## Eswatini Businessman Files $9.9 Million Lawsuit Against Local News Outlet
A businessman at the center of controversy surrounding farmers Bank in Eswatini has filed a $9.9 million lawsuit against local news outlet Swazi Bridge, raising concerns about press freedom and the use of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs).
Farouk Asfar, and Farmers Bank, initiated the legal action in a court in Mbabane, Eswatini, less than two months after Swazi Bridge published reporting on a licensing dispute involving the bank. According to court records, Asfar has accused the outlet of having “an ulterior motive” and attempting to prevent Farmers Bank from operating.
The lawsuit stems from Swazi Bridge’s reporting, published between 2023 and 2025, detailing the challenges Farmers Bank faced in securing its license from the Central Bank of eswatini, including concerns raised by central bank officials regarding the bank’s ownership and funding sources. This reporting aligns with findings from the Swazi Secrets investigation, a collaboration with seven media partners based on leaked documents from the Eswatini Financial Intelligence Unit.
In a proposed settlement offered in June, Asfar and Farmers bank’s lawyers demanded the transfer of ownership of Swazi Bridge to their clients and a full retraction of the published articles. They warned of an injunction and “other punitive relief and costs” if the terms weren’t met, and even threatened to have Swazi bridge investigated for “domestic and/or foreign terrorism,” claiming the banking sector was a matter of national security.
Swazi Bridge’s lawyers firmly rejected the settlement, stating the outlet “is not for sale and will not, under any circumstances, surrender its institutional identity, editorial independence, or ownership rights.”
Editor Manqoba Nxumalo told the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) he stands by the accuracy of the reporting, stating Asfar “picked on Swazi Bridge because it does not have the financial resources to fight him in court all the way.” Nxumalo described the case as “a clear [SLAPP] suit and an abuse of the court process.”
Asfar previously accused ICIJ of “financial terrorism” following their Swazi Secrets reporting. In response to recent questions from ICIJ regarding the lawsuit against Swazi Bridge, Asfar sent a 2,000-word letter alleging a ”false narrative” and claiming ICIJ was part of a “Masonic plot to install an international government.” He further accused Swazi bridge of publishing “lies” without investigating the facts.The Southern Africa Litigation Centre and the Media Institute of Southern Africa released a joint statement, asserting the legal action “has the hallmarks of a SLAPP suit” and “targets speech concerning a matter of public interest.” They called for strengthened legal frameworks to protect public discourse.
