Racism thriving in Eswatini

Sir,

I am a born and bred white liSwati. I wrote this letter as we are continuing to witness a regression in the strides we made post-independence in reducing racism, discrimination and prejudice in our tiny kingdom. In recent years, we have witnessed an influx of Afrikaners into the kingdom, especially in the forest industry. The English speaking white people are no better. Bhunya Saw Mill and Mhlambanyatsi Village have become a white enclave. Business in Eswatini is white controlled and managed. Yes, we have indigenous emaSwati in big businesses but we all know who is pulling the strings. Malkerns is a white haven… just join their WhatsApp groups and see how long you stay on their groups as a non-white.

I read recently in the press and on social media of Eswatini’s Bass Club travelling overseas to represent the kingdom in a fishing competition. I counted some eight anglers representing the kingdom. Not one of them was an indigenous (black) liSwati.

Represent

I have seen this crowd travel overseas almost annually. I know some of the members of the team and I know most don’t even carry an Eswatini passport; they bank in Piet Retief and Nelspruit. Most can’t even speak our language….. but they represent Eswatini? What is that? There are areas in our beautiful kingdom that have been reserved for the white community living among us but not with us. Exclusivity is determined via pricing and membership. How many members at Malkerns club are black? There are so many examples of physical exclusion and downright racism all across the country, in small pockets and carefully managed so as to not become too obvious.

Afraid

Many are aware of this racism but are afraid or even too complicit to confront it. When you ask what’s happening and why it’s happening, you are seen as a troublemaker and your business and personal interests are singled out for treatment and you feel the wrath of exclusion in an economy that is still white managed. So while we gained independence some 54 years ago, we are far from being free. There are guest lodges that will not accept drive-in bookings, insisting on telephonic bookings, why? So the owner/staff can determine race from accent. That’s how they sift out the locals.

I have absolutely no problem with white people but have major issues with racists. If anyone reading this disputes that this is indeed happening, visit the country clubs and see the bowling greens that are still maintained at a huge monthly cost but were last played on 20 years ago. Sand River Dam was for many years exclusive with a few token non-whites given membership by the white only committee. We were conditioned towards a ‘Baas mentality’, but thankfully the younger generations will not accept that. Now ahead of most white people reading this and getting hot under the collar, ask yourself, is the above still happening and what am I doing to counter it? If you are doing nothing, you are complicit and just as guilty. Change or be changed because change is coming and your privilege and entitlement is fast eroding.

Anonymous by choice

NOTE: This letter was emailed to the entities mentioned in it on January 17, 2023 and only one (Right to Reply below) responded, while the others did not.

Ed