MBABANE – Strong voices from Lutsango took centre stage during Thursday’s stakeholder engagement on the Leadership Code of Conduct Bill, raising pressing concerns about abuse of power in community leadership structures, especially around land disputes.
The discussion, hosted by the Eswatini Commission on Human Rights & Public Administration/Integrity in partnership with the Ministry of Justice, brought together key stakeholders including women’s groups, traditional leaders, and government officials.
Women from various communities, speaking through Lutsango structures, exposed cases where some inner council members in chiefdoms have allegedly dispossessed widows and orphans of their land. Participants described the violations as systematic and urged government to take urgent steps to curb such acts.
Dumsile Sigwane, representing Lutsango, said these discussions are long overdue. She called for stronger accountability mechanisms and described land as a “lifeline” that must be protected, especially for the most vulnerable.
Lutsango members proposed two main solutions: introducing education campaigns on ethical leadership, and tightening rules around land acquisition to make processes more transparent and just.
The session also opened with remarks by Minister of Justice Prince Simelane and Indvuna YeLutsango, who both pointed to the importance of culture in fostering integrity. Traditional songs and dances were cited as innovative ways to raise awareness and call out corrupt behaviours within communities.
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