Mbabane – The High Court has granted E50,000 bail to a 26-year-old man who faces statutory rape charges after an underage girl he allegedly dated became pregnant.
Honourable Justice Langwenya issued the order on May 19, 2026, releasing Siphokuhle Shongwe of Lugaganeni on the condition that he pays E5,000 in cash to the Treasury. The remaining E45,000 of the total E50,000 bail requirement must be secured through independent property sureties. The Crown did not oppose the application.
Shongwe was arrested on May 12 by the Royal Swaziland Police based in Piggs Peak. He stands charged under the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence (SODV) Act of 2018 for having repeated, unprotected sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl in May 2025 at Nkomanzi. The state’s indictment notes that the statutory rape is accompanied by aggravating circumstances because the minor fell pregnant as a result of the encounters.
In his founding affidavit, Shongwe pleaded innocent, maintaining that he genuinely did not know the girl was underage when they began dating over the phone . He claimed they met physically for the first time when she arrived unannounced at his home and refused to leave.
According to his statement, local community police and family elders discovered the minor at his residence the following day, which led to a traditional family meeting where his uncle apologized and both individuals received 10 lashes from the girl’s uncle. Shongwe further stated that he took full responsibility for the pregnancy and has been peacefully co-parenting their now two-month-old infant.
The court ordered Shongwe to surrender his international passport to the investigating officer at the Mhlume Police Station and explicitly barred him from applying for new travel documentation. His post-release conditions mandate that he remain within the borders of Eswatini, refrain from contacting any prosecution witnesses, and report in person to the Mhlume Police Station every Friday between 0800 hours and 1600 hours.
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