MBABANE – The High Court has ordered the ejection of the Manzini Industrial Training Centre (MITC) from Eswatini Diocesan premises following a three-year battle over unpaid rentals and an expired lease.
MITC is a vocational training institution based in Manzini that equips young people and unemployed individuals with practical trade skills.
The centre offers training in fields such as construction, electrical work, plumbing, welding and other artisan skills aimed at improving employability and supporting self-employment. It plays a key role in youth empowerment and skills development in the country’s industrial and technical sectors.
The ruling, delivered by Judge Bongani Dlamini on April 10, 2026, grants the Eswatini Diocesan Trusts’ Board a summary judgment against government and the attorney general. The diocese was represented by Dynasty Inc. Attorneys in the matter.
The court has also ordered government to pay E336 936.60, representing accrued rentals from March 1, 2023 to February 2026. Additionally, government must pay interest at a rate of nine per cent per annum from the date the summons was issued until the final payment is made.
The dispute centers on Farm No. 1251 in Manzini, a 25.9-hectare property held under Certificate of Consolidated Title No. 291/1981. The land has long served as the site for the MITC, a vocational training centre.
According to court documents, the diocese and the Ministry of Education and Training signed a three-year lease on March 5, 2020. The agreement was signed by the late Bishop Ellinah Wamukoya and former Principal Secretary Bertram Stewart.
While the initial rent was set at E5 000 per month with a 10 per cent annual escalation, the lease expired on February 28, 2023. The Board alleged that since the expiry, government has remained in ‘unlawful occupation’ and failed to pay any further rental.
“All negotiations between the parties to conclude a new lease agreement have proven futile,” the plaintiff’s particulars of claim stated. “The defendants vehemently refuse to sign any new lease agreement yet are adamant that they remain in occupation… this has a huge prejudicial impact on the plaintiff”.
As per the lease agreement, government was, save for reasonable wear and tear, responsible for keeping and maintaining of the inside of the premises, together with any fixtures or fittings which form part thereof in an orderly and clean condition and where applicable, in good working order in which they were in when the it took occupation.
The diocese was responsible for repainting the inside of the leased premises when such repainting may be desirable as a result of normal wear and tear, provided that the materials and workmanship were of an acceptable standard and ensuring that existing colour schemes and finishes were not altered without the diocese’s prior consent in writing.
The lease agreement had stated that if any of the parties commits a breach of any other stipulations or conditions of this lease and remains in default seven days after receipt of written demand calling upon such party to remedy such breach or if either party commits any act of insolvency, then either party may forthwith declare this lease cancelled and terminated.
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