Eswatini (Swaziland)

Population:

1,439,295

Surface in km²:

17,363

Religion freedom

Situation in country: Unclassified

Under observation

Main factor of: Under observation

Unclassified

Indicators

GDP per capita (USD)

3,978.4

GINI Index - Economic Inequality

54.6

Country Religious Demography

Religions:

Population share for (2023)

Tendency

Previous share (2021)

Oldest share (2016)

Show + 3 more religions

Legal framework on freedom of religion and actual application

The Ministry of Home Affairs monitors religious life throughout Eswatini. Christian communities must register through one of three national, non-denominational associations, namely the League of Churches, the Eswatini Conference of Churches, or the Council of Swaziland Churches. Once a group receives a recommendation from one of these three umbrella groups, they can register with the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Trade.[1]

For Indigenous and non-Christian religious groups, registration requires only a “religious leader, a congregation, and a place of worship”.[2] Registration provides tax exemptions; however, contributions to such groups are not tax-deductible.

The Council of Swaziland Churches includes Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, Mennonites, and Methodists.[3] The League of Churches includes African Zionist and other independent churches.[4] The Eswatini Conference of Churches represents the Evangelical churches.[5] These three organisations work together on rural development projects and on general matters.

Religious education is compulsory in Eswatini’s primary and secondary schools.[6] In January 2017, a decree was issued which required public schools to teach only Christianity. [7] This decision proved controversial and sparked opposition, but remains in place.[8] Only Christian religious youth groups are permitted in schools.[9] Official holidays include Good Friday, Easter Monday, Ascension Day and Christmas Day are among the country’s official holy days.

The government and the royal family support many Christian religious activities. State radio and television provide free airtime to Christian religious groups, something denied to non-Christian groups.[10]

Muslim businesses can close on Islamic holy days and Muslim employees are allowed time off for religious festivals. However, both Muslim and other non-Christian students are not allowed to take time out during regular school hours on these occasions.[11]

Muslim leaders have complained that government officials and Swazi Christians discriminate against their community (which is mostly of South Asian origin), and the local police are said to be monitoring mosques.[12]^,[13]

Incidents and developments

Starting in May 2021, pro-democracy protests[14] broke out in the capital Mbabane and the country’s largest city, Manzini,[15] with calls on King Mswati III to modernise and democratise the political system.[16] By June, the protests had turned violent; some 46 people died during the unrest, while 245 suffered gunshot wounds from members of the Eswatini armed forces.[17]

During the violence, many Muslim-owned businesses were attacked[18] prompting some Muslims to leave the country. It is estimated that by January 2022 over 6000 Muslims had fled.[19] By choosing to crack down on the protests, critics allege that the Swazi royal family lost a degree of popular support and hurt its own image.[20]

Mgr José Luis Ponce de León, bishop of Manzini, Eswatini’s only Catholic bishop[21], called for calm and dialogue to defuse the situation. He also demanded the restoration of the Internet, which the government had intermittently shut down in October 2021[22] to control the protest movement. On 5^th April 2022, the Swaziland Council of Churches released a statement expressing their concern about “a new culture of mistrust and intolerance”.[23] As an independent institution, the Council announced its intention to mediate and foster dialogue among all national stakeholders.[24] Pope Francis too called on people in authority to seek a peaceful settlement and find a space for reconciliation and dialogue.[25]

Prospects for freedom of religion

Religious freedom is two-tiered in Eswatini. Christianity enjoys a privileged position, which has caused resentment in other groups. An example of this is the obligation to teach only the Christian religion in public schools — Eswatini is the only country implementing such a policy in the African continent.[26] Fear of Islam and discrimination against Muslims is also present. When political violence broke out in May–June 2021, Muslim-owned businesses were targeted, although national origin and race also played a role, since most Muslims in Eswatini are of South Asian origin. The prospects for religious freedom remain neutral, though the recent protests inciting violence against religious minorities is of concern and will require observation to assure this does not become a trend.