Eswatini: Education minister’s anti-LGBTI remarks risk fueling discrimination in schools
Responding to media reports in which Eswatini’s Minister of Education and Training, Owen Nxumalo while making school visits during back to school visits in schools in the Hhohho Region, around Mbabane, is quoted as saying same-sex relationships have “no place” in schools and that LGBTI students should be expelled, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Flavia Mwangovya said:
“Eswatini’s authorities must publicly reject discriminatory rhetoric and urgently reaffirm that every student has the right to education in a safe, inclusive environment. Schools must be places of learning and protection, not spaces where children are threatened with exclusion because of who they are, or who they are perceived to be.
“Threatening students with expulsion on the basis of their real or perceived sexual orientation is discriminatory and profoundly harmful. Such statements by senior officials’ risk legitimizing stigma against already marginalized individuals, resulting in bullying, violence and children being driven out of school. The authorities in Eswatini must make clear that discrimination has no place in education and ensure safeguards to prevent harassment and to protect all students’ dignity and wellbeing.
Eswatini’s authorities must publicly reject discriminatory rhetoric and urgently reaffirm that every student has the right to education in a safe, inclusive environment. Schools must be places of learning and protection, not spaces where children are threatened with exclusion because of who they are, or who they are perceived to be.
Flavia Mwangovya, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for East and Southern Africa
“Amnesty International calls on the Ministry of Education and Training to guarantee that no student is expelled or otherwise punished on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or on the basis stereotypes and rumours. Authorities must ensure clear protections against bullying and violence, confidential reporting mechanisms and survivor-centred responses to complaints of intimidation, harassment and abuse.”
Background
On 27 January 2026, Eswatini’s Minister of Education and Training, Owen Nxumalo, made discriminatory remarks about same-sex relationships in schools during back-to-school visits. According to media reports, the minister said there is “no place” for same-sex relationships in schools and that LGBTI students should be expelled.
Amnesty International’s research has highlighted the repercussions of Eswatini’s lack of specific legal protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. It has documented how consensual same-sex relations between men remain criminalized under section 185(5) of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act, even though the law is widely reported to be largely obsolete in practice. The same research highlights widespread fear and discrimination, weak protection and accountability pathways when abuses are reported, as well as barriers to accessing services.
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