Manzini has emerged as the epicentre of pending sexual offences and domestic violence (SODV) cases in the country’s Magistrates Courts.
The SODV cases remain prevalent in the region despite efforts by judicial officers to secure justice for survivors and prevent more offences by imposing deterrent sentences on offenders.
According to the annual performance report of the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Unit under the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Manzini recorded 440 pending cases.
The figures paint a sobering picture of the prevalence of sexual offences, domestic violence, human trafficking, smuggling and crimes involving children.
The SODV Unit is mandated to prosecute sexual and domestic violence offences effectively across all courts in Eswatini.
It also supervises three One-Stop Centres based in hospitals nationwide, providing coordinated support to survivors.
Beyond the courtroom, the unit also trains prosecutors, police officers and other criminal justice stakeholders on emerging and existing laws.
Meanwhile, the Manzini Magistrate’s Court, according to the report that is yet to be debated in Parliament, began the reporting period with 393 cases brought forward from the previous financial year, while 315 new matters were registered.
From these, the court had finalised 268 cases by December 2025.
Despite these efforts, the backlog remains the highest in the country, reflecting both the high incidence of such crimes in the region and the courts’ firm stance on imposing deterrent sentences.
Meanwhile, 211 cases were reportedly pending after 170 were carried forward, 271 new matters registered, and 225 finalised during the period under review.
The Pigg’s Peak Magistrate’s Court follows with 253 pending cases. The court registered 237 new matters between April and December 2025, but only 46 were finalised.
The Nhlangano Magistrate’s Court recorded 191 pending cases, while Simunye reported 35 pending matters after finalising 138 of the 163 cases registered during the period under review.
Big Bend and Siphofaneni recorded 39 cases pending, the lowest in the country, with 62 cases finalised out of 101 registered.
Officials attribute the high number of pending cases primarily to the prevalence of these offences but maintain that the courts’ commitment to thorough prosecution and deterrent sentencing remains central to restoring dignity and safety for survivors.
The country’s Magistrate’s Courts continue to grapple with a growing backlog of criminal and civil cases, with Manzini recording the highest volumes across both jurisdictions.
Statistics contained in the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs annual performance report for the financial year ending March 31 show that the Manzini Magistracy carries the highest number of pending criminal matters at over 7 000 cases.
The report states that the court registered 6 036 new criminal cases during the period under review, while over 5 000 were carried over from the previous quarter, bringing the total to 11 353 cases.
The court reportedly heard and concluded 4 211 cases, leaving 7 142 cases pending.
The Manzini Magistrate’s Court is also facing a shortage of judicial officers and courtrooms.
In January 2024, the court was reportedly attending to about 15 000 cases annually, yet it had only 15 magistrates and four commissioners at the time.
Currently, the court has 10 magistrates and only one commissioner for the Small Claims Court, presenting further operational challenges.
This also affects the Manzini Small Claims Court, which currently has the highest number of pending cases at 364 compared to other regions.
According to the report, the Lubombo and Mbabane Magistracies follow with 1 956 and 1 917 pending criminal cases respectively.
Meanwhile, the Pigg’s Peak Magistracy recorded the lowest overall figures among the main magistracies, although delays remain due to systemic challenges.
