By Mbongeni Ndlela
MBABANE – A recent wave of media outrage and official concern from South Africa over Eswatini’s agreement with the United States to temporarily host deportees, including some with criminal records, has sparked heated debate across the region. South African headlines paint a picture of Eswatini as recklessly importing danger into Southern Africa, alleging threats to national and regional security.
However, these reactions are not only exaggerated, but also rooted in selective moral outrage, institutional deflection, and a misunderstanding of the facts.
It’s time to set the record straight, clearly, calmly, and with context.
A Sovereign Nation’s Right to Engage in Bilateral Agreements
Eswatini, like any sovereign nation, has the right to engage in mutually agreed international cooperation. The U.S.-Eswatini agreement involves deportees being received and processed in the country in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) before they are sent to their home countries. These individuals are not being unleashed into Eswatini’s streets, they are confined, monitored, and managed in accordance with international standards.
To depict this as “a threat to regional security,” as South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) suggested in a media statement dated August 5, 2025, is misleading at best. Notably, the same South Africa that raises alarm over deportees failed to show similar concern when Eswatini was receiving life-saving U.S. aid during the HIV/AIDS crisis. For decades, U.S. programs like PEPFAR and USAID helped prevent societal collapse in Eswatini, and none of that drew regional condemnation.
If Eswatini is a “regional threat” today for cooperating with the same nation that once sent medicines, funding, and doctors, where was this outrage then?
Crime Is Universal, Not Unique to Deportees
The tone and language used by certain South African media outlets describe the deportees as “dangerous foreign criminals” and “barbaric monsters” a portrayal more fitting for fiction than fact. This type of sensationalism ignores the universal truth that criminal behavior is not confined to any one nationality or background.
In fact, South Africa has struggled with its own homegrown criminal crises. Consider the escape of high-profile criminal Thabo Bester, who slipped through South Africa’s prison system with alleged inside help, a security failure of staggering proportions. Or the well-known transnational syndicates operating from South African cities, involving Nigerian, Somali, Italian, British, and Russian actors. The country has earned an unfortunate reputation as a hub for organized crime.
If the concern is truly about regional safety, shouldn’t the focus be on securing South Africa’s own porous borders and tackling internal criminal syndicates, rather than pointing fingers at a neighboring country responsibly managing a small, isolated group of foreign nationals in collaboration with international bodies?
Eswatini Has Earned the Right to Determine Its Own Path
Throughout history, Eswatini has cooperated constructively with the global community to address challenges ranging from disease to trade. South Africa, meanwhile, has often been the dominant voice in regional geopolitics, sometimes forgetting that mutual respect among nations also includes respecting smaller states’ decisions.
Eugene Howe, in his well-articulated analysis, highlights that Eswatini never protested South Africa’s controversial moves, such as its BRICS membership or the dumping of cheap Asian goods that hurt local economies throughout Southern Africa. Eswatini chose diplomacy over drama. Now, when Eswatini seeks to reciprocate U.S. cooperation through a structured and secure deportation transit agreement, it is branded a “threat.”The double standard is glaring.
Let’s Talk About Institutional Failures—Objectively
Eswatini’s correctional institutions are not without challenges, such as overcrowding, but they have maintained stability and security. There are no documented prison escapes of the scale or audacity seen in South Africa. The deportees in question are not walking free; they are reportedly held in solitary confinement and managed under strict supervision.
In contrast, South Africa’s own correctional services have been plagued by corruption scandals and systemic weaknesses. If we are to talk about risks, these institutional gaps deserve more scrutiny than Eswatini’s responsible adherence to international cooperation agreements.
Selective Outrage Hides the Real Issues
What we are seeing is not genuine concern, but geopolitical posturing and fear-based messaging. Aid is welcomed when Eswatini is a recipient, but when it reciprocates through cooperation, it’s labelled “human trafficking.” That contradiction reveals a discomfort with Eswatini asserting its sovereignty and making independent decisions that don’t seek Pretoria’s approval.
The focus on Eswatini also conveniently distracts from South Africa’s own pressing internal issues, skyrocketing crime rates, prison escapes, police corruption, and socio-economic inequality. Perhaps Eswatini has become a scapegoat for frustrations that are closer to home.
Conclusion: Eswatini Deserves Respect and Understanding
Eswatini is not a threat, it is a responsible, sovereign country making choices in its best interests while maintaining international standards. The deportees are not roaming free, but are under secure supervision. The partnership with the U.S. is neither unprecedented nor reckless, it is simply one more chapter in a long history of international cooperation.
Rather than fanning the flames of panic, regional players like South Africa should promote facts, foster dialogue, and focus on strengthening their own institutions. The people of Southern Africa deserve truth, not scapegoats.
Let’s choose understanding over hysteria, cooperation over condemnation, and truth over sensationalism. Eswatini stands firm, and rightfully so.
(Courtesy Pics)
