This archive report was first published on 22 October 2021.
Published on October 22, 2021, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has sent a team from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to Eswatini, despite having said his hands are tied in trying to end violence gripping the landlocked kingdom.
As chairman of the SADC Defence, Politics and Security Cooperation committee, Ramaphosa appointed three envoys from South Africa to talk to increasingly isolated King Mswati III.
The SADC team will discuss the escalating political standoff between the king and elements opposed to his continued rule, which has seen police and other government forces use live ammunition on protesters.
At least 20 have been injured and numerous are said to be missing, with opposition elements claiming live ammunition is being used and people are being abducted by government forces.
Protest leaders accuse the Mswati regime of violence against demonstrators, with at least seven people killed and about 50 injured by Wednesday night.
Efforts to find the missing through reporting to police have drawn no response, indicating that they are dead or detained, opposition leaders say.
As part of the crackdown, the internet has been inoperable for days, but videos of the protests and efforts to crack down on them have managed to get past government restrictions to be broadcast in South Africa.
