Mbabane – Immigration officers across the country will soon be permitted to carry government issued firearms as part of a new proposal contained in the Immigration Bill of 2025.
The Bill, which is being reviewed by legislators under the Ministry of Home Affairs Portfolio Committee, introduces a new clause in Section 12. The clause states that an immigration officer may be permitted to carry a government issued firearm as determined by the Director of Immigration in consultation with the National Commissioner of Police.
Chief Immigration Officer Mthokozisi Dlamini, who under the new Bill will be referred to as the Director of Immigration, took legislators through the proposed law and explained how the provision will work.
MP Tsembeni Magongo said officers must undergo physical training before they are allowed to carry firearms, noting that handling a gun requires discipline, which begins with the mind. She said before a person carries and handles a gun, they must be disciplined. Magongo added that those who were trained fighters should also be taught to fight responsibly so that they do not use their training to assault people.
She further recommended that every immigration officer should undergo a three month training course at Mbuluzi to ensure discipline and professionalism. Magongo said the immigration uniform itself requires discipline and that certain military skills should be transferred to the officers.
“These are pre military officers. The gun should not be lost, and these people are mini soldiers,” she said.
She added that the use of firearms must come with strict regulations to prevent abuse. Officers should not be allowed to carry guns while under the influence of alcohol or while not maintaining proper grooming standards. “They cannot carry guns while they are drunk or have long nails. They have to be trained because this should be part of the regulations,” she said.
Minister of Home Affairs Princess Lindiwe supported the proposal but said it would be difficult to train only a few selected officers. She said all immigration officers need to be trained because border work requires full preparedness.
The minister also said that in many other countries, immigration officers are already armed, and Eswatini should align itself with international practice to enhance national and border security. She said this law would be enacted for future use so that the country would not have to start afresh by enacting new legislation later.
The workshop also included other members of the Portfolio Committee, among them Chief Ngalonkulu Mabuza and Hhohho Regional MP Zanele Magagula, who took part in the deliberations on the Bill.
