MBABANE — The Drama and Theatre category of the Inyatsi Schools Arts and Culture competition concluded its two-day run at the Divine Healing Ministries, highlighting student performances focused on critical contemporary social issues.
Held from June 23 to 24 2026, the annual national event attracted numerous schools from across the country.
The competitive structure divided the participating educational institutions into two segments over the duration of the event. Group A schools took to the stage on June 23, while Group B schools presented their theatrical pieces on June 24. The performances in the Drama and Theatre category directly addressed complex societal themes. Stage productions focused on the socio-economic impact on communities, as well as the ongoing influence of culture and traditions within the nation. Additionally, a significant portion of the theatrical material examined the direct impact of cyberbullying on learners.
Participating students demonstrated specific acting techniques and technical execution aligned with these thematic guidelines. The presentation of the scripts required learners to apply vocal projection, character interpretation and emotional expression to communicate the core messages of socio-economic disparity, traditional dynamics and digital harassment.
The two-day national gathering served as a centralised platform for primary and secondary school theatre groups to display technical dramatic skills before a panel of judges and peers. The event concluded on June 24, following the final performances from the Group B category. Thabo Maseko, the Chairperson of the Schools Drama and Theatre Association, mentioned that the competitions were a great success, and we were highly impressed by the quality of performances displayed by the learners. There was remarkable talent, creativity, confidence and dedication across all participating schools.
The standard of performance was exceptionally high, reflecting the hard work of both learners and teachers. We would like to encourage schools to continue investing in drama, dance, poetry and traditional performance arts, and where possible, engage qualified coaches to further strengthen the quality and impact of performances. Professional guidance can help learners develop even more powerful and polished productions.
We are also grateful to our adjudicators, who carried out their responsibilities with professionalism, fairness and expertise.
“We were particularly pleased with how schools interpreted and presented the competition themes.
The performances demonstrated a deep understanding of social and cultural issues while showcasing the creativity and potential of Eswatini’s young people. We congratulate all participating schools and look forward to even greater performances in future competitions,” he said.
One of ‘Baka Ngwane’ actresses Mandisa Mamba, who plays the role of Queen Choshile, applauded the talent Eswatini has, stating that:
“It is important for the students to learn these skills at an early age because in the future it might help them,” she said.
