MATSAPHA – Eswatini’s correctional system is taking a decisive step toward skills-driven rehabilitation, following a new partnership between His Majesty’s Correctional Service (HMCS) and the Eswatini Football Association (EFA), which will introduce accredited coaching and refereeing courses for inmates nationwide.
The initiative, announced yesterday at Matsapha Correctional Facility, marks one of the most comprehensive attempts by the state to integrate formal sports education into rehabilitation programmes. HMCS Commissioner General LaMakhosini Phindile Dlamini said the collaboration would equip offenders with practical qualifications that improve their chances of reintegration and employment after release.
Dlamini revealed that the first refereeing course will commence next week, with inmates from all correctional facilities expected to benefit as the programme rolls out. She emphasised that the training is not merely recreational but a deliberate effort to create pathways for ex-offenders to contribute meaningfully to society.
As part of the launch, HMCS received sports equipment valued at E100 000, including football kits, balls and chess boards for every correctional station. Dlamini described the donation as an investment into building discipline, teamwork and responsibility among inmates.
“Sports cultivate habits that support rehabilitation. By giving offenders formal skills in coaching and refereeing, we are helping them build opportunities that extend beyond prison walls,” she said.
The partnership also introduces a structured sports development approach inside correctional centres, aligning with HMCS’s broader reform agenda. For the first time, inmates will have access to EFA-certified programmes that can enhance their employability or enable them to participate in community-level football structures once released.
Although the launch featured a lively showcase of activities, including football, athletics, tug of war, cultural performances and enthusiastic participation from female offenders, HMCS stressed that the long-term objective is to create a sustainable rehabilitation model anchored in skills training.
Dlamini noted that offenders spend much of their time indoors, adding that sports-based education presents both a psychological release and a professional opportunity. “This is transformation, not entertainment,” she reaffirmed.The event also drew support from prominent figures, including former Minister of Public Works and Transport Ntuthuko Dlamini, who joined inmates in cultural performances.
With the partnership now underway, HMCS is positioning sports not merely as recreation, but as a strategic tool for reform and reintegration, signalling a new chapter in Eswatini’s correctional rehabilitation efforts.
pic: His Majesty correctional services Facebook page
caption: HMCS Commissioner General LaMakhosini Phindile Dlamini
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