In response to the swearing in of Ambrose Dlamini as the new Prime Minister of Eswatini, Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for Southern Africa said:
“As Prime Minister of Eswatini, Ambrose Dlamini has a real opportunity to take Eswatini in a new direction, ensuring that all human rights are fully guaranteed.
“For many years, the people of Eswatini have experienced multiple human rights violations, including forced evictions, leaving them in deeper poverty with no protection from the state.
“Ambrose Dlamini must build a country that all the people of Eswatini can be proud of, starting with declaring a nationwide moratorium on mass evictions until adequate legal and procedural safeguards are in place and ensuring that those who have been forcibly evicted receive reparations.”
Background
King Mswati III appointed Ambrose Dlamini on 27 October 2018 as the new Prime Minister of Eswatini (formerly Swaziland). The appointment came after the King dissolved the country’s 10th Parliament on 30 June 2018, ahead of the country’s parliamentary elections on 21 September 2018. The previous prime minister, Barnabus Sibusisuo Dlamini, who served between 1996-2003 and again from 2008-2018 died on 28 September 2018.
For more information or to request an interview, please contact:
Lucy Scholey, Amnesty International Canada (English): +1 613-744-7667 ext. 236; lscholey@amnesty.ca