Vol 62 No 23 | ESWATINI Endgame of throne? 12th November 2021 Africa's last absolute monarchy teeters as activists step up protests and demand action from South Africa What started as a student protest against police brutality has morphed into a full-scale crisis with King Mswati III's army killing between 80-100 civilians in clashes with demonst...
Vol 62 No 14 | ESWATINI A state of royal denial 8th July 2021 As reports and videos circulate showing dozens of pro-democracy protestors being shot and killed by security forces, regional and international pressure on King Mswati III is mount...
DISPATCHES Vol 62 No 14 | ESWATINI A king–size crisis 5th July 2021 Brutal army crackdowns against pro-democracy protests have prompted concerns among Eswatini's neighbours, with the Southern African Development Community sending a team of 16 minis... READ FOR FREE
Vol 56 No 13 | ESWATINI Facing sanctions 26th June 2015 Momentum is building in Europe for sanctions over human rights abuses in Swaziland. European Union member states voted on 21 May for a resolution urging their leaders to reconsider...
Vol 54 No 20 | ESWATINI 'Failed feudal state' 3rd October 2013 The widely discredited 20 September election saw pro-royal politicians take nearly all 55 parliamentary seats. Traditional chiefs loyal to King Mswati III had vetted all the candid...
Vol 54 No 18 | ESWATINI New name, same game 6th September 2013 Inspired by a vision from God, King Mswati III has declared his country a ‘monarchical democracy’. This will make it clear to the international community that Swaziland...
Vol 53 No 12 | ESWATINI Mswati’s private party 8th June 2012 The tiny kingdom is in a deep economic crisis but the ruling monarch is determined to party on regardless The arrival of a new private jet for King Mswati III has brought fresh turbulence to the virtually bankrupt country. The future is more uncertain than ever now that Swaziland has p...
Vol 52 No 25 | ESWATINI Economy faces royal crisis 16th December 2011 Social unrest has been strong but not revolutionary. Could the cash shortage achieve what campaigners could not? Swaziland is resorting to desperate measures to meet its public sector payments amid fiscal problems that the International Monetary Fund warns have reached a 'critical stage'. Afr...
Vol 52 No 8 | ESWATINI Uprising put down 15th April 2011 The 12 April ‘uprising’ was heavily advertised so it was no surprise that the security forces outnumbered any who dared to go out on to the streets to protest. Riot police used wat...
Vol 52 No 5 | ESWATINI The King's budget 4th March 2011 Swaziland is suffering a severe economic crisis and the monarchy looks ill-equipped to survive it While rebellion has spread only within North Africa and the Middle East so far, monarchies all over the world fear the worst and Swaziland’s has more reasons than most to fear ...