Law enforcement in

Eswatini Eswatini ( ; ss, eSwatini ), officially the Kingdom of Eswatini and formerly named Swaziland ( ; officially renamed in 2018), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered by Mozambique to its northeast and South Africa to its no ...

is the primarily the responsibility of the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS; ss, Silihawu Lembube NeSive), which oversees internal security as well as border and customs control, and His Majesty's Correctional Services (HMCS), which is tasked with maintaining and guarding prisons. It is estimated that about 35% of

Government of Eswatini Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini is the union government created by the constitution of Eswatini where the monarch holds supreme executive, legislative, and judicial powers. The Ngwenyama (lion) is a hereditary leader, rules the country, wi ...

employees work in the security services. The country has been part of

INTERPOL The International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO; french: link=no, Organisation internationale de police criminelle), commonly known as Interpol ( , ), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and cri ...

since October 1975 and the organization has an office in the capital of Eswatini,

Mbabane Mbabane (; ss, ÉMbábáne, ) is a city in Eswatini (previously called Swaziland), and is one of the two capitals (along with Lobamba), serving as the executive capital. With an estimated population of 94,874 (2010), it is located on the Mbaba ...

History

Founded in 1907 when the territory was under British rule, the Royal Swaziland Police Force initially consisted of 22 European officers along with 125 African

Zulus Zulu people (; zu, amaZulu) are a Nguni ethnic group native to Southern Africa. The Zulu people are the largest ethnic group and nation in South Africa, with an estimated 10–12 million people, living mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal ...

, under Captain C.H. Gibson. A police training school was established in Mbabane in 1927 and a modern training college was built in 1965 at

Matsapha Matsapha is a town in central Eswatini. The Matsapha urban boundary is defined in the Urban Government Act of 1969, as amended in 2012, and covers an area of approximately . Matsapha was established as an industrial park in 1965 and was officially ...

. During the independence celebrations in 1968 King

Sobhuza II Sobhuza II, (; also known as Nkhotfotjeni, Mona; 22 July 1899 – 21 August 1982) was the Paramount Chief and later Ngwenyama of Swaziland for 82 years and 254 days, the longest verifiable reign of any monarch in recorded history. Sobhuza was ...

renamed it into the Royal Swaziland Police Service, with the legal document that established the organization being the Police Act No. 29/1957.Brief History of The ROYAL SWAZILAND POLICE SERVICE
Police official website. Retrieved 29 March 2017.Swaziland
INTERPOL. Retrieved 29 March 2017.

Organization

Both the RSPS and HMCS are directly commanded by the

King of Eswatini iNgwenyama (also ''Ingwenyama'') is the title of the male monarch A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the hea ...

, who serves as the commander-in-chief of both the

military of Eswatini The Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF) is the military of the Southern African Kingdom of Eswatini (Swaziland). It is used primarily during domestic protests, with some border and customs duties; the force has never been involved in a foreign ...

and law enforcement agencies.Swaziland: Security Forces 'Not Under Control'
AllAfrica. Published 22 March 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2017. The RSPS is formally part of the office of the

Prime Minister of Eswatini This is a list of prime ministers of Eswatini () since the formation of the post in 1967. Eleven people have been Prime Minister of Eswatini, plus seven acting prime ministers. One person, Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini, held two non-consecutive ter ...

, but the head of the service, the Police Commissioner, answers directly to the King who is the police commander-in-chief. The executive command of the RSPS, under the Police Commissioner and two vice commissioners, is based in Mbabane, while there are four regional police departments. Subordinated to the four regional headquarters are 23 police stations, 22 police posts, and 12 border posts, as well as one airport security monitoring post. There is also a support unit and a police college subordinated to the executive command.Operations
Police website. Retrieved 26 March 2017. The HCMS consists of fourteen offices, including the training college and the head office.Correctional Services
Government official website. Retrieved 29 March 2017. Police regional organization:

Function and accountability

According to a report from the U.S.

Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other nati ...

in early 2017, law enforcement personnel are generally professional but are susceptible to corruption and political pressure. The police force has a problem with corruption and although an internal investigation was conducted into this, the results were not made public. The objectives of the RSPS are as follows: # Maintain peace and public order # Prevent and detect crime # Control traffic and reduce accidents # Pursue and apprehend offenders and bring them to justice # Execute court summons and subpoenas # Enforce state law # Collate information on internal state security # Provide security to royalty and VIPs # To respect the rule of law and execute Royal orders

References

External links

* {{Africa topic, Law enforcement in