POLICE STOP MARCH FOR CHILDREN'S RIGHTS

MBABANE – The march organised by SOS Children’s Villages Eswatini to raise awareness against violence and child abuse was abruptly stopped by the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) yesterday.

The march, which was intended to start at SOS schools along Engonweni Road and continue to the traffic circle at Sidwashini yesterday, was halted at the corner of Engonweni and KaMhlaba roads.
Permission

Police officers at the scene explained that the organisers had not obtained the necessary permission to hold the march, and therefore, the event could not continue.

The officers further cited concerns about the safety of the children, describing the route as too dangerous for the participants.

As a result, hundreds of schoolchildren who had left their classrooms to join the demonstration were forced to turn back.

The march, aimed at condemning violence and raising awareness about child abuse, had been planned as part of SOS Children’s Villages’ ongoing efforts to advocate for children’s rights and safety.

. . . we need protection – children

Those were the chants by pupils from Hermann Gmeiner and Qedusizi Primary schools who took part in an awareness march yesterday around Sidwashini, organised by SOS Children’s Villages Eswatini.  The march was a response to the litany of child abuse cases that have been published by the local media in the past days.

Thokozani Maphalala, the Mbabane Programme Director at SOS Children’s Villages Eswatini, mentioned that the aim of the march was to raise awareness against the rising cases of child abuse in the country. “We decided to stand up as custodians of children’s rights,” stated Maphalala.

“The recent reports of adults abusing powerless children are really frightening and as an organisation, we figured we cannot keep quiet. We decided to let our children make noise and raise their voices against these heinous crimes.”
Maphalala noted that what really shook them as an organisation was the fact that one of the perpetrators in the recent reports lived in the local area in Sidwashini.  

One story that hogged the headlines is the one that happened at Siphumelele in Nhlangano in the Shiselweni Region, where a woman allegedly abused two minor siblings for months until one of them, a four-year-old, died.

Lindokuhle Jele, the mother of the two infants who were allegedly abused in Nhlangano, has spoken about the tragic circumstances that led to one of her children’s death. The surviving child is currently receiving medical treatment at the Hlatikhulu Government Hospital.

Lifestyle

Jele explained that a relative took the children away from her on November 30, 2024, promising to take them to a woman they knew from church. She admitted that her ‘wayward lifestyle’ had caused her to be unable to care for her children, as she was frequently out, socialising with friends. “I had the children at a very young age. They were taken away from me because of my ‘groovy’ lifestyle. I had very little time taking care of them,” Jele said.

The children were initially taken to a neighbour in Ezulwini, but Jele later learned that the woman had relocated to Nhlangano with the children, without her knowledge. The surviving child, who would randomly interject during the interview, described how they were subjected to harsh treatment. He recalled being placed under a shower with his brother, soaked, and left outside in the cold until the early hours of the morning.

Another child abuse case that has been amplified in the media is that of a suspected serial rapist targeting minor girls, who was arrested by the police, days after another was nabbed for numerous rapes committed across Mbabane and surrounding areas.

Another case that made headlines is that of a man who was arrested for allegedly exposing minor boys to pornography. The man appeared in court on Monday, facing at least 12 charges related to indecently dealing with and exposing pornographic material to six boys aged between 14 and 16. These incidents cast a stark light on the ongoing crisis of child abuse in the country.

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