Swazi Bridge News

25/09/2025

ESWATINI ACHIEVES RARE FEAT BY SETTLING IMF DEBT....
..... But turns to new loans to fix domestic cash crisis

By Staff reporter

September 26, 2025, MBABANE – The Kingdom of Eswatini has achieved a rare feat by fully repaying its outstanding credit to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), a move that grants the country increased policy autonomy.

Borrowing from the IMF often serves as a critical lifeline for African nations facing economic distress. However, a comparative analysis suggests that countries which maintain modest levels of IMF debt while pursuing internal reforms and diversified economic strategies often achieve more sustainable fiscal health.

Recent IMF evaluations of Lesotho and Mali, conducted in 2025, illustrate how the role of IMF support varies significantly, contributing to broader economic objectives in different ways. The cases of Lesotho and Mali demonstrate that a low level of debt to the IMF is not an end in itself, but rather a potential indicator of effective domestic fiscal management. For Lesotho, it provides the freedom to chart an independent economic course. For Mali, a closer relationship with the IMF is part of a necessary strategy to manage profound internal challenges. Ultimately, the healthiest economic models appear to be those where IMF borrowing is a strategic, limited tool within a broader, home-grown plan for stability and growth.

In the case of eSwatini recent data from the IMF shows that as of September 24, 2025, the country's total IMF credit outstanding fell to zero Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), down from 9,812,500 SDRs a month prior. This payment settles a major financial obligation from a 2020 COVID-19 emergency loan.

While this development places the Kingdom among a small group of African nations with minimal IMF debt, the government is simultaneously leveraging this financial credibility to secure new funding from other multilateral lenders to address pressing internal issues.

Earlier this year Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg revealed that the World Bank had approved a $100 million loan to assist the government in improving cash flow and ending the chronic issue of delayed payments to suppliers.

Rijkenberg described the loan as a critical step towards breaking a damaging cycle of government arrears that has long strained relationships with suppliers and disrupted service delivery.

“Since taking office in 2018, the Ministry has worked to reduce arrears from higher levels of about E6 billion down to around E2 billion, with recent figures suggesting they stand at approximately E1.5 billion. However, the challenge persists,” the Minister stated. He emphasised that the loan is not for consumption but is “about restoring cash flow and stopping the unhealthy situation where the government effectively borrows from suppliers by delaying payments, resulting in a poor economy.”

The concessional loan, finalised on April 29, 2025, follows the fulfilment of nine rigorous prior actions set by the World Bank. This move is part of a broader financial strategy, with the African Development Bank (AfDB) expected to approve a further $45 million and the OPEC Fund for International Development considering a $50 million loan. Combined, these efforts could inject over E3 billion into the country’s finances.

This dual approach highlights the complex challenges facing eSwatini. Despite the positive step of clearing IMF debt, the economy faces significant headwinds, including slow growth and critically high unemployment. Economist Dr. Thembeka Dlamini explained that achieving zero IMF debt eliminates large upcoming repayment obligations, providing the government with crucial breathing room.

“This improved debt position provides eSwatini with crucial breathing room. The government can now focus on addressing its pressing domestic issues, such as implementing public financial management reforms and tackling unemployment,” Dr. Dlamini said. However, she noted that the new loans indicate that "breathing room" is not the same as "fiscal surplus," and strategic borrowing remains essential for stability.

The Minister of Finance's economic turn around strategy, developed with international partners, focuses on clearing arrears to restore trust, alongside longer-term reforms.

“The goal is to reach a point where government is consistently paying suppliers on time, thereby enabling a more functional procurement system and strengthening public trust,” Rijkenberg previously said.

This immediate goal is part of a broader turnaround plan that includes:

· Infrastructure Investment with Local Benefits
· Digital Transformation for Growth
· Strengthening Public Finances through reforms like the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS).

The story of Eswatini's public finances is now one of balance celebrating independence from IMF debt while pragmatically engaging with other lenders to fix deep-rooted, home-grown fiscal problems that directly impact its citizens and economy.

