BY LINDELWA MYENI
MBABANE – Eswatini has joined fellow Southern African Development Community (SADC) Member States in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, for the 2026 SADC Anti-Corruption Expo and Games, a regional platform aimed at strengthening cooperation in the fight against corruption.
The gathering brings together countries and institutions from across the region to exchange practical experiences, build stronger anti-corruption networks and explore new ways of promoting integrity, transparency and accountability.
For Eswatini, participation in the event provides an opportunity to learn from approaches being used elsewhere in the region while also contributing to discussions on how SADC countries can work more closely in preventing and combating corruption.
Eswatini is represented at the gathering together with the SADC Anti-Corruption Committee (SACC), with the country welcoming the event as a useful forum for Member States to share lessons and develop practical responses to corruption.
The regional initiative has its roots in a partnership launched in 2011 by Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini under the name BOLESWA. What began as cooperation among the three countries later grew into a broader regional platform.
In 2018, South Africa and Namibia joined the initiative, leading to the formation of BOLESWASANA and widening the scope for collaboration among anti-corruption institutions in Southern Africa.
That expansion has allowed participating countries to deepen professional ties, exchange ideas and strengthen institutional cooperation in areas linked to corruption prevention, transparency and accountability.
Eswatini has also acknowledged Botswana’s role in initiating the platform and expressed appreciation to Zimbabwe for hosting the 2026 edition in Victoria Falls.
Beyond the formal discussions, the Expo and Games are intended to strengthen relationships among officials and institutions involved in anti-corruption work, while encouraging Member States to share innovative ideas that can improve the effectiveness of their national efforts.
The continued growth of the initiative reflects a broader regional approach in which SADC countries are seeking to confront corruption not only through national systems, but also through cooperation, shared experience and stronger cross-border institutional networks.
For Eswatini, the Victoria Falls gathering adds another chapter to a regional partnership it has been part of since 2011, with the focus now firmly on practical cooperation and stronger measures to promote integrity across Southern Africa.
(Courtesy Pic)
