Eswatini: Register ESGM, Lives are at stake.
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Join us in calling the Registrar of Companies to immediately register ESGM to reduce harm that affects the safety and well being of LGBTIQ Swazis

We are calling on the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade to allow Eswatini Sexual and Gender Minorities (ESGM) to be officially registered as a non profit organization. ESGM is made up of ordinary people our friends, our neighbours, our family members who are bravely standing up for those in our society who are too often ignored, mistreated, or pushed to the margins. These are people who face daily discrimination simply because of who they are or who they love.

ESGM’s mission is simple yet powerful: to help build a kinder, safer, and more equal Eswatini. They do this by offering support, raising awareness, and peacefully speaking out against injustice whether it's discrimination, gender based violence, lack of access to healthcare, or the denial of basic legal recognition.

Yet despite this life changing work, ESGM has been denied the right to exist legally. This is not just a bureaucratic issue it is a human issue. Denying their registration is denying entire communities the dignity, safety, and belonging they deserve.

We, the undersigned, are asking the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade through the Registrar of Companies to uphold the values of justice and equality by lawfully permitting ESGM to register. Everyone deserves the freedom to organize peacefully and to advocate for their own community’s well being.

To silence ESGM is to silence the hopes and voices of so many who have already suffered in silence for too long. It is time to stand for fairness, for compassion, and for the right of every Swazi to live with dignity.

The refusal to register ESGM:

1. Contravenes Eswatini’s constitutional guarantees of freedom of association (Section 25) and freedom of expression (Section 24)
2. Violates Eswatini’s international human rights obligations, including under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights
3. Sends a chilling message to all minority communities in the country

We therefore petition the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade to:

Allow the registration of ESGM as a lawful non profit organization.
Affirm the rights of minority groups to organize and advocate peacefully.
Ensure that all laws and administrative decisions align with constitutional and international human rights standards.

Sign this petition if you believe in:
Equality and dignity for all
The rule of law and constitutional freedoms
A just and inclusive Eswatini

Delays are not just bureaucratic, they are deadly. The refusal to register ESGM denies LGBTIQ Swazis safety, dignity, and life itself. The Supreme Court ruled, now act. 

0people have signed
Goal: 500

To The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade:

We, the undersigned, write to respectfully urge your office to reconsider and approve the registration of the Eswatini Sexual and Gender Minorities (ESGM) as a non profit organization in accordance with the Constitution of the Kingdom of Eswatini and the Companies Act of 2009.

ESGM seeks to operate as a lawful, peaceful civil society organization advocating for the dignity, rights, and well being of sexual and gender minorities in Eswatini. Its mission aligns with principles of non discrimination, inclusion, and the promotion of human rights values that are enshrined in both national and international legal instruments to which Eswatini is a party.

In 2022, ESGM’s registration was denied on grounds that its objectives were deemed "unlawful and against public policy." This decision was upheld by the High Court of Eswatini in ESGM v. Registrar of Companies & Others, despite the organization fulfilling all procedural requirements under the law. The judgment has raised significant concern among national and international human rights observers, and many believe it represents a regressive step in the protection of constitutional freedoms.

We respectfully remind your office of the following constitutional rights guaranteed to all persons in Eswatini:

Section 24: Freedom of expression
Section 25: Freedom of association and assembly
Section 20: Equality before the law and equal protection of the law
We also remind your office of Eswatini’s international obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and other human rights treaties that safeguard the right of all persons to associate freely, without discrimination.

Our Requests:

That ESGM be granted legal recognition as a non profit association in accordance with the Companies Act.
That your office affirms the principle that all individuals and groups regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or background have equal rights to organize and advocate for their interests.
That future decisions on registration be made in alignment with constitutional protections and Eswatini’s human rights obligations. We believe that a just, peaceful, and inclusive Eswatini can only be realized when no group is denied the right to participate fully in society. The registration of ESGM would mark a significant step toward such a future.

We thank you for your attention to this matter and urge you to act in the spirit of justice, equality, and constitutional integrity.

Campaign started by Kazi and Bee
0people have signed
Goal: 500
Campaign started by Kazi and Bee

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