23/09/2025

THE CRISIS OF YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT LAID BARE AT ARMY RECRUITMENT EXERCISE
....The silent crisis behind the army recruitment crowds

By Veli Simelane

The overwhelming number of young people who are turning up for the recent army recruitment exercise should terrify Swatini’s leaders. Far from demonstrating loyalty to the state, the sheer size of the crowds reveal the depth of an unemployment crisis that has left the country’s youth with nowhere else to turn.

What happened at tinkhundla centres across the country was not an ordinary recruitment drive. It was a public X-ray of the country's economic collapse. Thousands of young people, many of them educated, qualified, and desperate, lined up for a handful of positions. The rain-soaked crowd that packed the streets outside Mbabane’s Hilton Garden Inn only just recently also painted the same picture: a generation so starved of opportunity that even rumours of jobs are enough to unleash mass desperation.

The numbers are stark. The World Bank’s 2024 Eswatini Economic Update puts overall unemployment at 33.3%. But youth unemployment is far worse at 58.2% nationwide, rising above 70% in districts like Lubombo and Shiselweni. Work is no longer a pathway; it is a lottery ticket. Even more frightening is the trajectory. In 2019, youth unemployment stood at 47%. Today it is 58.2%. That 11-point jump is not a slow leak. It is a rapid haemorrhage.

Development Economist like Bhekithemba Dlamini have warned that rural poverty, entrenched underdevelopment, and chronic unemployment form a powder keg. The army recruitment frenzy has now made this visible in ways no statistic could. It showed, in real time, that thousands of young people have nothing left but to fight for the slim chance of a uniform and a salary. Particularly more startling is his bold claim that "history provides precise parallels that Eswatini ignores at its peril. Tunisia’s 2010 unemployment rate was 31%, with youth unemployment at 42%: both lower than Eswatini’s current figures. Mohamed Bouazizi’s self-immolation wasn’t just personal despair; it was the spark that ignited accumulated frustration from years of educated youth facing no opportunities while watching resources squandered on prestige projects."

When thousands flood army recruitment centres, it is not a sign of national pride. It is the scream of a generation trapped between hopelessness and survival. Authorities may celebrate swelling ranks in uniform, but they should be alarmed instead. For history shows that when desperation becomes the only motivator, it does not stop at the gates of the barracks.

Visit www.swazibridge.com for more penetrating analsis, news and commetory

21/09/2025

THE FOUNDATION OF ISRAEL FASCIST AND RIGHT WING RULING PARTY..
....All and everything you need to know about the history of Israel ruling party and its history of violence.

17/09/2025

"...Why interfere with something that is running smoothly? If the ENPF is experiencing financial or liquidity challenges, or if some see opportunities for gain, they must find other ways to address these issues, not disrupt the PSPF, which is functioning effectively.

No one opposes the conversion and its potential benefits, but there is everything wrong with tampering with civil servants’ pension fund. Period. This does not require endless newspaper advertorials or funded media campaigns that distort the message under the guise of clarification. Hands off the PSPF!"

To read the full article, go to: https://www.swazibridge.com/article/index.php?iywtrre=e1ui

16/09/2025

DECODING THE "UYEZWA NA" IN ARMY RECRUITMENT DRIVE ANNOUNCEMENT
.....When the army Commander invoked the "uyezwa na" he was reminding us that the army is an armed wing of the Monarchy.

By Editorial comment

When Army Commander Lieutenant General Moses Mashikilisane Fakudze announced the start of the army recruitment exercise yesterday, what stood out was not the recruitment drive itself, but the way it was communicated. The announcement was made using the phrase “uyezwa na”, a practice deeply rooted in the cultural tradition of calling regiments (emabutfo) to assemble at the monarch’s behest for national or royal duties.

This was no small detail. By invoking “uyezwa na,” the commander was not calling citizens to join a professional army bound by national duty, but to enlist in what is effectively a uniformed and armed regiment of the king. The symbolism was clear: this is less a national army of the people, and more an extension of the monarchy’s cultural and political apparatus.

That distinction matters. For if push came to shove, can this army defend the nation and its people or is its loyalty exclusively to the monarch?

