdom in revealing government mistakes and corruption. A total of 55 percent
of people questioned said it was somewhat / very effective.
A further 34 percent said it was not at all / not very effective. A total of 11 percent
responded, dont know. This placed Swaziland 22nd out of 36 African countries for media
effectiveness.
Afrobarometer suggested that changes in the perceptions of media effectiveness had
improved in Swaziland since the last survey in 2011 2013. It reported there had been a 6
percent increase in perception.
When asked whether news media abused its freedom by saying things it knows are not true,
33 percent of people surveyed in Swaziland said often or always. This placed Swaziland
16th out of 36 African countries.
42
Afrobarometer reported that 4 percent more people surveyed in Swaziland thought the media
abused its freedom compared to the survey undertaken in 2011 2013.
See also
JOURNALISTS JAILED TO DETER OTHERS
CALL TO END SWAZI MEDIA CENSORSHIP
GOVT HAS TOTAL CONTROL OF TV NEWS
43
7 POLICE VIOLENCE
Police attack victim will not walk
8 April 2016
The Swazi university student who was crushed under an armoured troop carrier when police
drove at speed at protesting students was so badly injured she will not walk again.
Ayanda Mkhabela, aged 23, was one of many students attacked by police at the University of
Swaziland Kwaluseni campus on 22 February 2016.
The Swazi Observer, a newspaper in effect owned by King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africas
last absolute monarch, reported doctors in Port Elizabeth Hospital, South Africa, said she will
never walk again.
The police attack happened as students were protesting about delays in registration.
The Times of Swaziland, the only independent daily newspaper in the kingdom reported at the
time, a Royal Swaziland Police (RSP) Operational Services Unit (OSSU) casspir drove at
high speed into a group of about 2,000 students, who, when they realised that the vehicle was
not stopping, ran in all directions.
The Swazi Observer, reported, The official police version of events was to the effect that
Mkhabela tried to climb on the body of the casspir and fell, thus injuring herself.
This was said by Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent
Khulani Mamba yesterday afternoon.
He denied that the casspir could have been used as a weapon by the police and when he was
asked if the officers were qualified to rush a person to the hospital instead of waiting for
paramedics considering that Mkhabela had spinal injuries, Mamba said they were trained in
first aid and acted due to the emergency of the situation.
The Swaziland National Union of Students (NSUS), in a statement posted on Facebook, said
newspapers had distorted the truth to make the incident look like an accident.
SNUS said, Truth of the matter is approximately 1,000 protesting students at Kwaluseni
UNISWA were targeted by the police casspir which sped to disperse them and as their desire
44
hit our very own desperate Ayanda Mkhabela. Upon knocking her down, as expected the
casspir switched off lights and she was taken away, fortunately to hospital.
Student campaign after police attack

14 April 2016
Students in Swaziland have launched a campaign in support of Ayanda Mkhabela, who was
crippled when police drove at her in an armoured vehicle during a university protest.
Doctors have said Mkhabela, aged 23, would never walk again.
Launching the campaign, the Swaziland National Union of Students (SNUS) said it wanted to
ensure Mkhabela and her family were compensated for all injuries and losses incurred as a
result of the incident.
Mkhabela was one of many students attacked by police at the University of Swaziland
Kwaluseni campus on 22 February 2016.
The Times of Swaziland, the only independent daily newspaper in the kingdom reported at the
time, a Royal Swaziland Police (RSP) Operational Services Unit (OSSU) casspir drove at
high speed into a group of about 2,000 students, who, when they realised that the vehicle was
not stopping, ran in all directions.
Students from different institutions were present at the launch at the Kwaluseni campus of the
University of Swaziland, along with prominent trade union members and political figures.
Swazi Police say they are investigating the circumstances of the incident, but students have
called for an independent inquiry.
See also
STUDENTS UNDER SIEGE BY ARMED POLICE
BOYCOTTING STUDENTS CLOSE UNIVERSITY
POLICE SHOOT TWO STUDENTS IN HEAD
ARMED POLICE STOP STUDENTS PROTEST
STUDENTS UNDER FIRE FROM POLICE
SWAZI STUDENTS BEATEN TO PULP
SWAZILAND POLICE SHOOT STUDENTS
45
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Richard Rooney was associate professor at the University of Swaziland 2005 2008, where
he was also the founding head of the Journalism and Mass Communication Department.
He has taught in universities in Africa, Europe and the Pacific. His academic research which
specialises in media and their relationships to democracy, governance and human rights has
appeared in books and journals across the world.
His writing regularly appears in newspapers, magazines and on websites. He was a full-time
journalist in his native United Kingdom for 10 years, before becoming an academic.
He has published the blog Swazi Media Commentary since 2007 and also has other social
media sites that concentrate on human rights issues in Swaziland.
He holds a Ph.D in Communication from the University of Westminster, London, UK.
He presently teaches at the University of Botswana, Gaborone.
46
Publications from Swazi Media Commentary available online free-of-charge
BOOKS
2013. The beginning of the End? 2012, a year in the struggle for democracy in
Swaziland
This compilation of newsletters from Africa Contact in collaboration with Swazi Media
Commentary contains an assortment of news, analysis and comment covering the campaign
for freedom in Swaziland throughout 2012. These include the Global Action for Democracy
held in September; campaigns for democracy spearheaded by trade unions and students and
the continuing struggle for rights for women, children, gays and minority groups.
2012. The End of the Beginning? 2011, a year in the struggle for freedom in Swaziland
This book looks at activities in the freedom movement in 2011. It starts with a section on the
unsuccessful April 12 Uprising followed by separate chapters looking at events in each
month of 2011, including the Global Week of Action held in September. They also highlight
the numerous violations of rights suffered by the poor, by children, by women and by sexual
minorities, among others, in the kingdom.
2011. Voices Unheard: Media Freedom and Censorship in Swaziland.

