This archive report was first published on 30 June 2021.
On June 29, 2021, the eSwatini government announced a curfew in response to the Covid-19 Delta variant in neighboring South Africa, but critics argue that the move is a ploy to crush dissenting voices.
Acting Prime Minister Themba Masuku said the government was aware of the variant and introduced the curfew to limit its spread, but the Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN) disputes this claim.
“Firstly, they shut down the internet yesterday immediately after the Prime Minister’s press conference. When the curfew was announced it was 5pm. How do you announce a curfew an hour before the curfew? If the curfew was a government initiative, it could have been announced in the morning or the previous day,” said Lucky Lukhele of SSN.
The curfew, which will be in effect from 18:00 to 05:00, has been met with skepticism by activists who accuse the government of heavy-handedness in its response to protesters.
Protests have been ongoing in eSwatini for several weeks, with demonstrators demanding multiparty democracy, economic reforms, and police accountability.