History provides an answer. From its inception, Eswatini’s army was established not as an institution of the state but as an armed wing of the monarchy. Even its name reflects this origin. Over time, this role has been reinforced, not diminished. Recruitment and indoctrination make it plain: soldiers are taught first and foremost to defend the king. Protecting the people comes second, if at all. Even recruitment prioritises people seconded by chiefs, royalty, emabutfo and then to a less extent ordinary Swazis.

This reality underscores the deep entanglement of the monarchy with the very fabric of the state. That is why some radicals who imagine the monarchy as simply the occupant of the throne miss the point. The institution has carefully reshaped the machinery of the state; its parliament, judiciary, civil service, and armed forces reflect and advance its own interests.

We therefore call for a professional and modern army but under no illusion that this would be simple. We know that simple reforms would present existential challenges to the present army. For a force that has always understood itself as an armed regiment of royalty, being told to serve another authority or to stand above politics as a neutral state army would not just be resisted. It could provoke outright rebellion within the ranks.

This is why slogans and catchphrases within the progressive movement, however cathartic, often ring hollow. To wish the monarchy away is easy. To dismantle the monarchy as an institution, with its cultural legitimacy, its economic control, and above all its "private army", is another matter entirely. How does one confront an army that does not see itself as the nation’s, but as the king’s?

Eswatini is not a simple state, and it cannot be transformed by simple answers. Sustainable change requires grappling with the hard truths: the army is not a neutral national institution but a royal regiment; that the monarchy is not just a person but a system woven into every institution of power; and that frustrations, however justified, must be tempered with strategy, nuance, and a sober reading of reality.

If we are serious about building a democratic Eswatini, we must begin by acknowledging that the biggest obstacle is not just King Mswati III, but the monarchy as an entrenched system fortified by its own private army dressed up as a national defense force.

16/09/2025

"...The proposed legislation to convert the Eswatini National Provident Fund (ENPF) into a universal pension scheme has not only dominated the national discourse but also ignited a heated battle of narratives. Both the Public Service Pension Fund (PSPF) and the ENPF have deployed aggressive advocacy and public relations (PR) tactics to sway opinion in their favour.

Incontrovertibly, the ENPF appears to have gone furthest by using members’ funds to bankroll what looks like a full-blown PR campaign aimed at outmanoeuvring its rivals. Its recent double-spread adverts in national dailies have done more than just sell a position; they have jolted the public into asking whether something far larger is at stake, given the visible frustration now spilling out of the country’s Provident Fund...."

Click the link below to read the full article.

The fierce national conversation over Eswatini’s pension future has reached a fever pitch, and anyone following the developments will notice that this hullaballoo reveals deeper underlying issues beneath the surface.

12/09/2025

JERICHO CHURCH FOUNDER IS IN THE SAME LEAGUE AS ZCC’S LEKGANYANE, SHEMBE, AND IPHC’S FREDERICK MODISE AND DESERVES CELEBRATION
... Melika Vilakati is not celebrated enough for founding the Jericho Church in Zion, which has grown to become one of the biggest churches in eSwatini and one of the most influential in our politics.

By Sandile Zwane

Melika Vilakati, the man behind the founding of the Jericho Church in Zion, remains an unsung figure in the country's history. Yet his legacy places him in the same league as iconic church leaders like ZCC’s Engenas Lekganyane, Nazareth Baptist Church’s Isaiah Shembe, and IPHC’s Frederick Modise. From humble beginnings, Vilakati’s vision gave rise to one of the Kingdom's largest congregations, a church that today wields immense social, spiritual and political influence.

The monarchy, as an institution, may draw its strength from chiefly structures, but its most solid support base lies within the Zionist fold, particularly the Jericho Church. It is this alliance with powerful Christian movements that allows the monarchy to rest assured of its longevity. At the center of this story is Vilakati, whose Jericho Church has not only expanded beyond eSwatini’s borders but has also become one of the most influential forces in national politics.

Yet, despite the church’s size and its pivotal role in shaping society, little is known or celebrated about Vilakati. Unlike Lekganyane, Shembe, or Modise — names that command recognition across Southern Africa Vilakati’s contributions remain largely overlooked. And yet, his legacy is equally profound, if not more relevant, to the Swazi nation’s political and spiritual life.

