A court in eSwatini has ruled that a group of migrants deported from the United States, under policies linked to Donald Trump, must be granted access to legal representation after being held without counsel in a Swazi prison.

The decision rejected the government’s argument that the detainees had not formally requested representation by human‑rights lawyer Sibusiso Nhlabatsi. While the ruling currently applies to five detainees, it could set a precedent for at least 19 individuals transferred to eSwatini under a controversial bilateral arrangement.

The case raises serious questions about due process, international deportation agreements and the protection of migrants’ rights within the Kingdom, which is ruled by King Mswati III. To discuss this further, Mpho Sithole spoke to Zweli Martin Dlamini, Editor of the Swaziland News.