BY TANDZILE DLAMINI
MBABANE – The Ministry of ICT, in partnership with the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office, will soon introduce a detailed strategy to protect children online. The plan aims to safeguard children in the country from cyberbullying, abuse, and exposure to harmful online content.
Dlamini said the decision follows incidents in schools and social groups where children have faced online bullying and other forms of abuse. “Even in the country, we have observed incidents that prompted us to develop a strategy to safeguard our children’s lives while they are online,” he said.
He explained that although child online protection is partly addressed by the Computer Crime law, a more detailed and deliberate framework is needed. “We want to show our commitment to protecting children in cyberspace,” Dlamini added.
The strategy will include practical ways for parents to monitor and protect their children online. For example, a child’s email account can be linked to the parent’s account. When a child wants to access certain applications or browse websites, the parent will receive an alert and can approve or restrict the activity. Parents will also be able to set limits on devices such as phones, computers, tablets, or laptops to control the content their children can access.
Dlamini stressed that the strategy is not yet in place but will be implemented soon. He emphasized that the Ministry is aligning its work with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) model law on cyber regulations and will update the country’s cyber laws as needed to protect children.
The Ministry hopes that the new framework will provide a comprehensive approach to online safety and support parents in their role of guiding children in the digital world. By taking these steps, Eswatini aims to address the growing global and local concern over child online protection and ensure that children can safely benefit from digital technologies.
Dlamini called on parents, schools, and communities to be proactive and prepared to support the initiative once it is launched. “We need to address these issues through a comprehensive strategy so that we can truly protect our children,” he said.