Early history

In the rolling valleys beneath Mnyambe Mountain, a remarkable story unfolded in the mid-twentieth century — the story of Elias Melika “America” Vilakati and the church that would become the Jericho Christian Church in Zion (JCCZ). To this day, his followers, the emaJericho, stand out in their striking red gowns, spears, and banners, a vivid symbol of a faith born from visions, prophecy, and an unshakable sense of divine destiny.

Vilakati’s life began in extraordinary fashion. Born in 1925, he claimed that he entered the world with a full set of teeth and in the company of two doves — signs that his life would not follow an ordinary path. As a young boy of nine or ten, he began to experience visions of Mlentengamunye, God, and these encounters marked him as different. His childhood was filled with moments that blurred the line between the natural and the supernatural. On one occasion, he is said to have caught a rhebok with his bare hands, a feat that reinforced the belief that he was chosen for a special mission.

His adult life led him to Johannesburg, where like many Swazis of his generation, he sought work as a migrant laborer. It was there that he learned to read and write, skills that would later help him articulate his divine calling. But Johannesburg was also the site of his most transformative moment. On April 15, 1948, while imprisoned, Vilakati had a vision that changed everything.

In that vision, three angels lifted him through the heavens. In the first, he saw multitudes of people. In the second, he saw Jesus, dressed in red. In the third, he encountered God the Father himself. There, he was charged with a mission: to preach to the people and lead them to healing and salvation. He emerged from this experience filled with the Holy Spirit, convinced that God had set him apart for a unique and eternal task. This date, April 15, 1948, is still celebrated by the emaJericho as the birth of their church.

After his release, Vilakati withdrew to Mnyambe Mountain, where he spent three years in solitude, surviving on nothing but soil, grass, and water. The mountain became his crucible. In its caves, he preached to a mysterious race of small people said to dwell there permanently. He experienced visions that confirmed his prophetic role, and when he finally descended, he did so not just as Elias Vilakati the man, but as Bishop Vilakati, founder of a new spiritual movement.

He established his homestead in the fertile valley below Mnyambe, naming it Jericho after a dream in which God instructed him to do so. In that same dream, he was shown chains, padlocks, and keys, symbols of his power to open and close the gates of healing. Jericho became both a home and a sanctuary. The sick came in their numbers, seeking prayer and deliverance. Healing was not only spiritual but also physical and communal. Patients worked in Vilakati’s fields as part of their recovery, and many chose to remain long after they were healed, forming a permanent community bound by faith and fellowship.

The Jericho church

The emaJericho distinguished themselves from other Zionists by their red uniforms, a declaration that they were warriors against evil. Spears, emblazoned on their garments and carried in their processions, along with toy guns, sickles, and razorblades, reinforced their identity as fighters in the spiritual realm. Though other Zionist groups and local chiefs initially rejected Vilakati, his fortunes changed when King Sobhuza II recognized him as a Christian. That royal endorsement secured the church’s legitimacy and deepened the special relationship the emaJericho still claim with the Swazi monarchy.

To his followers, Vilakati was more than a bishop; he was a prophet, a healer, and at times even a rainmaker, said to have the power to summon storms through his connection with a mythical many-headed snake. His authority, however, was not without controversy. While many revered him as God’s chosen servant, others questioned his claims. Still, his influence grew, and the Jericho Church took firm root in Eswatini and beyond.

In early 1992, Bishop Vilakati suffered a stroke and was rushed to Johannesburg for treatment. When he died a few days later, his followers were stunned. They had believed him to be immortal, destined to live forever as the embodiment of Jericho’s divine power. His death opened a painful twenty-year leadership dispute, but eventually, his two sons assumed control, preserving his teachings and ensuring that his philosophy continued to shape the life of the church.

Today, the Jericho Christian Church in Zion remains one of the most distinctive and vibrant Zionist movements in Eswatini. At its heart lies the legacy of Bishop Elias “America” Vilakati — a man whose visions, trials, and unshakable conviction gave birth to a spiritual home where thousands still find healing, prophecy, and deliverance.

