Swaziland Solidarity Network SSN

23/08/2025

SSN STATEMENT ON PLANNED TRADITIONAL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

22 August 2025

The Swaziland Solidarity Network condemns in the strongest possible terms the Swazi government's decision to host a so-called "Traditional Leadership Conference" that will allegedly cost an exorbitant R185 million. To be held on 4 - 8 September 2025, this conference will bring together over 200 kings and chiefs from 53 African countries.

This comes at a time when the Swazi nation is buckling under the weight of a collapsing public health system, high unemployment and abject poverty. To spend so much on a conference, is nothing but betrayal of the people.

In Swaziland, hospitals have become death traps where patients are turned back empty handed because theres nothing to treat them with. Students are sitting at home because of lack of funds and the ever rising cost of education. Joblessness and the indignity of poverty has pushed many young people into drugs, crime and suicides. Yet instead of addressing these challenges, Mswati’s government chooses to throw R185 million into a four day vanity project that will only serve to boost Mswati’s over inflated ego.

The people of Swaziland should not let this issue go unchallenged. It should serve as a rallying point that will unite and help them set aside their differences which the regime uses to keep them weak. This moment calls for them to unite behind the common purpose of dismantling the tinkhundla sysyem once and for all.

We further call on all progressive forces, trade unions, civil society and broader Swazi society to rise in collective action against this reckless abuse of public funds. The R185 million that will be spent on the conference could be used to buy medication that can save lives and educate young people so they can have brighter futures. Instead it is squandered on a useless conference that will benefit no one but the king and his friends.

The time to end it all is now.

Issued by the Swaziland Solidarity Network.

For more information, please contact:

Mfanafuthi Tsela
Spokesperson
Cell: +27 72 217 7750

Lucky Lukhele
Spokesperson
Cell: +27 81 458 5658

17/07/2025

SSN STATEMENT ON AMERICAN CRIMINALS DUMPED IN SWAZILAND

17 JULY 2025

The Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN) condemns in the strongest possible terms the Swazi government's decision to allow the United States (US) government to dump in Swaziland violent criminals who are illegal immigrants in the US.

These criminals are so dangerous and violent that their own countries of origin refused to take them back. According to the US Department of Homeland Security, these are convicted murderers, rapists and gang members and they must be removed so that "they can never hurt another American victim. By implication, this means they must now hurt Swazis.

This is a deliberate act of collusion by two corrupt governments to dump America's most violent criminals in one of the world’s poorest nations. And the Mswati led tinkhundla regime quietly agreed without consulting the nation nor informing its own rubberstamp parliament. Why? What was Mswati promised in return?

The Swazi people deserve answers. Was this a paid-for deal or was it a political favour? Who agreed to it and under what terms and conditions?

This is an act of betrayal and is proof once again that the Tinkhundla regime does not prioritise the safety and wellbeing of the Swazi people. It has not only auctioned off national sovereignty but it has turned Swaziland into a dumping ground for foreign governments looking to offload hardened criminals.

This should not go unchallenged. The Swaziland Solidarity Network calls on all Swazis, at home and in the diaspora, to fight this shameful arrangement. They must organise, mobilise and protest against this decision. They must make it clear to the Swazi government that their country is not for sale nor is it an American prison.

Issued by the Swaziland Solidarity Network.

For more information, please contact:

Mfanafuthi Tsela
Spokesperson
Mobile: +27 72 217 7750

Lucky Lukhele
Spokesperson
Mobile: +27 81 458 5658

12/06/2025

16/05/2025

SSN STATEMENT ON THE PASSING OF CDE NGOMUYAYONA GAMEDZE

16 May 2025

The Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN) is deeply saddened by the passing of Comrade Ngomuyayona Gamedze, President of Sive Siyincaba National Movement. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and the entire leadership and membership of his beloved movement, Sive Siyincaba. His death is a tragic loss to the struggle for a free and democratic Swaziland.

Cde Ngomuyayona was once a high ranking figure of the hated tinkhundla regime, having served as Deputy Senate President. He was also a member of the Constitutional Review Commission, appointed by Mswati. It is a fact that few Swazis understood the inner workings and ruthless machinery of the regime as much as he did.

Yet, it was precisely his time inside the belly of the tinkhundla regime that sharpened his awareness of its injustices. He broke ranks with the regime, choosing instead to stand on the side of the people. This courageous decision came at great personal cost as the regime retaliated brutally. He was expelled from the king’s regiment, his home and cars were torched and his family businesses were targeted and destroyed. But despite all this personal persecution, he never surrendered. He remained resolute, publicly denouncing the monarchy’s role in Swaziland’s suffering and calling for a just and democratic order.

Cde Ngomuyayona's life is a clear reminder that even those who once served the regime can find the courage to reject it and fight for liberation.

