King Mswati III's eSwatini: A reign defined by fear and silence, propped by renegades

King Mswati III of eSwatini is marking four decades on the throne with lavish celebrations, drawing praise from regional leaders and business elites. However, this display of pomp and circumstance is overshadowed by persistent accusations of human rights abuses and a climate of fear within the landlocked kingdom.

Despite a significant fan base stretching from Southern Africa to Taiwan and the United States, Mswati's reign is marred by allegations of bullying, mysterious deaths, and the persecution of groups like the LGBTI+ community. Activists, many now living in exile, watch helplessly as regional leaders, including those from Lesotho, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe, and even figures like Madagascar's ousted leader Andry Rajoelina, lend their support to the king.

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Any media outlet run or sponsored by mainland China would give prominence to (Lai) but ignore the plight of the Swazis. Lai’s eagerness (to travel here) says a lot about him and what he’s getting through this relationship at the expense of the people of eSwatini.

Taiwan's leader Lai Ching-te also attended, a move Zweli Dlamini, an investigative reporter operating within eSwatini, finds ironic given the king's authoritarian rule. Dlamini highlights the stark contrast between the international attention given to Lai's travel arrangements and the "real state of affairs" in eSwatini: fear and silence. He criticizes global powers and organizations for ignoring documented human rights violations, pointing to the unresolved aftermath of the mid-2021 "massacre" and the ongoing persecution of dissenters.

"World leaders don't care. Taiwan doesn't care. China, the US, SADC or other global organisations don't care," Dlamini stated, emphasizing that the focus remains on infrastructure development and political alliances rather than the plight of the Swazi people. The kingdom's embrace of figures like Rajoelina and Lai, while simultaneously hounding pro-democracy activists, underscores a troubling paradox.

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World leaders don’t care. Taiwan doesn’t care. China, the US, SADC or other global organisations don’t care. Human rights violations are well-documented.