NB: Article sourced as an abridged version of Sonene Nyawo's academic work titled " Zionism as “a place to feel at home”: Healing, Prophecy and Deliverance in the Eswatini Jericho Christian Church in Zion

11/09/2025

GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON: "WE NEVER AGREED TO RECEIVE THE LATEST USA IMMIGRANT
...Acting government spokesperson Thabile Mdluli says the eSwatini government never agreed to receiving Kilmar Abrego who the Trump administration said could be deported to the Kingfom.

By Reuters

The eSwatini’s government has said on Thursday that it did not have any agreement with the United States to receive Kilmar Abrego, who the Trump administration said last week could be deported to the country.

“The Government of Eswatini has not received any communication regarding this person,” government spokesperson Thabile Mdluli told Reuters.

“Any proposal to send more deportees to Eswatini will be discussed between the governments of Eswatini and the United States of America prior to initiating processes, and the country will be properly informed,” she added in a text message.

eSwatini accepted five third-country deportees from the U.S. in July, for which it is facing a court challenge by local human rights activists who claim their government’s secretive deal with the Trump administration was illegal.

Abrego, whose arrest and fight to stay in the U.S. have become a flashpoint in its immigration crackdown, is originally from El Salvador and currently being held in an immigration detention centre in Virginia.

A September 5 email from a U.S. Department of Homeland Security official to Abrego’s lawyers said: “We hereby notify you that your new country of removal is eSwatini.”

The official said the change was made because Abrego, 30, had stated that he feared persecution or torture in Uganda, previously designated for his deportation. He has no ties to eSwatini.

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately reply to a request for comment on Eswatini’s statement.

Abrego’s saga began in March, when U.S. authorities accused him of being a gang member and sent him to an El Salvadoran prison despite an order from a U.S. judge prohibiting his deportation to his native country.

11/09/2025

ETHIOPIA'S TETFULO BUILT A HISTORIC DAM, HOW ABOUT WE DO SIMILAR?
..About time the country rethinks tetfulo and make it a national project and stop justifying it as cultural nicities for the palace

By Editorial comment

This past week, Ethiopians celebrated the completion of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), a project that has become a symbol of pride, unity, and self-determination. What makes the story extraordinary is not only the scale of the dam, but the way it was built. Ordinary Ethiopians, rich and poor alike, pulled their resources together to finance it. Pensioners gave up part of their retirement savings, workers sacrificed from their meagre wages, others even took loans.

Businesspeople and government officials all contributed. And they did it without loans from the World Bank or the IMF. It was built the Ethiopian way — by Ethiopians for Ethiopia. The lesson is clear: when a people are united around a vision, nothing is impossible.

Here at home, we have just seen something similar — albeit in a very different context. Reports say that ordinary citizens, businesses, and government officials in eSwatini contributed around E18 million worth of Tetfulo/gifts for the King. That shows we too, as a people, have the ability to pool resources at scale. But the question is: what if we redirected that same spirit and sacrifice into a national project that benefits all Swazis?

Take the University of eSwatini, for instance. It is a national treasure, yet it is in crisis, underfunded, and deteriorating. Imagine if the country united, Ethiopian-style, to rebuild and revive the university or to tar every road in deep rural areas or to refurbish every clinic in the land. That would be a true Tetfulo, one that secures the future for generations to come.

Now imagine if the King led by example, declaring that for the next five years he would cut 40% of his salary for the project. Imagine if politicians gave up 30% of their wages, senior bureaucrats 20%, and business leaders made matching contributions. The people would surely follow just as they give their nothing as titfulo. And with proper transparency and accountability, the pride we would feel as a nation would be beyond measure.

Ethiopia has shown us that self-reliance is not a dream it is possible when there is national vision and collective sacrifice. This country does not lack resources, nor does it lack the spirit of giving. What we lack is leadership that channels that spirit into building the nation, not just honouring the throne.

