In eSwatini, prominent human rights defender Thulani Maseko confirmed Friday that leaders associated with the political opposition party People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) were taken to police headquarters in the Mbabane capital. He was one of a number of activists in the former Swaziland to condemn the action, which they…
Public workers in eSwatini plan a national strike Wednesday, in order to protest working conditions in key sectors of the country’s chronically troubled economy. According to the Swazi Observer, the four main public unions – for teachers, nurses, government accountants and a broader public service group – made the decision…
The news Thursday from the Kingdom of eSwatini was that King Mswati III announced his southern African nation will no longer be known as Swaziland. What that means in reality is that many of the roughly 1.4 million people who live there will use the same name they’ve always used,…
The leader of Taiwan arrived in Swaziland on Tuesday for a controversial four-day official visit that coincides with the 50th anniversary of independence celebrations in the southern African kingdom. Tsai Ing-wen and her delegation were greeted by King Mswati III, who then hosted a state dinner for his guests. Swaziland…
President of India Ram Nath Kovind heads to Swaziland on Monday, following a weekend visit with President Teodoro Obiang Nguema in Equatorial Guinea. The two met at the Presidential Palace in Malabo to discuss economic development and investment, as well as security. Kovind said India is eager to assist the…
Members of the Swaziland Defence Force say they’re facing a new threat that they aren’t sure how to overcome – and it’s the chickens. Soldiers at the Mdzimba Army Barracks in the Hhohho region, in a mountainous northwestern part of the country, say their base is overrun by about 200…
Authorities in Swaziland are cracking down on private schools, with at least 21 of them declared illegal and closed because of failure to comply with ministry of education requirements. “You cannot just wake up today and decide to operate a school. There are set standards that must be met,” said…
It’s a problem that’s often under the radar in sub-Saharan Africa, but not in Swaziland as snake experts recently held training on the poisonous snakebite problem – one that may soon see some new developments. At least 200 people in Swaziland are bitten by black mamba, puff adder, Mozambican spitting…
Peacekeeping troops are headed for Lesotho ahead of a November 1 deadline set by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) for a 1,000-strong force to assist in stabilizing the small kingdom. The SADC peacekeepers include 250 members of the Namibian Defence Force, according to the country’s international relations minister. Netumbo…
Nurses in Swaziland planned a strike on Friday to call attention to drug shortages they say are compromising patient care, including those who need HIV treatment. The nurses plan to march the streets of Mbabane and deliver a petition to Prime Minister Sibusiso Dlamini to force the government to listen…
Students at the Swaziland College of Technology (SCOT) were forced to leave campus by armed police Tuesday as protests over unpaid stipends and allowances, and shrinking meal plans, turned violent. The SCOT campus in Mbabane was closed down as the boycott evolved into vandalism and a school dining hall was…
As police in Swaziland unravel the mystery of what has happened to Portuguese businessman Almor Oliveiri, new details have emerged – and along with them, a concern for foreign investors. Oliveiri has been missing since April 16, and authorities don’t know where he is. Three people have been arrested in…
An aftershock earthquake that measured 5.0 magnitude on the Richter scale hit Botswana shortly before 3 a.m. Wednesday morning, according to the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC). The United States Geological Survey (USGS) also measured the quake at a 5.0 magnitude, with an epicenter in the same location as Monday night’s…
The strong earthquake that hit Botswana on Monday night registered at a 6.5 magnitude on the Richter scale, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The quake struck shortly before 8 p.m. near Moiyabana in the rural east-central Ghanzi region of the country. The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC)…
The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) officially begins today in the United States – and this year Africans are making their mark at the premier global showcase of technology and innovation. In Las Vegas, among thousands of people from 150 nations, are entrepreneurs from Swaziland ready to connect with CES2017…