US CRIMINAL DUMPING WILL ENRICH KING MSWATI WHILE ENDANGERING THE REGION

The dumping of dangerous criminals from the United States into Eswatini will enrich King Mswati while seriously undermining both national and regional security, Swaziland News editor Zweli Martin Dlamini has warned. He made the remarks during an interview with the US-based Fair Observer Podcast on Tuesday afternoon.

Dlamini was interviewed by Rohan Khattar Singh, a Fair Observer Podcast correspondent based in India, who asked him to unpack the unfolding crisis in Eswatini following revelations that the United States had transferred dangerous criminals into the tiny kingdom.

Speaking during the interview, Dlamini said the move must be understood within the political economy of Eswatini’s absolute monarchy. He explained that nothing of such magnitude happens without direct benefit to King Mswati III and his inner circle. According to Dlamini, the criminal dumping deal is not about humanitarian cooperation or migration management, but about money, power, and secret agreements that serve the monarchy.

“This deal will enrich the King while placing ordinary emaSwati at risk,” Dlamini said. “Eswatini has weak institutions, porous borders, and no independent oversight. Introducing hardened criminals into such an environment is a recipe for disaster, not only for Eswatini but for the entire Southern African region.”

He warned that Eswatini lacks the capacity to securely detain, monitor, or rehabilitate criminals convicted of serious offences such as rape, murder, and armed robbery. In a country already struggling with poverty, unemployment, and a collapsing justice system, the presence of foreign criminals adds a dangerous new layer of insecurity.

Dlamini told the podcast that the secrecy surrounding the deal is deeply concerning. Parliament was not consulted, the public was not informed, and even regional partners were kept in the dark. He described this as a classic example of how decisions in Eswatini are made unilaterally by the monarch and imposed on the country without accountability.

He further argued that the deal exposes Eswatini to becoming a dumping ground for powerful countries seeking to rid themselves of “problem populations” while avoiding responsibility. “When powerful nations want to export risk, they look for weak states with no democracy, no transparency, and leaders who can be bought,” he said.

According to Dlamini, the consequences extend beyond Eswatini’s borders. Southern Africa is already grappling with cross-border crime, human trafficking, and illicit networks. The arrival of dangerous criminals increases the likelihood of escapes, syndicate formation, and regional destabilisation, particularly given Eswatini’s close proximity to South Africa and Mozambique.

During the interview, Dlamini also criticised the United States for what he described as moral hypocrisy. He said Washington routinely lectures African countries on human rights, rule of law, and governance, yet has no problem striking secret deals with an absolute monarchy that jails political opponents and kills protesters.

“The US knows exactly what kind of regime it is dealing with,” Dlamini said. “By engaging in this deal, it is strengthening repression in Eswatini while putting innocent civilians at risk. That is not partnership. That is exploitation.”

The Fair Observer Podcast interview has since drawn attention to Eswatini’s growing international isolation and the dangerous bargains struck to keep the monarchy afloat. For many observers, the criminal dumping scandal confirms that Eswatini’s sovereignty is being traded for cash and political survival.

As Dlamini concluded in the interview, the people of Eswatini were never asked whether they wanted to host foreign criminals. “This deal serves the King, not the country,” he said. “And once again, emaSwati are being treated as expendable.”