MBABANE – The foreign nationals who were arrested at the Castle Hotel during police raids on illegal online gambling centers have apologized to the Eswatini’s authorities.
The 84 foreign nationals, who appeared in court on June 12, 2026, issued the apology while pleading with the court to mete out a lenient sentence. Principal Magistrate Fikile Nhlabatsi sentenced them to six months' imprisonment, with the option of a E500 (US$30.70) fine. The Crown applied for them to be remanded at His Majesty’s Correctional Services even if they paid the fine, pending processes for their deportation to their respective home countries. The court granted the application.
The sentence relates to breaches of the Immigration Act. Seventy-nine of the accused faced two counts under the Act, while five faced a single count. They were accused of engaging in employment, occupation, trade, business, or a profession without a valid permit authorizing them to do so.
They were further accused of entering and remaining in the country without the requisite documentation. The offenses were committed at the Castle Hotel on March 11, 2026. They all pleaded guilty to the charges, and the Crown accepted their pleas. Principal Magistrate Fikile Nhlabatsi subsequently found them guilty in accordance with their pleas.
In mitigation, their attorney, Noncedo Ndlangamandla of Mabila Attorneys—who appeared alongside Linda Dlamini of Linda Dlamini and Associates—told the court that the accused had demonstrated remorse by pleading guilty. She said they accepted full responsibility for their conduct. According to Ndlangamandla, the offenses were not committed with the intention of undermining the country’s immigration laws.
Ndlangamandla stated that the circumstances leading to the offenses were a result of their employer’s negligence, noting that he had failed to keep his promise to pay for their documentation while they were in the Kingdom of Eswatini.
The three months they had spent in custody since their arrest in March was, according to Ndlangamandla, a sufficient lesson for the accused persons.
However, the Crown pleaded with the court to treat the offense with severity and issue a stiff sentence to deter others from committing similar offenses. The Principal Magistrate noted that she was restricted by the law, which caps the maximum sentence for these charges at six months or the option of a E500 fine.