This volume of pages from Swazi Media Commentary focuses on media freedom and
censorship. It starts with some overview articles that set out the general terrain, moving on to
look at repressive media laws. Other sections of this book relate the daily threats journalists
in Swaziland face when they want to report, but are not allowed to.
47
OCCASIONAL PAPERS SERIES

No. 1. 2013. Cynicism Eats Away at Swaziland Journalism: The State of Swazi
Journalism, 2013
One thing that shines out about journalists and their editors in Swaziland is the deeply cynical
way they operate. Swazi journalists claim to be upholders of fine ethical traditions of honesty
and inquiry, but instead they are often publishing lies or playing with readers emotions to
boost company profits.
This article explores the state of newspaper journalism in Swaziland, a small kingdom in
Africa, ruled over by King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africas last absolute monarch. Editors
are deliberately misleading their readers by publishing material that is intended to provoke
controversy and reaction, even though they know it also contains lies. This is done in order to
boost profits for owners.
No. 2. 2013. Swaziland Broadcasting Not For The People
A review of broadcasting in Swaziland that demonstrates through research that radio in the
kingdom only serves the interests of King Mswati III and his intimate supporters. All other
voices are excluded from the airwaves. The paper contrasts a public broadcasting service
with public service broadcasting and demonstrates that changes in the kingdoms
broadcasting cannot be made until it becomes a democratic state.
No. 3. 2013. Swaziland Media Need Code of Conduct for Covering Elections
A review of how media have covered past elections in Swaziland highlighting a number of
areas for improvement. The paper includes a suggested code of ethical conduct that Swazi
journalists can adopt in order to improve performance.
No.4. 2013. Swaziland Press Freedom: The case of Bekhi Makhubu and the Nation
magazine
In April 2013 Bheki Makhubu the editor of the Nation magazine and its publishers,
Swaziland Independent Publishers were convicted of scandalising the court after two
articles criticising the judiciary were published in 2009 and 2010. The purpose of this paper is
to bring together details of the story so far (May 2013). It is an attempt to bring under one
cover all the available information on the case in order to assist those people in the future
who might need a quick primer.
No.5. 2013. Media Coverage of Swaziland Election 2013.
A review of media coverage of the Swaziland national election, most notably in the only two
newspaper groups in the kingdom, and at international media. It notes that generally
newspapers in Swaziland ignored the real issue, that of the non-democratic nature of the
elections, and concentrated instead on trying to justify the governance system to their readers.
48

PREVIOUS EDITIONS
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Volume 17: January to March 2015, is available free of charge here
Volume 18: April to June 2015, is available free of charge here
Volume 19: July to September 2015 is available here.
Volume 20: October to December 2015 is available here.
Volume 21: January to March 2016 is available here.
OTHER VOLUMES
Volume 1, Jan 2013, is available free of charge here.
Volume 2, Feb 2013, is available free of charge here.
Volume 3, March 2013, is available free of charge here.
Volume 4, April 2013, is available free of charge here.
Volume 5, May 2013, is available free of charge here.
Volume 6, June 2013, is available free of charge here.
Volume 7, July 2013, is available free of charge here.
Volume 8, August 2013, is available free of charge here.
Volume 9, September 2013, is available free of charge here
Volume 10, October 2013, is available free of charge here
Volume 11, November 2013, is available free of charge here
Volume 12, December 2013, is available free of charge here
49
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Volume 22: March to June 2016

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

1 UNITED NATIONS REVIEW OF HUMAN RIGHTS

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

Boy, 15, among police torture victims

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

Swaziland fails on freedom promise

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

No amnesty in terror cases

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

Swazi game rangers shoot-to-kill

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

Botswana supports Swaziland at ILO

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

People with albinism demand government protection

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

Swazi LGBTI people live in fear

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

Call for global pressure on government

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

Arsonists at Royal kraal get bail

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

3 KING MSWATIS PRIVATE JET

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

Swazi MPs about-turn on Kings jet

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

King steals from children to buy jet

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

Court retains Kings $3.5m jet cash

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

Times climb down over Kings critic

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

4 KING MSWATI III

He told members of the SADC Parliamentary Forum that Monarchical Democracy, an

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

Observer hides Kings MTN links

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

King buys jet, UN funds drought relief

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

King donates to Swazi drought relief

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM

SWAZILAND: STRIVING FOR FREEDOM