MBABANE – An NGO has come under fire for advertising unpaid positions requiring specialised medical qualifications and professional skills.
The advertisement, which offered an unpaid volunteer opportunity covering critical care, emergency care, medical data and research, has raised questions about whether non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are taking advantage of unemployed graduates by recruiting them into positions that require professional expertise without offering salaries. The controversy has also drawn the attention of the Coordinating Assembly of Non-Governmental Organisations (CANGO), which has warned against exploiting unemployed graduates through unpaid positions.
CANGO is an umbrella body established in 1983 to coordinate and strengthen the civil society sector in Eswatini. It brings together more than 70 NGOs and works towards building their institutional capacity, facilitating collaboration and advocating for policies that advance the interests of communities. The recruitment of qualified professionals into unpaid positions by NGOs has attracted national criticism, with emaSwati describing the practice as an unfair labour arrangement.
Responding to the matter, CANGO Executive Director Thembinkosi Dlamini said the organisation had also noted the engagement of volunteers, largely on an unpaid basis, with organisations often citing a lack of funding to support the positions. He acknowledged that the practice could provide unemployed graduates with professional experience that could subsequently improve their prospects of securing employment in government, the private sector and international organisations.
However, he expressed concern about instances where organisations and government institutions expected volunteers and interns to undertake responsibilities beyond the arrangements agreed upon.
Dlamini revealed that there had been cases where some volunteers were expected to work beyond agreed working hours and perform duties without clear remuneration arrangements. He said genuine volunteer programmes should have clear agreements defining responsibilities and distinguishing volunteer roles from those performed by permanent employees. He further stated that organisations should establish clear boundaries and ensure that unpaid contributions are not exploited.
Dlamini maintained that CANGO is opposed to the exploitation of people in the workplace. He said the country’s Employment Act and Industrial Relations Act primarily address formal employer-employee relationships, adding that organisations should nevertheless adopt ethical practices when engaging volunteers.
The executive director emphasised that NGOs needed to establish respectful and empowering volunteer programmes that provided opportunities for skills development rather than exploitation. However, CANGO acknowledged that volunteerism remained a feature of the NGO sector, largely because of limited funding available to support staffing requirements.
Dlamini said organisations use different arrangements to engage people in their activities, including volunteers with varying levels of professional qualifications. He highlighted that volunteerism could contribute towards expanding service delivery, improving employability and allowing individuals to participate in development programmes.
Regarding the advertisement, he said CANGO was not fully aware of the details of the arrangement, although it recognised that unemployment among trained and skilled young people in the health sector remained high. According to Dlamini, the opportunity could provide valuable experience for entry-level professionals, provided they worked under appropriate support and supervision.
Implored
On another note, the executive director implored organisations to provide orientation, training, mentorship and recognition to ensure that volunteers benefitted professionally from their participation. On the question of donor accountability, Dlamini said NGOs should strive to maintain adequate staffing levels and ensure that available funding for personnel requirements was used appropriately.
The distinction between volunteering and employment was particularly important in a country where unemployment among young graduates remained a concern. He said CANGO was open to working with government and other stakeholders towards developing guidelines that would define, measure and recognise volunteer work while applying core labour standards.
Such guidelines, he said, should help prevent unpaid work from becoming forced labour or disguised employment.
In addition, he called for increased investment in government-led programmes aimed at addressing unemployment, particularly among young people. One example he cited was the Eswatini Youth Empowerment Programme (EYEP), which supports internships and volunteer opportunities through monthly stipends.
Dlamini said such initiatives demonstrate the importance of providing financial support to young people seeking professional experience. He also encouraged organisations to create opportunities that allow young people to participate meaningfully in development work without being subjected to exploitative arrangements.
Controversy
The controversy follows an advertisement by one of the country’s NGOs, which is known to this publication but cannot be name as investigations are still ongoing. The job advertisement was for an unpaid volunteer opportunity covering critical care, emergency care, medical data and research. The opportunity, based in Mbabane, was advertised for November to December 2026, with successful applicants expected to contribute to work involving clinical guidelines, protocols, evidence summaries, medical data analysis and research.
According to the advertisement, applicants were required to possess a degree in medicine, nursing, public health, epidemiology, biostatistics or a related field, or have equivalent experience.
They were also expected to demonstrate proficiency in Microsoft Excel and statistical software such as Stata, SPSS or Dedoose, alongside strong English communication skills.
