World Vision Eswatini Condemns Brutal Murder of 9-Year-Old Girl

Mbabane – World Vision Eswatini has noted with a very sore heart and the utmost disappointment and strongly condemns the unabated violence and harm perpetrated against innocent children in the country.

The organisation says waking up to the recent shocking news headline: “Girl (9) raped, killed, dumped in dam” has left the organisation shellshocked, particularly because the little girl is from a community World Vision works in under the Mhlangatane Area Programme (AP).

“One cannot even begin to imagine the trauma experienced by the little girl before meeting such an untimely death. As a child-focused organisation that advocates for child protection, we strongly condemn the increasing acts of violence against children,” stated World Vision’s National Director Tinah Mukunda.

She added that Eswatini is party to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), a treaty that outlines children's rights and the responsibilities of governments to protect them and others, which has led to the country enacting strong local child protection legislations, including the Children’s Protection and Welfare Act of 2012 and the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Act of 2018.

The organisation said it was encouraged by the fact that the African Union Assembly (Heads of States), during their 38th Ordinary Session that ended on Tuesday, adopted the African Union Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls. 

“The adoption of the Convention is a victory for women and girls in Africa and provides a legal basis for organisations like ours to comprehensively address GBV and support victims/survivors to seek legal redress, including triggering regional and continental mechanisms.”

“It is time the whole nation stands up and addresses these social ills and their root causes. We cannot sit and watch while children are sexually assaulted, abused and killed,” Mukunda said.

She said World Vision appreciated that, following this incident, some discussions had already taken place in the community, involving the community leadership (all Chiefdoms under Mhlangatane Inkhundla) and relevant stakeholders, including the Social Welfare Department, church leaders, and World Vision. In the meeting that took place on Monday 28th April 2025 at Buhleni Police Station, the need to enhance child protection efforts was underscored and it was agreed that immediate steps should be taken to curb the issue.

Resolutions from the meeting include the following:

Community sensitisation and awareness on child rights and relevant child protection laws will be conducted in all nine Chiefdoms across Mhlangatane Inkhudla, starting on Saturday, 3 May 2025 at Sidvwashini Chiefdom, where the deceased child lived. Dates for the other chiefdoms are planned to take place before the end of May 2025.

Prayer/March – A prayer meeting will be held at Buhleni stadium, starting with a march from where the child was discovered. This will also be used as a platform to further create awareness on child rights and child protection-related issues. The prayer is scheduled to be held early June 2025, after the community engagements.

Community Police Capacity Building – Training is scheduled for June 2025, with the intention to revive and strengthen community policing in the different chiefdoms, increase safety and security.

Bush clearing - Traditional authorities will mobilise communities for a bush clearing exercise in order to create safer communities for children to be able to walk freely in their communities.

Police Patrols – The police have agreed to conduct frequent patrols around the constituency.

Provision of psychosocial support – this support will be provided to the child’s mother, siblings and the two boys who discovered the lifeless child’s body in the dam.

“We are praying for the quick capture of the perpetrator and for justice to prevail. We believe the courts of the land will mete out the appropriate sanctions, in line with the country’s legislations,” Mukunda further stated.

She appealed to members of the public who may have information that will lead to the immediate arrest of the perpetrator of such evil to come forward and make that information available to the police.

Mukunda emphasised; “Children deserve our love and protection, not violation! We continue to hope and pray that one day all children in Eswatini will get to live their lives free of violence and abuse.”