Nation joins hands to mourn Princess Lindiwe

MBABANE – Religious leaders, traditionalists, politicians and members of the public have joined hands in mourning the death of Home Affairs Minister Princess Lindiwe.

The princess died while receiving medical treatment following a short illness, leaving the royal family, Cabinet, the Church and those who worked closely with her mourning her death.

Her death has come at a time when the nation is mourning the passing of Chief Justice (CJ) Bheki Maphalala who passed on last week and is set to be laid to his final resting place tomorrow.

Messages of condolence have described Princess Lindiwe as a hardworking and dedicated leader who carried out her responsibilities with commitment and was known for her warm personality and smile.

Prime Minister (PM) Russell Dlamini, in announcing her death, described Princess Lindiwe as a leader who served the kingdom with dedication and a strong sense of duty.

The PM said the princess served the Crown and the kingdom with dignity, devotion and a strong sense of duty.

He said since her appointment as minister for Home Affairs in 2018, she discharged the responsibilities of her high office with distinction, integrity and compassion.

“She remained steadfast in her service to the nation and carried out her duties with commitment to the welfare of the people of Eswatini. In addition to her public service, Her Royal Highness was a woman of deep Christian faith and spiritual conviction,” the PM said.

The PM said the princess, affectionately known as Umkhokheli, provided spiritual leadership, guidance and encouragement to many, bearing witness to her faith through both word and service. Her kindness, humility and strength of character touched the lives of those around her, and her example will remain a source of comfort and inspiration to all who mourn her passing.

“The kingdom has lost a person of humility and dignity; Cabinet, a valued and respected colleague; the Church, a spiritual leader and the nation, a devoted and faithful servant. Her contribution to the life of the kingdom will be remembered with gratitude, and her memory will remain cherished by all who had the privilege of knowing her,” the PM highlighted.

Also passing condolences was the Speaker of Parliament, Jabulani ‘Buy Cash’ Mabuza who said: “On behalf of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Eswatini, the Parliamentary Service Board, the Parliamentary Administration and the entire Parliamentary Service, we join the nation in mourning a devoted leader and public servant who served with unwavering dedication, humility and grace”.

He also said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with Their Majesties, King Mswati III and the Queen Mother (Indlovukazi), as we pray for the Almighty God to grant them divine comfort, peace and strength during this hour of deep grief.

May the Lord wrap His loving arms and give solace to the entire Royal Household, Bishop Kasaro, family, friends, fellow parliamentarians and the nation at large, as we mourn and honour her remarkable legacy of service and leadership”.

Meanwhile, the death of the princess has also been deeply felt within the Church, where she was known not only as a government minister, but also as a pastor and spiritual leader.

Together with her husband, Apostle Robert Kasaro, she was involved in the leadership of Jesus Calls Worship Centre, which has branches in Eswatini and South Africa.

Government records state that she was also a pastor and leader of the church’s Ladies Ministry.

Her connection with the church gave her Home Affairs portfolio a particular significance, as the ministry is responsible for religious affairs in the kingdom.

The ministry has previously stated that supervision of religious bodies is among its key responsibilities. During her tenure, Princess Lindiwe was involved in engagements with religious leaders on the development of a national policy for religious institutions.

The proposed policy was being developed through consultations with different religious bodies, with the ministry saying the intention was to bring greater order and a common framework to the operations and registration of churches while respecting freedom of worship.

In November last year, Princess Lindiwe told religious representatives that government’s intention was not to interfere with worship, but to address issues surrounding the uncontrolled growth of churches and bring greater order to religious institutions. The ministry also engaged religious leaders on the proposed policy, with the registration of churches expected to fall under Home Affairs once the policy was adopted.

The policy discussions had attracted the participation of representatives from different christian bodies, with the ministry seeking their views on how the proposed framework should govern religious institutions.

Her death, therefore, comes while the ministry she led was still involved in this process.

For many religious leaders, however, the mourning of Princess Lindiwe goes beyond the work she was doing as minister.

It is also a mourning of a fellow church leader who had spent years involved in christian ministry.

The princess had, over the years, been involved in government and traditional structures, having been appointed by His Majesty King Mswati III to Liqoqo in 2008 before being appointed to Parliament and as minister for Home Affairs in 2018.

She retained the portfolio after the 2023 general elections.

The demise of the minister also comes at a time when she had intensified efforts to address corruption and alleged maladministration within the Ministry of Home Affairs, particularly concerns surrounding the unlawful issuance of national identity documents and other State documents.

Princess Lindiwe had publicly committed herself to cleaning up the ministry and restoring confidence in the integrity of Eswatini’s national documents.

In August 2024, while appearing before Parliament’s Portfolio Committee, the minister vowed that her administration would root out corruption and malpractice within the ministry.

She expressed concern over allegations of misconduct and malpractice and pledged to ‘uproot and expose the rot’.

The minister stressed the importance of protecting the integrity of national documents, saying these documents were important not only to emaSwati but also to the country’s international standing.

Her declaration came as the ministry faced growing concerns over the alleged fraudulent issuance of Eswatini identity documents to foreign nationals.

The issue subsequently became one of the major challenges confronting the ministry, with investigations revealing cases involving allegedly unlawfully issued identity documents and birth certificates.

The clean-up gathered momentum in 2026, with the ministry launching internal investigations into the activities of some of its officers.

In March, the ministry confirmed that it was conducting investigations covering a period of up to 20 years in an effort to establish how far back alleged unlawful issuance of State documents went.

The investigations followed a crackdown on corruption within the ministry and the arrest and suspension of officers reportedly implicated in the alleged illegal issuance of documents.

The ministry said officers’ activities and documents they had issued were being reviewed as part of the investigation.

The issue later came into sharp focus in the case involving South African businessman Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala.

Earlier this month, the Civil Service Commission found suspended Home Affairs Assistant Regional Civil Registrar Nonhlanhla Malambe guilty of unlawfully processing an Eswatini birth certificate and national identity card in a matter linked to Matlala.

The finding came after the ministry had reported the matter to the commission.

The commission described the conduct as a serious breach, saying it compromised national security, border integrity and the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Eswatini.

The development was reported by this publication as part of Princess Lindiwe’s drive to root out corruption and maladministration within the ministry.

Her ministry had been working to identify employees allegedly involved in the illegal or fraudulent issuance of identity documents, with cases being referred to the Civil Service Commission for disciplinary action.

Princess Lindiwe’s death therefore comes at a critical point in that clean-up process, with several investigations into the integrity of the country’s civil registration system still attracting public attention.

The Ministry of Home Affairs is responsible for some of the country’s most sensitive functions, including citizenship, immigration, civil registration, the registration of births, marriages and deaths, refugees and the issuance of national identity cards.

The ministry is the custodian, protector and verifier of the identity and status of citizens and other people residing in the kingdom. It also regulates immigration and the movement of people through the country’s formal ports of entry.

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