Although the organisation indicated that transport and communication expenses would be reimbursed, the position was explicitly classified as unpaid. The advertisement has since attracted criticism from emaSwati, some of whom questioned why an organisation seeking people with specialised qualifications would not offer remuneration.
Moreover, the advert has brought into sharp focus the wider recruitment practices of NGOs, particularly against the background of reduced donor funding, job losses and increasing competition for employment among qualified young people.
Questioning
Following the advertisement, several emaSwati took to social media to question whether unemployed graduates could afford to offer their professional services without receiving salaries.“No, this would be suitable for wealthy foreigners coming from overseas who have money. I do not see any liSwati who would volunteer without being paid at this point in time in Eswatini. We are hungry; emaSwati need paying jobs to sustain their lives,” commented one individual.
A number of citizens further questioned the practice of unpaid internships, wondering who had determined that internship opportunities should be offered without remuneration.
For instance, Gcinile Motsa expressed her displeasure, arguing that organisations were taking advantage of people who were struggling to secure employment by expecting them to provide free labour. She was supported by Lindeni Lindeni, who questioned how organisations could continue recruiting volunteers when they had management structures responsible for administering their finances.
Lindeni further suggested that the recruitment of unpaid personnel was becoming increasingly common in the country. The advertised opportunity entails the management and support of patients experiencing serious or life-threatening medical conditions. It also requires the volunteer to possess knowledge of the assessment, stabilisation and management of patients requiring urgent medical attention.
Medical data and research are equally important components of the job requirements. These involve collecting, organising, analysing and interpreting health information to identify trends, evaluate interventions and support evidence-based decisions. The advertised responsibilities also include clinical guidelines, protocols and evidence summaries.
According to information sourced online, these are important tools used by healthcare professionals to standardise clinical practices, guide treatment decisions and improve the quality of patient care. The requirement for statistical software further suggests that the successful candidate would be expected to contribute to technical research and data-related work rather than simply perform routine administrative or observational duties.
Moreover, these functions generally require professional knowledge and specialised skills, making the question of appropriate remuneration particularly relevant.
Remuneration
Since the advertisement is for an unpaid position, this publication obtained information from the World Health Organization’s (WHO) August 2023 Health Labour Market Analysis for Eswatini, which provides an indication of the remuneration associated with selected health professions. The report, which used government payroll information from June 2023, estimated that medical specialists earned approximately E966 939 annually, equivalent to about E80 578 monthly.
Medical officers, or general practitioners, had an estimated annual income of E430 472, translating to approximately E35 873 monthly.
Meanwhile, paramedics earned approximately E106 211 annually, equivalent to E8 851 monthly. The report also established that general and specialised nurses, optometrists, occupational therapists and speech therapists earned approximately 41 per cent of the income of medical officers.
Although these figures represent historical public-sector remuneration estimates, they illustrate the financial value attached to specialised healthcare skills and the substantial differences between professional categories. The prevalence of volunteer job opportunities comes at a time when several organisations operating in Eswatini have experienced financial pressure following reductions in international development assistance.
In January 2025, the United States Government announced a freeze on foreign assistance, with subsequent funding cuts affecting programmes supported through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The consequences were particularly significant for health and HIV-related interventions, which rely heavily on international development partners.
According to UNAIDS’ March 27, 2025 report on the impact of US funding cuts in Eswatini, some HIV programme officers had lost their jobs, while organisations and healthcare facilities experienced reduced capacity to provide services. The report also highlighted disruptions to HIV testing, community outreach, prevention programmes and data collection quality-control activities.
Furthermore, the funding disruptions affected services targeting adolescent girls and young women, with between 120 000 and 150 000 potentially affected by reduced programme capacity. The financial difficulties were also reflected in the experiences of individual organisations. For instance, Young Heroes Foundation, which supports orphans and vulnerable children through healthcare, education and social protection programmes, reportedly lost 87 per cent of its funding in 2025 following USAID cuts.
According to information published by Friends of Eswatini, the organisation reduced its workforce from 103 employees to 20, while its community volunteers declined from 348 to 12. These developments illustrate the financial difficulties facing organisations that provide essential services to communities.
Organisations operating in Eswatini include the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF), Family Life Association of Eswatini (FLAS), World Vision Eswatini, Young Heroes Foundation, the Swatini Action Group Against Abuse (SWAGAA), the Luke Commission and Cabrini Ministries.
Their activities cover healthcare, HIV prevention and treatment, child protection, social welfare, gender-based violence prevention and community development.
