Eswatini Parliament backs 12 months for foreign owners to leave

Eswatini’s Parliament agreed on 10 November that foreign business owners should be given at least 12 months to leave, the BBC said. The agreement is not an enacted grace period: the ministry could continue enforcing the law unless it is formally amended to reflect the timeline.

The decision follows Parliament’s approval of the Citizen Economic Empowerment Act, which seeks to increase ownership and participation by emaSwati, the country’s citizens. Local traders had complained that foreign-owned businesses were entering traditional retail markets, increasing competition and threatening livelihoods.

Mbabane East MP Welcome Dlamini told Parliament that trade-ministry officials had begun closing Asian-owned shops. The closures followed inspections launched in August; some businesses inspected in areas including Mbabane were found fully compliant.

What the recommendation covers

The Times of Eswatini described the adopted recommendation more narrowly: foreign-owned businesses operating in violation of laws and regulations would have the period to bring their operations into compliance or close.

The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade said inspections were meant to ensure compliance, not remove all foreign-owned businesses; it would consider individual circumstances, avoid unfairly affecting legal businesses and seek to prevent unnecessary supply disruptions. It said businesses must operate within their license categories and conditions, and that existing authorizations would be considered when assessing compliance.

Lawmakers disagree on timing

Dlamini called for at least 3 years, questioning whether local entrepreneurs were ready to take over and saying they needed time to learn to run the businesses. He said closures were leaving goods to rot and costing emaSwati employees their jobs, and called for a temporary suspension of the crackdown.

Hhohho Regional MP Tanele Magagula called for foreign-owned businesses in rural areas to be seized immediately, arguing that struggling local traders should not have to wait. Lobamba Lomdzala MP Marwick Khumalo said consumers depended on foreign-owned shops, including in communities where local shops had struggled to keep goods in stock.

The ministry also acknowledged the need for closer coordination with relevant authorities to ensure foreign nationals conducting business meet immigration and business requirements.