General

MBABANE - Following numerous public outcries and extensive legal consultation, government has officially moved to ban the pesticide, Masta 900.

This highly-toxic substance has been widely implicated in a tragic number of suicides across the country, leading to significant public concern and calls for its removal from circulation.

Minister for Agriculture Mandla Tshawuka shared these latest developments yesterday.

The minister’s revelation came during the debate of his ministry’s first quarter performance report by Senate, where he confirmed government’s decisive action to address the devastating impact of the pesticide on emaSwati lives.

The ban, which will be effected using the Pesticide Management Act of 2017, comes at the backdrop of calls from the public to ban the pesticide, which has been used in frequent incidences of suicide in the country.

 “We have taken the first step by assessing what the law says we can and cannot do.”

He said regulation would be the first step because anyone is currently able to access or purchase the pesticide, but the ministry’s first phase in decreasing accessibility to Masta 900 would be providing farmers with a Request for Delivery Authorisation (RDA) to purchase Masta 900. The minister further clarified that they have identified a substitute for Masta 900, which is far weaker but effective.

“The root cause of suicide is what needs to be addressed. This is because domestic issues caused by the socio-economic state contributed to these suicides. Therefore, the fundamental problem is poverty, hence applying the ‘nkwe’ principle, as blessed by His Majesty, in ending poverty will be key.  “However, efforts are being made to ban Masta 900 completely,” said Minister Tshawuka.

The minister revealed this in response to a concern raised by Deputy Senate President Ndumiso Mdluli, who submitted that it pained him to see emaSwati perishing due to the intake of the pesticide, highlighting the most recent case of a pupil from Sandleni High School in the Shiselweni Region, who committed suicide by ingesting Masta 900 last week.

The senator said although pesticide was good for agricultural produce it was detrimental to emaSwati. “When will it be removed from shelves?” lamented the deputy Senate president.

Meanwhile, Senator Lizzie Nkosi lauded the ministry for its effort in envoking the ban stating that this news should have been the highlight of the ministry’s report. She further shared that Masta 900 allowed for people to hide crimes of killings under false pretences that suicide was the cause yet there was a possibility of the crime being a murder. She further praised the ministry for finding an alternative to Masta 900, which would, therefore, replace its sale in stores. Meanwhile, last week, a technical planning meeting on suicide prevention was held at the United Nations (UN) House in Mbabane, amid an alarming rise in suicide cases in the country. It was reported that methods of suicide recorded by the police reveal that poisoning remains the most commonly used means, accounting for 252 deaths between 2022 and 2024. The substances used include widely available poisons such as Master 900 and weevil tablets.

Speaking on the sidelines of the stakeholder meeting on Thursday, HIV, TB and NCDs Officer at the World Health Organisation (WHO) Eswatini Dr Nomthandazo Dlamini mentioned the urgent need to regulate such substances in the country.

“We did the same to the weevil tablet that emaSwati were using in most suicide cases in previous years. The same can be done for the common substances at the moment. We need strong laws that will regulate them,” she said.

This publication has previously reported on data from the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS), which recorded a total of 486 suicide deaths between 2022 and 2024. Of these, 392 were male, making up more than 80 per cent of the deaths, while 94 were female.

These statistics reflect a consistent upward trend over the past three years. In 2022, the country recorded 151 suicide cases. The number increased to 161 in 2023, and further rose to 174 in 2024. The highest number of deaths was recorded among adults aged 25 years and above, with 116 suicides in this age group in 2024 alone. Among children and adolescents aged 0 to 17 years, 18 suicide deaths were recorded during the same year.

The Ministry of Agriculture has previously attempted to ban Masta 900, with Principal Secretary in the ministry, Sydney Simelane stating that government and other international experts were looking for another product to serve the same purpose as Masta 900, without exposing humans to hazards.

Stakeholders have cited a combination of factors contributing to the rise in suicide deaths. These include untreated depression and other mental illnesses, unemployment and poverty, substance abuse, gender-based violence and family breakdown.

Young people are also under growing pressure due to societal expectations, limited economic opportunities and the influence of social media.

Stakeholders observed that many adolescents struggle with identity and self-worth due to online content that promotes unrealistic standards of beauty, success and wealth.

The Ministry of Health has also proposed a dedicated social media platform to allow members of the public to share views, experiences and suggestions on suicide prevention. This will form part of a broader communications strategy that includes radio, print, television and community outreach. Content will be developed in both English and siSwati to reach as wide an audience as possible.

Farmers’ different views on proposed ban

MBABANE - Farmers have shared different views on the latest development on the ban of Masta 900.

Mahlangatsha Member of Parliament Mgucisi Dlamini, a well-known farmer, is not supporting the proposed ban on the chemical. Dlamini was recognised as the 2020 National Maize Corporation Farmer of the Year, and it was the second year in a row that he won the title, having won it the previous year.  When requested to share his view on the proposed move, Dlamini said Masta 900 is the most affordable chemical to fight off army worm, and the other alternative chemicals come at a high price. Armyworms, specifically fall armyworms, can cause significant damage to maize crops.

They feed on leaves, creating ragged edges and even stripping plants, and can also damage tassels and ears, affecting pollination and yield. Dlamini revealed that the main factor which drove the ministry to the decision of considering banning the substance was high cases of suicides by ingestion of the chemical.

He shared that the same challenge was experienced with weevil tablets so much that farmers needed to have consent from authorities where they farm, but the substance was not banned.

“I believe that there are other alternatives that the ministry can explore in this matter, other than banning the substance. Farmers will be dealt a huge blow because Masta 900 is the most affordable and reliable substance to deal with armyworms,” he said.  Dlamini suggested that farmers should have mini-safes where they keep the substance, and they should be the only ones with access to it.  National Maize Corporation (NMC) Chief Executive Officer Mavela Vilane said whenever a replacement is made on a product; the important thing is to ensure that there are alternatives to that product, which are much safer in this context. “What could affect yields is how effective those options are when used, compared to the Masta 900,” he said.  He shared that the ministry has conducted its study to determine how they could counter the outcry from citizens of the country over the deaths pinned on the substance.

 “I believe that the consensus was that people are using Masta 900 for the wrong reasons, as a result, people are losing their relatives. The ministry will advise the nation, including all stakeholders involved, on which is a suitable replacement for Masta 900,” he said.

Former Swaziland National Agricultural Union (SNAWU) President Dumisani Masondo, when reached for comment on the matter, stated that the announcement was quite concerning for farmers as they needed to be clued up on the alternative the ministry had identified. “We understand the grievance regarding the currently used pesticide and hope that the new alternative will be just as effective, as there were pests which only succumbed to this particular pesticide,” said Masondo. Some farmers also requested more engagement from the ministry to get clarity on the efficiency of the alternative pesticide.

Minister for Agriculture Mandla Tshawuka in the House of Senate. (Pic: Khulile Thwala)