Call for Change in eSwatini - Understanding the Issues

eSwatini, formerly known as Swaziland, is part of the southern Africa region. It is landlocked and shares borders with Mozambique and South Africa. With a population of 1.3 million, it is the second smallest country in Africa with a medium age of 21. Over 75% of its population live in rural areas doing small-scale farming. Its government is an absolute monarchy that has been under the rule of King Mswati III since 1986. Political parties were banned by decree in 1973. Despite its small population, eSwatini has the highest HIV/AID infection rate in the world.

In May 2021, the death of Thabani Nkomonye, a law student, sparked protests and demands for more government accountability and the end to the political repression. The government responded with a crackdown on anti-government protests that resulted in serious injuries and deaths. In July both the Chair of the Africa Union and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights issued statements expressing concerns about the situation in eSwatini.

eSwatini is not well known and civil society organizations based there have attracted little interest among private funders in the United States. What is happening in eSwatini should be on the radar of funders interested in human rights and strengthening resilient communities in the southern Africa region.

To help us understand the recent events and highlight areas for philanthropy, we reached out to members of AGAG's dynamic and diverse global network to participate in our "Conversations With" podcast.

For our first session on July 19, 2021 Nikiwe Kaunda, Team Leader for the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa Human Rights Program on Access to Justice and the Rule of Law moderated the discussion. Her understanding of the issues and her experience working in the region made her well informed to frame the questions and provide insightful commentary. Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International's Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, and Kaajal Ramjathan-Keogh, Director of the International Commission of Jurists' Africa Regional Program joined the conversation from southern Africa. All three provided valuable insights into the recent developments and the broader national and regional contexts.

The discussion also touched on immediate and long-term needs where philanthropy can play a role. Civil society organizations and key individuals are critical actors in defending human rights during times of crisis. We must take a long-term approach to build a resilient human rights movement in a politically constrained context. In an environment where the government uses gunfire, civil society groups must have the capacity to develop specialized interventions and tactical responses. Smaller grantmaking programs can help sustain civil society groups. Funding regional and national media is also key. Immediate issues include access to medical care and psychological support services. Those unlawfully arrested or charged as well as those forced to sign an admission of guilt form that creates false criminal records need legal assistance. Many people lost access to income and need relief, so how can a humanitarian crisis be avoided?. There is also a need for forensic pathology to collect evidence to determine how people died.

Listen to this session HERE

Below are resources to learn more about the unfolding developments in eSwatini.

Amnesty International

Amnesty International is a global movement campaigning for a world where human rights are enjoyed by all. Their eSwatini page features news, commentary, and research about current events.

In his July 29th article, Deprose Muchena discusses the charges against two members of parliament prior to their bail hearing.

International Commission of Jurists (ICJ)

Since 1952 the ICJ has played a unique role as a non-governmental organization defending human rights and the rule of law worldwide.

In this article, the ICJ calls for police to respect the rights of citizens to protest and outlines how the eSwatini government should respond.

Allafrica.com

AllAfrica is a multi-channel voice of, by and about Africa, aggregating, producing, and distributing news and information from over 140 African news organizations and its own reporters. It is the only independent, comprehensive pan-African news source operating from Cape Town, Dakar, Abuja, Monrovia, Nairobi, and Washington D.C

The section on eSwatini/Swaziland has news sources reporting from Africa.