Within Eswatini Hoaxes
Did Eswatini Really Regulate Flying Witches?
A colourful remark about controlled airspace became a global story that Eswatini legally restricted witches on broomsticks.
On this page
- The 150 metre claim and its media spread
- What the aviation rules actually covered
- How humour became a supposed national law
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Introduction
One of the most widely repeated stories about Eswatini is that the country once passed a law forbidding witches from flying their broomsticks above 150 metres. The tale appears regularly in lists of “strange laws”, trivia collections and social-media posts. Yet the famous “broomstick ban” was never a standalone law aimed at witches. It emerged from a humorous remark made while officials were discussing ordinary aviation regulations, and the joke gradually hardened into a supposed national statute. The episode is a useful example of how satire, cultural assumptions and selective reporting can combine to create a durable myth that outlives its original context.[TimesLIVE]timeslive.co.zaTimes LIVEBroomstick-flying witches to be brought down in SwazilandBroomstick-flying witches to be brought down in SwazilandMay 13, 2013 — Witches flying broomsticks in Swaziland above 150 metres…
Did Eswatini Really Regulate Flying Witches?
The short answer is no. Eswatini (then officially called Swaziland) did not enact a special law regulating witches or broomstick travel. The claim arose in 2013 during discussion of aviation rules governing low-level airspace and small flying devices. Reports around the world reduced a much more mundane story into the memorable headline that “witches cannot fly above 150 metres”.[TimesLIVE]timeslive.co.zaTimes LIVEBroomstick-flying witches to be brought down in SwazilandBroomstick-flying witches to be brought down in SwazilandMay 13, 2013 — Witches flying broomsticks in Swaziland above 150 metres…
The story gained traction because it seemed to fit foreign stereotypes about both witchcraft and African traditional beliefs. Readers who encountered only the headline could easily assume that the country had formally incorporated supernatural beings into its aviation code. In reality, the legal issue concerned aircraft registration and airspace safety rather than magical transportation.[The Atlantic]theatlantic.comwhen governments go after witchesThe AtlanticWhen Governments Go After Witches30 Oct 2013 — “A witch on a broomstick should not fly above the [150-meter] limit,” he said…
The 150-Metre Claim and Its Media Spread
The controversy began after a private investigator was reportedly questioned for operating a small remote-controlled helicopter equipped with a camera. Journalists sought clarification from the Civil Aviation Authority about regulations covering such devices. During that discussion, Civil Aviation Authority spokesperson Sabelo Dlamini offered a colourful illustration: “A witch on a broomstick should not fly above the[150-metre]the-end-time.orgswaziland aviation authority bans broomstick flying witchesswaziland aviation authority bans broomstick flying witches limit.” The remark was reported in regional newspapers and quickly travelled through international media.[TimesLIVE]timeslive.co.zaTimes LIVEBroomstick-flying witches to be brought down in SwazilandBroomstick-flying witches to be brought down in SwazilandMay 13, 2013 — Witches flying broomsticks in Swaziland above 150 metres…
Once the quotation left its original setting, many outlets treated it as evidence of an actual prohibition on witches. Headlines often omitted the context of drone-like devices, model aircraft and airspace restrictions. Instead, they focused on the amusing image of aviation authorities monitoring broomstick traffic. Stories were reproduced across newspapers, blogs, humour sites and social media, frequently in more exaggerated forms than the original reports.[washingtontimes.com]washingtontimes.comtabloid.Read moreThe Washington TimesWitches can't fly brooms above 150 meters in Swaziland17 May 2013 — The clarification comes from Civil Aviation Autho…
As the story circulated, some versions implied that witches were specifically targeted by aviation law, while others suggested that the government had formally recognised broomsticks as aircraft. Neither claim reflected the underlying regulations.[TimesLIVE]timeslive.co.zaTimes LIVEBroomstick-flying witches to be brought down in SwazilandBroomstick-flying witches to be brought down in SwazilandMay 13, 2013 — Witches flying broomsticks in Swaziland above 150 metres…
What the Aviation Rules Actually Covered
The regulations under discussion were aimed at the use of aircraft and unmanned aerial devices in controlled airspace. Contemporary reports noted that the same rules also affected toy helicopters, model aircraft and even high-flying kites. The authorities’ concern was practical: preventing unauthorised objects from entering airspace where they could create hazards.[news24.com]news24.combroomstick flying witches to fly low 20170728Broomstick flying witches to fly low13 May 2013 — A new regulation states witches flying broomsticks above 150 metres will be subje…
In this context, the reference to witches functioned as a humorous hypothetical example. If a broomstick somehow qualified as a flying device, it would be subject to the same altitude restrictions as any other airborne object. The joke depended on treating an impossible situation as though it fell under ordinary aviation rules.[The Atlantic]theatlantic.comwhen governments go after witchesThe AtlanticWhen Governments Go After Witches30 Oct 2013 — “A witch on a broomstick should not fly above the [150-meter] limit,” he said…
The distinction matters because many later retellings reversed the logic. The original implication was essentially: “all flying objects are covered by the rule, including a witch’s broomstick if such a thing existed.” The popular version became: “the government created a rule specifically for witches.” Those are very different claims.[TimesLIVE]timeslive.co.zaTimes LIVEBroomstick-flying witches to be brought down in SwazilandBroomstick-flying witches to be brought down in SwazilandMay 13, 2013 — Witches flying broomsticks in Swaziland above 150 metres…
How Humour Became a Supposed National Law
Several factors helped transform a throwaway remark into an enduring myth.
