Within Eswatini Strange
Did Eswatini Really Regulate Flying Witches?
The famous broomstick altitude story is best read as a comic aviation quote that escaped into global folklore.
On this page
- The 150 metre broomstick claim and how it spread
- The aviation rule context behind the joke
- Why modern media made the legend stick
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Introduction
Did Eswatini really make it illegal for witches to fly broomsticks above 150 metres? The short answer is no—not in the way the story is usually told. What became one of the country’s most widely shared modern oddities began in 2013 with genuine aviation regulations covering low-level airspace, remote-controlled aircraft and other flying objects. During media interviews, an official jokingly applied the rule to a hypothetical witch on a broomstick. The humorous remark was then reported around the world as though Eswatini (then officially called Swaziland) had enacted a law specifically aimed at airborne witches.[News24]news24.comswazi broomstick flying witches to fly low 20130515Swazi broomstick flying witches to fly lowDecember 31, 1 — 15 May 2013 — Witches flying broomsticks in Swaziland above 150m will be…
The episode has become a perfect example of modern Forteana: a real event that acquired an almost folkloric life of its own. It sits at the intersection of aviation law, enduring beliefs about witchcraft, media amplification and internet humour, making it one of Eswatini’s most recognisable entries in global weird-news culture.
The 150-metre broomstick claim and how it spread
The story erupted in May 2013 when newspapers reported that witches flying above 150 metres could face arrest and a fine of up to R500,000. Headlines around the world presented this as though the government had introduced a remarkable new law directed specifically at witches.[News24]news24.comswazi broomstick flying witches to fly low 20130515Swazi broomstick flying witches to fly lowDecember 31, 1 — 15 May 2013 — Witches flying broomsticks in Swaziland above 150m will be…
The quotation at the heart of the story came from Sabelo Dlamini, a spokesperson for the country’s civil aviation authorities. Asked whether the new aviation rules would apply to witches, he reportedly replied that “a witch on a broomstick should not fly above the limit.” The remark was memorable because it mixed a straight-faced aviation rule with a subject usually associated with folklore.[News24]news24.comswazi broomstick flying witches to fly low 20130515Swazi broomstick flying witches to fly lowDecember 31, 1 — 15 May 2013 — Witches flying broomsticks in Swaziland above 150m will be…
As the quotation spread through newspapers, television, blogs and social media, an important distinction disappeared. Many readers came away believing Eswatini had formally legislated against magical flight, when the actual regulations dealt with the use of airspace rather than supernatural beings.
The tale proved irresistible because it combined several ingredients that travel well online:
- an apparently absurd legal rule;
- a memorable numerical limit of 150 metres;
- widespread awareness that belief in witchcraft remains culturally significant in parts of southern Africa;
- the contrast between modern aviation law and traditional supernatural beliefs.
The aviation-rule context behind the joke
The story becomes much less mysterious when viewed in its original context.
The aviation authority had been discussing regulations governing objects entering controlled airspace, including model aircraft and emerging remote-controlled devices. Reports at the time linked the renewed public attention to an incident involving a private investigator operating a small radio-controlled helicopter fitted with a camera, highlighting growing concerns about unmanned aircraft rather than folklore.[Channels Television]channelstv.comswaziland bans witches from flying above 150metresChannels TelevisionSwaziland Bans Witches From Flying Above 150metres16 May 2013 — Swaziland has launched a crackdown on high-flying witc…
In other words, the authorities were explaining ordinary aviation safety rules. During that discussion, journalists raised a tongue-in-cheek question about witches. Rather than refusing to answer, the spokesperson humorously replied that anything flying above the legal height would fall under the same principle.
This distinction matters because there is no evidence that Eswatini created a separate statute regulating supernatural flight. Instead, an amusing exchange about an existing aviation rule escaped its original setting and became detached from the mundane regulatory issue that prompted it.
Some later discussions, including detailed online reconstructions by readers comparing the original reporting with the aviation regulations, have pointed out exactly this process: the legal rule was genuine, while the “witch law” was largely a journalistic framing of a hypothetical example.[Reddit]reddit.comSwaziland makes it illegal for a witch to fly a broomstickSwaziland makes it illegal for a witch to fly a broomstick…May 13, 2013 — Any witch caught flying their broomstick above the lim…
Why the story sounded believable
The joke succeeded partly because it rested on a foundation of genuine cultural context.
Belief in witchcraft has long existed in Eswatini alongside Christianity, traditional healing and ancestral belief systems. Accusations of witchcraft have sometimes had serious social consequences, and politicians, journalists and ordinary citizens have often discussed witchcraft in public without treating it purely as fantasy.
Because outsiders were already aware that witchcraft beliefs remained socially important, many readers found the headline plausible. The story seemed to confirm pre-existing assumptions about the country, even though it exaggerated what had actually happened.
That combination of truth and exaggeration is typical of many modern legends. The aviation regulations were real. The quotation was real. The worldwide impression that Eswatini had enacted a dedicated anti-witch flying law was not.
Why modern media made the legend stick
The broomstick story illustrates how quickly a humorous local quotation can become international folklore.
