- Ministry of Home Affairs clears backlog after highest seven-week printing record in history
- Priority queuing maintained for persons with disabilities, senior citizens, frail and heavily pregnant women
BY MFANUFIKILE KHATHWANE
MBABANE- The Government of Eswatini through the Ministry of Home Affairs has printed a record-breaking 23 517 travel documents in seven weeks, marking the highest number produced in the history of the Ministry of Home Affairs as it moves to clear the backlog and restore normal issuance services.
The Ministry announced that travel document issuance is expected to normalise from Monday, 13 July 2026, following intensified efforts to address delays experienced by applicants since the arrival of new stock in May.
In a ministerial statement issued yesterday, the Ministry revealed that the documents were printed between mid-May and 6 July 2026 across service centres nationwide.
“The Ministry of Home Affairs reports that from mid-May to 6 July 2026, a record-breaking 23 517 travel documents were printed nationwide the highest number in a seven-week period in our history,” the Ministry stated.
The record output comes amid a sharp increase in applications, which the Ministry attributed largely to the ongoing March and March movement in the Republic of South Africa, where many emaSwati have been seeking travel documents to facilitate their movement.
The Ministry also confirmed that additional stock of all classes of travel documents and passports arrived at the beginning of July, strengthening its ability to meet the growing demand from citizens.
Mbabane recorded the highest number of printed documents with 7 394, followed by Manzini with 3 120 and Nhlangano with 3 104. Other centres recorded: Lobamba (1 988), Pigg’s Peak (1 956), Simunye (1 687), Siteki (1 272), Siphofaneni (1 152), Matata (919), Mankayane (517), Hlathikhulu (238) and Hluthi (125).
The Ministry has, however, advised citizens in Mankayane and Hluthi that their service centres are currently not operational for travel document applications due to technical challenges. Residents have been encouraged to use the nearest available service centres.
The available service centres include Mbabane, Pigg’s Peak, Lobamba, Manzini, Nhlangano, Hlathikhulu, Matata, Siphofaneni, Siteki and Simunye.
To ensure fairness and dignity in service delivery, the Ministry reiterated that priority queuing will continue to be given to persons living with disabilities, senior citizens, the frail, and heavily pregnant women across all service centres.
The Ministry further encouraged emaSwati to use formal border crossings when travelling locally and internationally, saying this helps to legitimise their travel experiences and ensures compliance with immigration requirements.
The Ministry said the achievement reflects its commitment to improving efficiency, transparency and professionalism while serving citizens.
(Courtesy Pic)
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