With ongoing violent unrest in eSwatini, borders are still closed and exits out of the country are not allowed.
Travel News understands that there have been appeals to South Africa’s Minister of Tourism, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Dr Naledi Pandor, by various friends and family members of those still stuck in the country to make arrangements to get foreign nationals safely out.
Eswatini Airlink and its operating partner Airlink, the South African-based domestic and regional airline, have cancelled flights between Johannesburg and Sikhuphe’s King Mswati III International Airport up to and including July 5.
Eswatini Airlink and Airlink’s ticketing agents are contacting affected ticket-holders to rebook them onto flights as soon as it resumes operations on the route.
The eSwatini government has shut down the Internet, and news out of Africa’s last absolute monarchy has been difficult to obtain other than from the foreign wire services such as AFP and Reuters.
Yesterday (June 30), according to AFP, a state of martial law was declared by King Mswati III with the eSwatini government deploying the military to quell the spate of pro-democracy protests.
Since then, according to Mlungisi Makhanya, president of the People’s United Democratic Movement, at least 40 pro-democracy protesters have been killed in violent clashes. He has demanded that Mswati recalls the soldiers.
"The confrontation is not going to end soon," resident Gugu Dlamini told AFP from the administrative capital Manzini.
"Even after curfew, you can still hear gunshots between youths and police in our neighbourhood," she said.
The government imposed an 18h00 to 05h00 curfew earlier on Wednesday (June 30), citing rising COVID-19 cases.
