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Swaziland (Eswatini)

Swaziland (Eswatini) is one of Africa’s smallest countries, located in Southern Africa. The country is Africa’s only remaining State to be governed as an absolute monarchy. Organised political opposition remains banned. Since the 1990s, some citizens have demanded political reforms and greater democracy. IM supports civil society so that people can organise for the common good, without facing violence and threats.

Many of the laws, policies and regulations in the country are designed to monitor and restrict non-governmental organizations (NGOs), civil society organizations (CSOs) and the operation of other social movements. A decree from 1973 that bans political parties in the Kingdom remains in force, and there is a Public Order Act from 2016 that limits the freedom and rights of the people. The operating space for the civil society in the country is thus very limited.

Criminalisation of open dissent with Government policies, restrictions on NGOs and associations’ registration and laws restricting organisations from receiving foreign funding, remain impediments for CSOs operations in the Kingdom.

Together with partners in the country, IM is working to empower Swazis (the people of Swaziland). That is done by facilitating, building and organizing community-based organizations for their own emancipation and development. The aim is to contribute to the creation of a democratic society free of hunger, poverty, inequality and abuse of power.

Gavin was evicted

In the middle of the night Gavin’s family and five other families were evicted and got their houses torn down to make way for sugar cane plantations. IM supports FSEJ who are engaged in Gavin’s and many more similar cases all over Swaziland