The Communist Party of Eswatini claimed on 29 June that King Mswati III has fled the country and is reportedly hiding in Johannesburg, South Africa, following an uptick in anti-monarchy and pro-democracy protests. Eswatini has been beset by a number of disparate protests throughout the month of June by various interest groups.

Teachers belonging to the SNAT association have embarked on a protest demanding the immediate payment of outstanding salaries and allowances. Similarly, youths in multiple regions across the country have protested issues like poor service delivery, unemployment, and police brutality.

In response, acting prime minister Themba Masuku issued a decree on 24 June banning the delivery or handover of petitions to government officials. This seems to have escalated anti-monarchy sentiments and united the previously disparate social groups; opposition parties also seem to have joined the apparent upheaval, which has become increasingly violent. In the most notable protests after the decree, youths in the Siphofaneni area of Lumbombo region clashed with police during a pro-democracy demonstration on 26 June; a heavy police presence remains in the area.

Then, on 28 June, a fresh bout of protests was reported in Matsapha, Mbabane region. Several businesses were set alight during the unrest, including those owned by the king. Police were immediately deployed to the area, which triggered clashes with protesters. As of 29 June, it is unclear if calm has been restored to Matsapha. In fact, local reports suggest that the government has threatened to deploy the army. Anti-monarchic sentiment has been brewing for a lengthy period in Eswatini, and is rooted in the desire for a democratic dispensation, and frustrations over chronic malgovernance by the monarchy.

This is manifest in the country’s socioeconomic markers, which are among the poorest in the region. Precedent suggests that the government will seek to ride out the uprising through a combination of force and political compromise. In this respect, it may bolster security in flashpoint areas to prevent further outbreaks of unrest, and it may rescind the ban on formal petitions to appease protesters.