Eswatini names Cebisile Ngwenya to lead co-operatives department
The magistrate and former High Court official replaces the late Russell Nxumalo, who died in October 2025, as the sector faces financial and governance strain.
Cebisile Ngwenya, a magistrate who specialises in corporate law, has been named Commissioner of Co-operatives in Eswatini. She takes over from Russell Nxumalo, who died in October 2025, and will head the Department of Co-operative Development in the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade.
The appointment comes as some co-operatives face serious financial and governance problems. Ngwenya has sat as a magistrate at the Pigg's Peak Magistrates Court since August 2019, and before that was Assistant Master of the High Court from May 2013 to August 2019, where she administered deceased estates and supervised company and trust liquidations. Her legal background is expected to help strengthen governance and financial accountability in the department.
Ngwenya holds an LLB from the University of Pretoria and a Master of Laws in Corporate Law from the University of South Africa. She has also chaired the Eswatini Football Association's Disciplinary Committee for Lubombo and Hhohho from 2019 to 2025 and sits on its Club Licensing Board.
Why it mattersCo-operative members and the department's staff now depend on a new commissioner to oversee the finances and governance of the sector's struggling co-operatives.