Many publications repeated the most entertaining version of the story with little additional context. Once condensed into a headline—”Witches banned from flying above 150 metres”—the nuance largely disappeared. Later articles often copied earlier reports, reinforcing the simplified version rather than checking the regulatory background.[thezimbabwean.co]thezimbabwean.coswaziland bans high flying witchesThe ZimbabweanSwaziland bans high flying witches21 May 2013 — Anyone caught flying a broomstick above the limit faces arrest and a hefty…
The internet gave the story an exceptionally long life. It continues to reappear in “strange laws”, “weird facts” and “believe it or not” collections, often years after the original reports. Each retelling further blurs the boundary between an actual aviation regulation and a comic anecdote.
For students of Forteana, this is an unusually revealing case. Unlike an old folk legend that gradually accumulated embellishments over generations, the broomstick story can be watched evolving almost in real time through newspapers, syndicated reports, blogs and social media.
A modern Fortean case rather than a supernatural one
The flying witches story remains part of Eswatini’s strange-history record not because it documents paranormal flight, but because it demonstrates how folklore, humour and journalism can reinforce one another.
Believers in witchcraft may see the official’s comment as acknowledging ideas already present within local culture. Sceptics generally view it as a joke that escaped into international news. The surviving evidence strongly supports the second interpretation: a real aviation discussion produced an offhand remark that global media transformed into one of the world’s most famous “bizarre laws.”[reddit.com]reddit.comSwaziland makes it illegal for a witch to fly a broomstickSwaziland makes it illegal for a witch to fly a broomstick…May 13, 2013 — Any witch caught flying their broomstick above the lim…
As a piece of modern Forteana, its significance lies less in broomsticks than in storytelling itself. It shows how an ordinary regulatory announcement, once filtered through humour and repeated often enough, can become a durable contemporary legend that many people still remember as literal fact.
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Endnotes
1.
Source: news24.com
Title: swazi broomstick flying witches to fly low 20130515
Link:https://www.news24.com/swazi-broomstick-flying-witches-to-fly-low-20130515
Source snippet
Swazi broomstick flying witches to fly lowDecember 31, 1 — 15 May 2013 — Witches flying broomsticks in Swaziland above 150m will be...
Published: May 2013
2.
Source: reddit.com
Title: Swaziland makes it illegal for a witch to fly a broomstick
Link:https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1e8oud/swaziland_makes_it_illegal_for_a_witch_to_fly_a/
Source snippet
Swaziland makes it illegal for a witch to fly a broomstick...May 13, 2013 — Any witch caught flying their broomstick above the lim...
Published: May 13, 2013
3.
Source: channelstv.com
Title: swaziland bans witches from flying above 150metres
Link:https://www.channelstv.com/2013/05/16/swaziland-bans-witches-from-flying-above-150metres/
Source snippet
Channels TelevisionSwaziland Bans Witches From Flying Above 150metres16 May 2013 — Swaziland has launched a crackdown on high-flying witc...
Published: May 2013
4.
Source: thezimbabwean.co
Title: swaziland bans high flying witches
Link:https://www.thezimbabwean.co/2013/05/swaziland-bans-high-flying-witches/
Source snippet
The ZimbabweanSwaziland bans high flying witches21 May 2013 — Anyone caught flying a broomstick above the limit faces arrest and a hefty...
Published: May 2013
Additional References
5.
Source: facebook.com
Title: in 2013 reports from eswatini formerly known as swaziland spread across the inte
Link:https://www.facebook.com/thewittyhistorian/photos/in-2013-reports-from-eswatini-formerly-known-as-swaziland-spread-across-the-inte/911615845246237/
Source snippet
In 2013, reports from Eswatini, formerly known as...In 2013, reports from Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, spread across the inter...
6.
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
Source snippet
tch on a broomstick should not fly above the [150 metre] limit."...
7.
Source: upi.com
Title: The same statute forbids toy
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 — “A witch on a broomstick should not fly above the [150-m...
Published: May 2013
8.
Source: youtube.com
Title: The History of flying Witches and Besoms
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4rwxcXKK8Y
Source snippet
Weird laws eswatini witch Africa's Craziest Law: Why Eswatini BANNED Witches Flying Over 492 Feet! #eswatini #witchlaw #africa Lens News...
9.
Source: youtube.com
Title: 25 Bizarre Laws You Won’t Believe Are Real
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cr_NLoYkgrc
Source snippet
Africa's Craziest Law: Why Eswatini BANNED Witches Flying Over 492 Feet...
10.
Source: youtube.com
Title: From Ritual to Myth: How Witches Ended Up Flying on Brooms
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KScagsKVkPM
Source snippet
The History of flying Witches and Besoms...
11.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Why Do Witches Ride Brooms?
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm0wFBFlWcQ
Source snippet
From Ritual to Myth: How Witches Ended Up Flying on Brooms...
12.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Africa’s Craziest Law: Why Eswatini BANNED Witches Flying Over 492 Feet!
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9GF01id770
Source snippet
Why Do Witches Ride Brooms?...
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