If Tetfulo is to make sense in our time, let it not be gifts that vanish into the palace. Let it be a people’s offering to themselves, to their children, and to the generations yet to come.

11/09/2025

JSE LISTED SWISS COMPANY SIGNS AGREEMENT TO OPERATE A FIRST OF ITS KIND AIRPORT FREE ZONE
.....This marks the first time a private European banking group has been granted such a mandate in Sub-Saharan Africa.

By Staff reporter

A new player is entering the global landscape of special economic zones: the eSwatini Airport Free Zone, a pioneering project that aims to redefine the concept of fiscal and banking hubs in Africa. This small kingdom, nestled between South Africa and Mozambique, now aspires to replicate the successful models of Switzerland and Dubai, positioning itself as a magnet for global capital and businesses.

Leading the initiative is Christopher Aleo, Swiss banker and CEO of iSwiss Group, a Forbes-featured entrepreneur listed among the most influential young leaders worldwide. Aleo has signed a direct agreement with His Majesty King Mswati III and the local government, entrusting the management of the Free Zone to iSwiss-controlled FZ Capital JSC. This marks the first time a private European banking group has been granted such a mandate in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The project’s uniqueness lies in its integration of company incorporation and banking services. Through the official online portal set to go live by late September, businesses will be able to establish a company in less than three minutes using remote facial recognition and document verification. At the same time, they will receive an instant multi-currency account connected to international SEPA and SWIFT networks. “We reversed the paradigm,” Aleo explains. “This is the world’s first Free Zone directly linked to a banking institution. We are eliminating the biggest friction entrepreneurs face: setting up companies without immediately operational financial tools.”

The masterplan includes a 3,500-sq-m central building with offices, a bar, and a restaurant, serving as the headquarters of a wider 30-hectare complex with direct access to Manzini’s international airport runway. Alongside the digital platform, the Free Zone will feature key physical infrastructure, including an underground vault with over 3,000 safety deposit boxes and a gold refinery for smelting and secure custody of precious metals.

The fiscal incentives complete the picture: taxation reduced to as low as 0% for startups and new companies, with a target of attracting between 600,000 and one million registrations by 2026. Such figures could transform the small kingdom into an unprecedented financial and entrepreneurial hub in the region.

Aleo designed this model drawing on his experience in the UAE. “We imported the best elements of successful free zones and adapted them to the African context,” he explains. “eSwatini can become a new Switzerland of Africa, with stability, security, and the capacity to attract capital.”

For Italian and European businesses, the project opens a strategic gateway to South Africa and the wider Southern African market. From manufacturing to agribusiness, logistics to design, the sectors that could benefit are manifold.

The official launch of the eSwatini Airport Free Zone this September will mark the beginning of a bold venture - one that could reshape not only the country’s future but the entire map of African free zones. For Christopher Aleo, it is yet another milestone in a global career that has already taken him from Forbes covers to luxury real estate deals in Dubai and groundbreaking development projects in Africa.

10/09/2025

BREAKING NEWS: LARRY ELLISON OUSTS ELON MUSK AS THE WORLD'S RICHEST PERSON.

By staff reporter ( September 10, 2025)

New York – In a stunning reversal on Wednesday, Oracle co-founder and chairman Larry Ellison has officially surpassed Elon Musk to become the world's richest individual, according to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index and multiple media reports.

Ellison’s net worth surged by approximately $101 billion, propelled by an extraordinary 40% jump in Oracle’s stock after the company unveiled a blockbuster earnings report. The surge was driven by a swath of multibillion-dollar AI infrastructure contracts with notables like OpenAI, Meta, and xAI, sending his estimated wealth soaring to nearly $393 billion, edging out Musk’s $385 billion .

Oracle’s performance obligations—or backlog—leapt to $455 billion, significantly higher than the prior quarter, underlining investor confidence in the company's AI-driven growth momentum .

This marks the first time Ellison has claimed the world's richest title, ending Musk's reign that stretched for several years. Elon’s wealth has been weakened partly by a decline in Tesla's value and broader concerns over political controversies affecting investor sentiment .

09/09/2025

Its belated happy independance day to eSwatini from MVA with love.