First, the quotation was vivid and easy to remember. Aviation regulations are usually technical and forgettable; a warning to witches is not. News organisations naturally highlighted the colourful element rather than the regulatory details.[The Washington Times]washingtontimes.comtabloid.Read moreThe Washington TimesWitches can't fly brooms above 150 meters in Swaziland17 May 2013 — The clarification comes from Civil Aviation Autho…
Second, many readers encountered only headlines or short summaries. Once detached from the underlying story about drones and model aircraft, the joke appeared to describe a genuine legal provision. The more the story was copied, the more context disappeared.[TimesLIVE]timeslive.co.zaTimes LIVEBroomstick-flying witches to be brought down in SwazilandBroomstick-flying witches to be brought down in SwazilandMay 13, 2013 — Witches flying broomsticks in Swaziland above 150 metres…
Third, the claim benefited from existing assumptions about witchcraft in southern Africa. Belief in witchcraft remains a serious social and cultural issue in parts of the region, which made the story seem just plausible enough to outsiders unfamiliar with local realities. Yet belief in witchcraft does not mean aviation laws are written for supernatural travellers.[The Atlantic]theatlantic.comwhen governments go after witchesThe AtlanticWhen Governments Go After Witches30 Oct 2013 — “A witch on a broomstick should not fly above the [150-meter] limit,” he said…
A further irony is that some reports pointed out that traditional Swazi brooms are not the long-handled broomsticks familiar from European witch imagery. One account noted that local brooms are bundles of sticks used for household purposes, making the imported image of a witch riding a broom particularly misleading.[TimesLIVE]timeslive.co.zaTimes LIVEBroomstick-flying witches to be brought down in SwazilandBroomstick-flying witches to be brought down in SwazilandMay 13, 2013 — Witches flying broomsticks in Swaziland above 150 metres…
Why the Story Still Circulates
More than a decade later, the broomstick ban continues to appear in online lists of bizarre laws and strange national facts. Its survival illustrates a common mechanism in the history of misinformation: a humorous comment is reported as news, repeated without context, simplified into a memorable claim, and eventually remembered as an established fact.[Reason.com]reason.comoh what a worldOh, What a World!22 May 2013 — Swaziland's Civil Aviation Authority has threatened to fine witches who fly their broomsticks higher than…
Unlike a deliberate hoax designed to deceive, the broomstick story sits in a grey area between joke, misunderstanding and media amplification. There was a real official, a real statement and real aviation regulations. The error occurred when audiences and later publishers treated a rhetorical joke as a literal legal rule.[TimesLIVE]timeslive.co.zaTimes LIVEBroomstick-flying witches to be brought down in SwazilandBroomstick-flying witches to be brought down in SwazilandMay 13, 2013 — Witches flying broomsticks in Swaziland above 150 metres…
For Eswatini, the episode remains a revealing case study in how a single colourful quotation can overshadow a mundane reality. What began as an offhand explanation of airspace regulations became one of the country’s most famous supposed laws—even though no law regulating flying witches ever existed.[The Atlantic]theatlantic.comwhen governments go after witchesThe AtlanticWhen Governments Go After Witches30 Oct 2013 — “A witch on a broomstick should not fly above the [150-meter] limit,” he said…
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Endnotes
1.
