Mail & Guardian
Mail & Guardian

Mbabane

latest news & developments

Government cracks down on protesters

Swaziland soldiers and police turned away demonstrators from Mbabane and the union group was declared illegal, leaving the protests quite futile.

Suffering Swazis want change

Suffering Swazis want change

<b>Louise Redvers</b> reports that ordinary people are losing patience because of the worsening economic crisis — but the king has no answers.

No silver lining for Mswati as storm clouds gather

King Mswati III of Swaziland has cancelled plans for a lavish "silver jubilee" as his kingdom tries to claw its way out of a financial crisis.

Judge’s delay keeps Swazi protest leaders in jail

Judge’s delay keeps Swazi protest leaders in jail

Two leaders of the pro-democracy protests in Swaziland will stay in jail for now after the judge, who lives near one of the men, recused himself.

Crackdown on Swazi activists ahead of protests

Swazi cops raided homes and detained activists amid claims of torture, on the eve of protests against King Mswati III, Africa’s last absolute monarch.

Zambia calls on AU to suspend Madagascar

Zambia on Wednesday became the first AU member to call for Madagascar’s suspension from the bloc after Marc Ravalomanana was toppled as president.

Swazi opposition slams vote as ‘window-dressing’

Observers monitoring elections in Swaziland expressed concerns on Friday over the exclusion of political parties in Africa’s last absolute monarchy.

HIV-positive Swazis march in protest at shopping binge

More than 1 500 mostly HIV-positive women staged an unprecedented protest in Swaziland on Thursday against a foreign shopping tour.

Swazi Cabinet minister faces probe over fortune

A Cabinet minister is one of 30 Swaziland businessmen who are to be investigated by the country’s main anti-corruption unit over how they amassed their fortunes. Prime Minister…

Who killed Pudemo leader?

Officially, Swazi opposition leader Gabriel Mkhumane died at the hands of criminals when he was shot dead in Nelspruit at the beginning of this month. But fellow opposition…

Swaziland defends hefty party bill

The government of Swaziland, one of Africa’s poorest and most Aids-ridden countries, has defended plans to spend nearly ,5-million on celebrations to mark the 40th anniversary of…

Questions abound over Swaziland food crisis

A substantial increase in the number of Swazis requiring food aid has raised some questions in this Southern African country. Why the rise, and how long are the higher numbers…

Hundreds homeless after storms lash Swaziland

Hundreds of people have been left homeless in the landlocked kingdom of Swaziland after a severe storm wreaked havoc, disaster officials said on Thursday. Ben Nsibandze,…

Aids leaves one-third of Swazi children orphaned

Nearly one-third of Swaziland’s children are considered orphaned and vulnerable as Aids takes its toll on the country, a study commissioned by the state’s emergency-response…

Swaziland’s water troubles go beyond delivery

Swaziland is in the grip of another drought, and withered maize stalks in dusty fields, rural women who spend ever more time searching for potable water, residents of urban…