Madonsa residents have called on Government to urgently address land disputes and reported homestead demolitions, saying uncertainty over their homes is threatening their future.
The call was made during a civic and voter education session conducted by the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) in Madonsa on Sunday.
The engagement gave residents an opportunity to raise concerns about land, residence, community identity and voting rights, with some questioning what would happen to their families if they were forced to relocate. 
Resident Zodwa Shabangu urged the EBC to ensure that the community’s concerns reach His Majesty King Mswati III and relevant authorities.
“We are asking that our concerns do not end here. We want the EBC to take our grievances forward so that they can reach His Majesty and the relevant authorities,” Shabangu said.
The concerns come amid land disputes reported in various parts of Eswatini, where families have faced uncertainty over homes they say have been occupied by their families for generations.
In some cases, families have said they believed they were living on land allocated through traditional structures and the process of kukhonta, only to later face claims that the land was privately owned and registered as farmland.
The disputes have raised questions around documentation, communication and engagement between Government, traditional authorities, private landowners and affected communities.
Among the cases that have drawn attention is that of the Shabangu family in KaNcesi under the Eluvinjweni Chiefdom.
The High Court ordered the demolition of Bonkhe Shabangu’s newly constructed home, reportedly valued at E500,000, after ruling that it stood on privately owned farmland.
The family had maintained that the land was allocated through the local umphakatsi.
A second family in KaNcesi reportedly lost an E450,000 home under similar circumstances, further fuelling calls for greater attention to the impact of land disputes on families.
At Gege Mbondzela Farm, also known as Farm 19, close to 20 people were reportedly left homeless following a dispute involving private management.
Families, including the Mdlulis, have maintained that their ancestors had lived on the land for about a century.
Their multi-million-emalangeni structures were reportedly demolished by tractors under armed police supervision.
In Nkhaba Chiefdom, at least 1,050 homes reportedly face potential demolition following a court ruling in favour of a private farm owner.
Roughly 1,000 homesteads are believed to have been established across 278 privately registered farms within the chiefdom.
Many of the affected families are understood to be descendants of herdsmen who worked for early settlers before establishing permanent homes under traditional structures.
Similar concerns have been reported in KaMbhoke, where multiple families reportedly lost ancestral homes after a private developer used a TLB tractor to demolish structures said to have encroached on private land.
Meanwhile, more than 200 families in Moneni continue to face uncertainty as a long-running land dispute threatens their established homesteads.
Although the circumstances differ, the cases have strengthened calls for solutions that respect lawful property rights while ensuring affected families receive clear information and meaningful engagement.
For Madonsa residents, however, the land question extends beyond housing.
Residents questioned how possible relocation would affect their voter registration and voting locations, particularly as proof of residence is expected to become an additional requirement ahead of the 2028 elections.
They also sought clarity on which royal kraal they would belong to if they were relocated.
“The biggest concern is where we will belong and how we will continue to participate as voters if we are moved,” Shabangu said.
The concerns highlight how uncertainty over residence can affect community identity, access to services and participation in national processes.
Shabangu urged the EBC to ensure that the issues raised during the civic education session are taken beyond the community meeting.
