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MBABANE, ESWATINI —Some Eswatini legislators, backed by human rights activists, are calling for an urgent review of the Game Act of 1991, a law they say allows wildlife park rangers to shoot and kill suspected poachers with little or no accountability.
Game park owners have defended these shootings for years as necessary to protect animals. But critics contend that the Game Act instead jeopardizes human life.
Human rights lawyer Thabiso Mavuso of the Law Society of Swaziland, who has represented the families of shooting victims, says the law not only allows game rangers to use lethal force with impunity but also shields them from legal accountability.
"We have seen here in Eswatini the killing, injury and torture of people, some as young as 13 years and some in their 60s, but nothing has been done against the perpetrators ... ," Mavuso said. "This law needs reform. It must be aligned with human rights and general principles of constitutionalism such as accountability and responsibility."
No one has exact numbers for how many suspected poachers have been killed in Eswatini's game parks, but the Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs estimates dozens are slain each year.
Game ranger Mandla Motsa told VOA that it is rangers who need protection and that the Game Law should not be altered.
"We have lost a lot of rangers - some have been killed and others injured," Motsa said. "Almost all the time, the poachers shoot at rangers first. There has been a wrong narrative that we value the lives of animals more than that of humans. What people are forgetting is that there are two sides of lives involved in this issue and that is that of the ranger and the poacher. So, amending the Game Act would be to make it seem that our lives as rangers are also not important."
However, political analyst Mandla Hlatshwayo said the killings in the parks are a consequence of the government's abuse of power under the guise of environmental protection.
"What's happening in the country in my view has nothing to do with environmental protection," Hlatshwayo said. "The killing of so-called poachers in the manner that it's actually taking place is wrong and must be condemned in the strongest of terms. We are witnessing the cold-blooded execution of suspects under circumstances that are very questionable. This is simple murder that is being condoned by the authorities, mainly because the victims are poor people with no power to fight back."
Former Senator Ngomayayona Gamedze, whose family has suffered losses at the hands of game rangers, says the act must be amended to prioritize the sanctity of human life.
"Wildlife in Eswatini is now accorded higher status and greater protection than human beings," Gamedze said. "This must be addressed by our legislators before human lives are further disregarded. Game rangers hold immense power over ordinary Swazis who love hunting, yet are penalized to the extent of death without trial. It is an injustice that the people of Eswatini are treated as less than animals, and a review of the Game Act is needed to prevent further loss of life."
Government spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo said a motion from senators to amend the Gaming Act was being debated and that a vote was pending.