As SSN, we call on the people of Swaziland to honour his memory with renewed determination. His sacrifice and courage should strengthen the resolve to remain united and steadfast in pursuit of a democratic, inclusive and free Swaziland where all citizens enjoy dignity, justice and opportunity.

Issued by the Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN)

For more information, please contact:

Mfanafuthi Tsela
Spokesperson
+27 72 217 7750

Lucky Lukhele
Spokesperson
27 81 458 5658

25/04/2025

R342 000 OUTFIT ON MSWATI’S 13 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER

In the picture below, Mswati's 13 year old daughter, Mazwezulu is dressed head to toe in designer clothing.

She is wearing a Fendi mink coat priced at $12 500 (R235 000) and Fendi snow boots worth $700 (R13 000). She is also carrying a Chanel classic mini flap bag that costs $5 000 (R94 000).

The total cost of her outfit is R342 000.

That’s R342 000 on the outfit of a child in a country where thousands of workers survive on less than R2 500 a month.

Just let that sink in.

One teenager’s outfit is worth more than a full year’s salary for 12 textile workers.
Twelve adults, working five or six days a week just to earn less than one afternoon’s fashion statement from a royal brat.

This isn’t fashion. It’s a slap in the face of every Swazi struggling to survive on crumbs.

While workers break their backs for peanuts, the royal family’s children dress up in luxury brands most Swazis will never ever touch.

This is what happens when absolute power meets zero accountability.

Anyone who still think we need a monarchy in Swaziland, needs to have their head examined.

Kuyawuze kube ngunini sondlana nanankha emakhatane aka Dlamini? Sesikhatsele!!!

02/03/2025

SSN STATEMENT

DISRUPTION OF PUDEMO NATIONAL MEETING BY MSWATI’S ROYALIST POLICE FORCE

02 March 2025

The Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN) condemns in the strongest terms the actions of the Swazi royalist police force who forcibly stopped a national meeting of the People's United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) that was scheduled to take place at the SNAT Centre in Manzini yesterday. This violation of basic rights to assembly and political expression is yet another chapter in Mswati's systematic campaign to silence democratic voices in Swaziland.

Themed "Umkhombandlela Wemnyaka WeliSwati", the meeting was a platform for PUDEMO to unpack to the Swazi nation its political and organisational programme of the year. It was also aimed at outlining the organisation's key political and organisational priorities for the year.

In Swaziland security forces are not accountable to the rule of law but to an absolute monarchy that views any expression of democratic aspiration as a threat to be crushed. What the royalist police did yesterday is not something that they have not done before but rather a continuation of the tinkhundla government's strategy of intimidation of pro democratic forces.

As SSN, we call on the people of Swaziland not to allow these brutal acts to defer their dream of a constitutional multiparty democracy in their country. Each act of repression against PUDEMO and the entire mass democratic movement shows the increasing desperation of the regime. When a government fears the peaceful assembly of its citizens, it indirectly acknowledges the political and moral bankruptcy of its position.

We also call on the international community to understand that the time for mere expressions of concern has passed. Concrete diplomatic, political and economic pressure must be brought to bear on this outdated regime that has impoverished and oppressed the Swazi people for generations.

We further stands in solidarity with PUDEMO and all pro-democracy forces in Swaziland. We pledge that we will amplify their voices, internationalize their struggle and work tirelessly until the day when the outdated tinkhundla system and its traditional structures that keeps them in bo***ge is totally dismantled and replaced by a constitutional multiparty democratic dispensation.

Issued by the Swaziland Solidarity Network.

For more information, please contact:

Mfanafuthi Tsela
Spokesperson
Cell: +27 72 217 7750

Lucky Lukhele
Spokesperson
Cell: +27 81 458 5658

02/03/2025

SSN STATEMENT

DISRUPTION OF PUDEMO NATIONAL MEETING BY MSWATI’S ROYALIST POLICE FORCE

02 March 2025

The Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN) condemns in the strongest terms the actions of the Swazi royalist police force who forcibly stopped a national meeting of the People's United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) that was scheduled to take place at the SNAT Centre in Manzini yesterday. This violation of basic rights to assembly and political expression is yet another chapter in Mswati's systematic campaign to silence democratic voices in Swaziland.

Themed "Umkhombandlela Wemnyaka WeliSwati", the meeting was a platform for PUDEMO to unpack to the Swazi nation its political and organisational programme of the year. It was also aimed at outlining the organisation's key political and organisational priorities for the year.

In Swaziland security forces are not accountable to the rule of law but to an absolute monarchy that views any expression of democratic aspiration as a threat to be crushed. What the royalist police did yesterday is not something that they have not done before but rather a continuation of the tinkhundla government's strategy of intimidation of pro democratic forces.

As SSN, we call on the people of Swaziland not to allow these brutal acts to defer their dream of a constitutional multiparty democracy in their country. Each acts of repression against PUDEMO and the entire mass democratic movement shows the increasing desperation of the regime. When a government fears the peaceful assembly of its citizens, it indirectly acknowledges the political and moral bankruptcy of its position.

