TAIWAN RICE DONATION TURNED INTO POLITICAL TOOL IN ESWATINI
Taiwan recently donated rice worth more than R10million to Eswatini, but instead of being distributed immediately to the hungry population, the food is being kept under the control of the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), which operates under the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office.
Eswatini remains the only country in Africa that maintains diplomatic relations with Taiwan, in open defiance of United Nations Resolution 2758 of 1971, which recognized the “One China Principle.” Despite the fact that around 70% of emaSwati live below the poverty line, Taiwan’s donations are being used not to address hunger directly, but to advance political interests.
Sources have disclosed that the rice will be distributed strategically to constituencies represented by Members of Parliament (MPs) who are loyal to Taiwan. The intention, it is alleged, is to strengthen those MPs ahead of the next elections, ensuring Taiwan’s influence in Eswatini remains intact. In a country ruled by an absolute monarchy, such acts of manipulation show how foreign aid is turned into a weapon to protect both Taiwan’s diplomatic agenda and King Mswati’s political grip.
This revelation comes at the same time that MPs voted in favor of the controversial R5.2billion Strategic Oil Reserve Bill. That tender, marred by corruption allegations, was awarded to a Taiwan company following direct orders from King Mswati. The connection between Taiwan’s economic deals and political loyalty in Eswatini is now clearer than ever: aid and contracts are tied not to public need but to political convenience.
When approached for comment, Taiwan’s Ambassador Jeremy Liang refused to engage, referring all questions to the eSwatini Government. Yet when government Deputy Spokesperson Thabile Mdluli was contacted, she also declined to respond. The silence from both parties only deepens suspicions that the rice donation and the oil tender are part of a larger corrupt arrangement.
Opposition voices, however, are not silent. Wandile Dludlu, Deputy President of the banned People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), described the Taiwan–Eswatini relationship as corrupt and exploitative. “The relationship between Eswatini, particularly the Monarchy, and Taiwan—the Chinese Province, is generally corrupt. The Monarchy and a few who hold powerful positions are benefiting at the expense of emaSwati,” Dludlu told this publication.
His comments reflect a growing frustration among ordinary emaSwati, who see Taiwan’s aid not improving their lives but enriching elites and reinforcing the monarchy’s hold on power. With widespread poverty and unemployment, many believe that such donations should be distributed transparently and fairly to those in need, rather than used as campaign tools for loyalist MPs.
The manipulation of food aid is not just a local scandal; it is a violation of basic human rights. Rice meant to feed hungry families is being locked away, waiting to be handed out only when it serves the political interests of Taiwan and the monarchy. This is not aid—it is exploitation.
Taiwan’s continued support of King Mswati raises serious ethical questions. By tying its donations and contracts to the political loyalty of MPs and the monarchy, Taiwan is complicit in sustaining a system that denies democracy, silences dissent, and perpetuates suffering. For the people of Eswatini, the rice scandal is another reminder that their stomachs are being used as bargaining chips in a corrupt political game.
Until foreign aid is managed with transparency and directed toward genuine humanitarian needs, emaSwati will remain trapped in poverty while the monarchy and its allies grow richer. Taiwan’s rice donation could have been a blessing, but under King Mswati’s corrupt system, it has become yet another tool of manipulation.