Source: reason.com
Title: oh what a world
Link:https://reason.com/2013/05/22/oh-what-a-world/
Source snippet
Oh, What a World!22 May 2013 — Swaziland's Civil Aviation Authority has threatened to fine witches who fly their broomsticks higher than...
Published: May 2013
2.
Source: news24.com
Title: broomstick flying witches to fly low 20170728
Link:https://www.news24.com/drum/news/broomstick-flying-witches-to-fly-low-20170728
Source snippet
Broomstick flying witches to fly low13 May 2013 — A new regulation states witches flying broomsticks above 150 metres will be subje...
Published: May 2013
3.
Source: news24.com
Title: Swazi broomstick flying witches to fly low
Link:https://www.news24.com/swazi-broomstick-flying-witches-to-fly-low-20130515
Source snippet
Swazi broomstick flying witches to fly lowMay 15, 2013 — Witches flying broomsticks in Swaziland above 150m will be subjected to ar...
Published: May 15, 2013
4.
Source: timeslive.co.za
Title: Times LIVEBroomstick-flying witches to be brought down in Swaziland
Link:https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/africa/2013-05-13-broomstick-flying-witches-to-be-brought-down-in-swaziland/
Source snippet
Broomstick-flying witches to be brought down in SwazilandMay 13, 2013 — Witches flying broomsticks in Swaziland above 150 metres...
Published: May 13, 2013
5.
Source: theatlantic.com
Title: when governments go after witches
Link:https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/10/when-governments-go-after-witches/280856/
Source snippet
The AtlanticWhen Governments Go After Witches30 Oct 2013 — “A witch on a broomstick should not fly above the [150-meter] limit,” he said...
6.
Source: washingtontimes.com
Title: tabloid.Read more
Link:https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/may/17/witches-cant-fly-brooms-above-150-meters-swaziland/
Source snippet
The Washington TimesWitches can't fly brooms above 150 meters in Swaziland17 May 2013 — The clarification comes from Civil Aviation Autho...
Published: May 2013
Additional References
7.
Source: reddit.com
Link:https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/7bvxau/til_the_country_of_swaziland_has_banned_witches/
Source snippet
TIL The country of Swaziland has banned witches from...It is quite possible that the Swaziland law simply bans all personal flying...
8.
Source: upi.com
Title: Official: Swaziland witches can’t fly above 150 meters
Link:https://www.upi.com/blog/2013/05/13/Official-Swaziland-witches-cant-fly-above-150-meters/3981368466301/
Source snippet
Official: Swaziland witches can't fly above 150 meters - UPI.com13 May 2013 — Swazi witches flying on broomsticks will have to stay be...
Published: May 2013
9.
Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Qiouv4HYj0
Source snippet
Witches Banned From Flying Above 150 Metres On Broomsticks - WACKY WEDNESDAY - RELOADED...
10.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Witches Banned From Flying Above 150 Metres On Broomsticks
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpapwOCQCU0
Source snippet
Weirdest laws in Eswatini 🇸🇿 | Abdullah’s Geography Facts...
11.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Bizarre Eswatini Rules That Will Shock You! 😲🇸🇿
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFfjswvE8tk
Source snippet
Swaziland witch broomstick In Swaziland, witches are prohibited from flying their broomsticks above 150 meters Sociadra...
12.
Source: jamiiforums.ke
Link:https://www.jamiiforums.ke/threads/authorities-in-swaziland-high-flying-witches-face-arrest-and-a-heavy-fine-if-they-break-new-laws.476223/?amp=1
13.
Source: reddit.com
Link:https://www.reddit.com/r/discworld/comments/18kcen6/in_eswatini_it_is_illegal_for_witches_to_fly_on/
14.
Source: reddit.com
Link:https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1e8oud/swaziland_makes_it_illegal_for_a_witch_to_fly_a/
15.
Source: facebook.com
Link:https://www.facebook.com/100057533346573/posts/swaziland-witches-banned-from-flying-over-150-metersauthorities-in-swaziland-who/509156139134173/
16.
Source: facebook.com
Title: in 2013 swaziland now eswatini implemented an unusual aviation regulation that e
Link:https://www.facebook.com/iamauthorarun/posts/in-2013-swaziland-now-eswatini-implemented-an-unusual-aviation-regulation-that-e/648355487616319/
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