SADC calls for urgent dialogue in Eswatini following the death of human rights activist

2 min read
3 February 2023 | 11:53 CAT

Leaders of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) are calling on the Kingdom of Eswatini to urgently initiate a national dialogue as tensions continue to rise in the region.

Picture: Daily Sabah

The SADC leaders convened a regional bloc troika meeting in Windhoek, Namibia this week, where they condemned the assassination of Eswatini human rights activist Thulani Maseko.

The bloc leaders say they want a thorough investigation of the murder of Maseko.

Political tension in Eswatini, Africa’s last absolute monarchy, remain a challenge for SADC since 2021 as protest erupted over the leadership of King Mswati III.

In June 2021 , at least 37 people were killed in violently suppressed anti-regime demonstrations, since then protests and strikes have continued quietly.

According to Eswatini laws, the king can dissolve parliament, the government and appoint or dismiss judges. He also commands the police and the army.

King Mswati III did not attend the extraordinary SADC troika meeting in Namibia.

Meanwhile, the leaders also discussed the current situation in northern Mozambique as it battles insurgency, the eruptive situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and called on Lesotho to expedite reforms meant to bring it stability.

Assisted Dying

Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za 30 April 2026 3-minute read Lobby group Dignity SA has launched a landmark one-thousand-page constitutional challenge aiming to decriminalize assisted dying laws in SA, advocating to give terminally ill patients a choice to...

The Africa Report

Sameera Casmod | sameerac@radioislam.co.za 5 May 2026 | 13:05 CAT 4-minute read Sudan Crisis Deepens Intensified drone attacks in Sudan A barrage of drone attacks in recent days has shattered months of relative calm in Sudan’s capital city of Khartoum. On Monday, May...

Lebanon: A Sacrificial Lamb

Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za 27 April 2026 3-minute read In an interview with Ml Junaid Kharsany, Professor Jeff Halper, director of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, stated that Israel, in its endeavour to implement the Abrahamic Accords,...

City Power In Debt

Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za 28 April 2026 3-minute read Fuel supplier African Rhino Fuels has launched legal action against City Power, a Johannesburg power utility, alleging its non-payment for 250 000 litres of diesel in July 2025. Struggling to keep...

Global Order Under Pressure – Kenneth Roth Warns of a Dangerous Drift Toward Power Over Principle

Annisa Essack | kzn@radioislam.org.za 28 April 2026 | 2-minute read LISTEN TO THE PODCAST HERE At a time when the world feels increasingly combustible, questions about the strength and relevance of international law are no longer confined to lecture halls or...