The Swaziland Rural Women’s Assembly (SRWA) stands in horror and outrage at the escalating violence against children, particularly the brutal killings targeting the girl child in our communities. Our nation is bleeding, and the future of our children is under siege. We cannot remain silent while innocent lives are cut short by senseless acts of cruelty. This is not just a crisis it is an emergency that demands immediate action from the government, law enforcement, traditional leaders, civil society, and every citizen who values humanity.
In recent months, Swaziland has witnessed a disturbing surge in the abduction where more than 15 children are sometimes rape before being murdered and this mostly affects young girls. These monstruous crimes have left families shattered, communities traumatized, and a nation demanding answers. The victims some as young as five years old are being snatched from their homes, schools, and streets, only to be found days later dumped in bushes, rivers, or shallow graves.
The gruesome murder of the recent victim, an 8-year-old girl from Siguduma area in the Shiselweni region, has reignited national fury. Her mutilated body was discovered hanging on a tree and a head was placed on a bowl at the child’s home, this is suspected to be a strategy to smear the family with the crime while the real murder escape. This incident was a stark reminder of the brutality our children face. But she is not just a statistic she was a daughter, a sister, a friend, a dreamer whose life was stolen before she could blossom.
These killings are not isolated incidents. They are part of a broader pattern of gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide that has plagued our country for years. These was supposed to be announced as a state of crisis but just like GBV the government had been silence about it. SRWA have since last week 29 May 2025 issued a statement on the matter and that is when thw police Pro appeared interviewed on Times of Eswatini talking about the matter. Murders continue to operate with shocking impunity, leaving families to grieve without justice.
Why girls are targeted
The targeting of the girl child is a manifestation of deep-seated patriarchal violence, toxic masculinity, and a culture that still views women and girls as disposable. Some of the root causes include: Normalized Violence Against Women and Girls from domestic abuse to street harassment, many girls grow up in environments where violence is routine. This normalization emboldens perpetrators. Secondly, we have weak Law Enforcement and Judicial Delays, many cases go unresolved due to police inefficiency, corruption, or lack of forensic resources. Even when arrests are made, convictions are rare.
Thirdly it is poverty and vulnerability, poor families, especially in rural areas, struggle to protect their children due to lack of security, lighting, and safe transport. On another not its ritualistic killings some killings are linked to superstitions and ritual murders, where body parts are sold for supposed wealth or power.
Call to Action
The Swaziland Rural Women’s Assembly demands urgent and concrete measures to end this war on our children. We call on:
- Government & Law Enforcement
– Declare a State of Emergency on Child Killings, the government must prioritize child protection with a dedicated task force to investigate these crimes.
– Strengthen Policing Capacities, more resources must be allocated to the police to ensure swift arrests.
– Harsher Punishments for Child Killers, life imprisonment must be enforced for convicted child murderers.
– Community Policing & Safe Houses, increase police visibility in rural areas and establish safe shelters for at-risk children.
- Traditional Leaders & Communities
– Break the Silence, chiefs and community leaders must speak out against these crimes and support victims’ families.
– Neighborhood Watch Programs – Communities must organize patrols and whistleblowing systems to report suspicious activities.
– End Victim-Blaming – Stop shaming families and instead focus on holding perpetrators accountable.
- Parents and Guardians
-Educate Children on Safety, teach kids about stranger danger, safe routes, and how to seek help.
-Monitor Children’s Movements, know where your children are at all times and ensure they are not left vulnerable.
- Civil Society & Media
– Sustained Advocacy & Awareness, NGOs must intensify campaigns against child killings and provide psychosocial support to affected families.
– Responsible Reporting, the media must avoid sensationalism and instead focus on solutions and justice.
The SRWA will not stand by while our daughters are slaughtered like animals. We will march, we will protest, we will lobby, and we will fight until every child in the country can walk to school, play outside, and sleep safely at night without fear. We call on all mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, activists, and leaders to join us in this fight. Attend community meetings, report suspicious behavior, demand accountability, and protect the children in your care.