- Head of State declared 2026 the Year of Agape Love
- Speech from the Throne demanded zero tolerance for GBV
BY MFANUFIKILE KHATHWANE
MBABANE- Seven months after His Majesty King Mswati III declared 2026 the Year of Agape Love and called on the Nation to embrace God’s unconditional love, the country is witnessing a worrying rise in gender-based violence (GBV).
The disturbing trend should prompt the nation to remember the King’s directive and honestly reflect on whether we are still living in alignment with the values he called upon us to embrace.
During the National Opening Year Prayer, His Majesty urged churches, families and all emaSwati to make Agape Love the foundation of their lives. Later, in the Speech from the Throne, he reinforced that message by strongly condemning gender-based violence, declaring that there should be zero tolerance for abuse and challenging the nation to strive for a future where not even a single GBV case is reported.
Agape love is more than an expression. It is the highest form of love described in the Bible God’s unconditional, selfless and sacrificial love for humanity. It is a love that is not based on feelings or circumstances, but on choosing to care for, respect and serve others. Agape love is patient, kind, forgiving and compassionate. It rejects hatred, violence, selfishness and abuse, while promoting peace, unity and the dignity of every person.
Today, those messages deserve renewed reflection.
Agape Love Begins at Home
Agape love is more than an expression. It is God’s unconditional love selfless, patient, forgiving and compassionate. It is the kind of love that strengthens families, restores relationships and promotes peace within communities.
When His Majesty declared 2026 the Year of Agape Love, he was inviting the nation to build homes where love is stronger than anger, where respect overcomes abuse and where differences are resolved through dialogue rather than violence.
Homes should be places of safety, comfort and protection. They should never become places where fear, intimidation and violence thrive.
A Nation Facing Painful Realities
Seven months into the year, Eswatini continues to experience deeply disturbing cases of gender-based violence.
Police statistics show that between January and March this year, the Royal Eswatini Police Service recorded 1,994 GBV cases, including 22 deaths linked to domestic and gender-based violence. Hundreds of rape cases were also reported, while children, women and persons with disabilities remain among the most vulnerable victims.
Recent months have brought heart breaking incidents that have shaken the nation, including domestic murders, violence against children and other brutal crimes committed by people who were expected to protect those closest to them.
These are not merely statistics. They represent broken families, traumatised children and communities searching for hope.
The King’s Zero-Tolerance Message
His Majesty’s Speech from the Throne left no room for doubt about the nation’s direction.
He condemned gender-based violence in all its forms and reminded emaSwati that homes must never become places of fear. Instead, they should reflect love, peace and protection.
The King challenged the nation to work towards zero tolerance for GBV, making it clear that abuse has no place in Eswatini.
That vision remains just as relevant today as it was when it was first delivered.
Others Have Echoed the Call
The Royal Eswatini Police Service has repeatedly described GBV as a national crisis that is destroying families, traumatising children and threatening the country’s future.
National Commissioner of Police Vusi Manoma Masango has urged every sector of society to play its part, emphasising that the fight against GBV cannot be left to police alone. Families, churches, traditional leaders, schools, communities and civil society all have a responsibility to help end the violence.
His call for collective action echoes His Majesty’s earlier directive that Agape Love should guide relationships within homes and communities.
The growing GBV crisis has also prompted strong calls for action from national leaders. Senate President Pastor Lindiwe Dlamini has argued that the country must adopt tougher measures against perpetrators of sexual violence, saying the trauma suffered by survivors lasts a lifetime while offenders often receive penalties that fail to deter future crimes.
At the same time, national leaders have continued to call for stronger protection of women and children and tougher action against perpetrators of GBV.
A Moment for Self-Introspection
Perhaps the greatest question before the nation is not whether GBV is increasing we already know that it is.
The real question is whether we are still living according to the values His Majesty called upon us to embrace.
Have we made Agape Love the foundation of our homes?
Are husbands and wives treating each other with dignity and respect?
Are parents raising children in environments of love and security?
Are churches continuing to nurture compassion, forgiveness and reconciliation?
Are communities refusing to remain silent when abuse occurs?
These are questions every Liswati should ask, regardless of age, occupation or position in society.
Realigning with the King’s Vision
Remembering the King’s directive should be more than recalling words spoken at the beginning of the year. It should inspire action.
Realigning ourselves with the vision of Agape Love means choosing respect instead of abuse, forgiveness instead of revenge, dialogue instead of violence and protection instead of neglect.
It means rejecting attitudes that normalise abuse and embracing values that uphold the dignity of every human being.
It also means recognising that ending GBV is not solely the responsibility of government or law enforcement. Every home, every church, every school, every workplace and every community has a role to play.
The Way Forward
The rise in GBV is a painful reminder that the work of building peaceful families and safe communities is far from over.
Seven months after His Majesty declared 2026 the Year of Agape Love, perhaps the greatest tribute the nation can pay to that vision is not simply to remember it, but to live it.
If every Liswati pauses for honest self-reflection and chooses once again to align with the King’s directive of Agape Love and zero tolerance for GBV, Eswatini will move closer to becoming the peaceful, caring and united nation His Majesty envisioned.
(Courtesy Pic)
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