In a narrow and still winter-brown valley, little more than a crevice between rocky mountains, Gogo Ndlovu looks after her five young orphaned grandchildren.

It was exactly 7:34pm when referee Matthews Katjimune of Namibia flipped the coin - inscribed 'Fifa' on one side and 'Fair Play' on the other - into the air and when it landed on his palm, Madagascar were still in the Cosafa Cup and Swaziland were out.

The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) is helping poor farmers to boost their agricultural production in Swaziland, one of many countries suffering as a result of the global food crisis.

MICROFINANCE group Blue Financial Services yesterday opened its first branch in Swaziland, where it plans to have four branches operating within three months, and 200 across Africa by year-end.

The traditional core business of the post office - sending letters, selling stamps - seems a bit of an anachronism in the era of electronic mail and cellphones, but new uses are being found for an institution with branches in some of the remotest parts of Swaziland.

As the afterglow excitement of hosting Swaziland's King Mswati III fades, the gray hairs at Mengo are beginning to get hot and bothered, as they try to figure out the central government's real intention in hosting the Swazi monarch.

With the recent state visit of King Mswati III, political analysts have hinted that His Majesty was here to play a mediation role between President Yoweri Museveni and the Buganda Kingdom, Barbara Among writes

Freedom of expression came under threat when the government of Swaziland prohibited a protest march organised by civic organisations who wanted to protest against rising ritual killings in the tiny kingdom.

His Majesty King Mswati III of Swaziland, who is on a four-day state visit, yesterday toured the new anti-AIDS and anti-malaria drug plant in Luzira, Kampala.

Swaziland head of state King Mswati III left the country yesterday afternoon after a four-day state visit, reports Barbara Among.

KING Mswati has urged the Buganda Parliament (Lukiiko) to take their responsibilities seriously, as they play a major role in building and maintaining peace and improving their people's welfare.