We also call on the international community to understand that the time for mere expressions of concern has passed. Concrete diplomatic, political and economic pressure must be brought to bear on this outdated regime that has impoverished and oppressed the Swazi peple for generations.

We further stands in solidarity with PUDEMO and all pro-democracy forces in Swaziland. We pledge that we will amplify their voices, internationalize their struggle and work tirelessly until the day when the outdated tinkhundla system and its traditional structures that keeps them in bo***ge is totally dismantled and replaced by a constitutional multiparty democracy dispensation.

Issued by the Swaziland Solidarity Network.

For more information, please contact:

Mfanafuthi Tsela
Spokesperson
Cell: +27 72 217 7750

Lucky Lukhele
Spokesperson
Cell: +27 81 458 5658

22/02/2025

SSN STATEMENT

KING MSWATI UNLEASHES HIS SECURITY FORCES ON TEACHERS LEADERS

22 February 2025

The Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN) condemns in the strongest possible terms the violence carried out by state police against the leadership of the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT). This brutal assault on the National Executive Committee (NEC) members, including SNAT President Mbongwa Dlamini and Secretary General Lot Vilakati, exposed the reality of state sanctioned violence and intimidation of civil society leaders in Swaziland.

The incident happened when SNAT's NEC visited the Teaching Services Commission (TSC) offices to address the politically motivated non-payment of President Mbongwa's salary. Rather than engaging in dialogue, the TSC responded by summoning the royalist police force who violently attacked these leaders in a display of raw state power.

As the SSN, we are outraged but not surprised by this attack as we know that it is part of a coordinated strategy orchestrated at the highest levels of the tinkhundla government. Our sources long confirmed that Mswati directly instructed state security forces, including the army, to decisively deal with any voices of dissent. President Mbongwa, who has courageously championed not only teachers' rights but broader democratic reforms in the country, has become a particular target of this repressive regime.

The regime's pattern is clear. When faced with legitimate grievances and requests for dialogue, it responds with live ammunition, batons and brutality. It did the same in June 2021, it is still doing it now.

The withholding of President Mbongwa's salary, followed by violence when he peacefully seeks redress, demonstrates the depths to which the Mswati led tinkhundla system will sink to maintain its grip on power.

To the people of Swaziland we say, do not let fear silence your voices but always remember that the very act of state violence reveals the regime's growing desperation and the power of your collective demand for change. The path to multi-party democracy has never been smooth, but history shows that no amount of repression can indefinitely suppress a people's longing for freedom. Remain strong.

We also call on the international community to not only express solidarity with the oppressed people of Swaziland but to also impose meaningful consequences on the tinkhundla regime for these human rights violations. Regional bodies, particularly SADC, must move beyond mere expressions of concern to concrete action against its members who violates its statutes.

Issued by the Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN)

For more information, please contact:

Mfanafuthi Tsela
Spokesperson
Cell: +27 72 217 7750

Lucky Lukhele
Spokesperson
Cell: +27 81 458 5658

16/11/2024

SSN STATEMENT

KING MSWATI ABDUCTS CHILDREN IN BID TO SILENCE RELIGIOUS DISSENT

16 November 2024

The Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN) strongly condemns Mswati’s use of his ritual men (Bemanti) and the Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF) to intimidate citizens. Recently, these entities broke into the home of Mbongeni Mamba in Siphofaneni and abducted his children, punishing him for refusing to participate in the king’s rituals.

This annual harassment, disguised as the custom of kwengcisa, sees the king’s emissaries demanding money and compliance from impoverished communities. Increasing political awareness among Swazis has led many to resist these violations of human rights, but the king continues to rule with impunity, ignoring constitutional guarantees of freedom and dignity.

SSN calls on human rights organizations, the South African government, and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to hold King Mswati accountable. Why does the region continue to enable this dictatorship? SADC claims to hold supreme the promotion of democracy, good governance and the respect of human rights as foundational principles for regional integration. Despite this, it has repeatedly failed to address the autocratic rule of Mswati whose government operates under a perpetual state of emergency that has been in place since 12 April 1973.

This failure to call Mswati to order undermines SADC’s credibility and casts doubt on its ability to achieve the political and economic integration it aspires to. It is clear that a region governed by democratically elected leaders cannot fully integrate a country ruled by an absolute monarch without compromising its democratic principles.

SADC’s mission to maintain peace and security has similarly failed, as the body waits for conflicts to explode before taking action, rather than addressing the root causes of unrest. The ongoing crisis in Swaziland and Mozambique are testament to this failure.

Issued by the Swaziland Solidarity Network

For more information, please contact:

Mfanafuthi Tsela

Spokesperson

Mobile: +27 72 217 7750

Lucky Lukhele

Spokesperson

Mobile: +27 72 502 4141