After 2002, the government of Swaziland instructed all schools to admit Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) locally known as Bantfwana Bendlunkulu free of charge, and the Ministry of Education reimburses the schools for these costs. The immediate impact was a 5% [World Bank 2006] increase in enrolment nationwide, mostly girls. As the numbers of OVC have expanded, the budget has been consistently underestimated, leading to tensions in the programme. There are also ambiguities in the definition and targeting of OVC.

Swaziland, a country of no more than 1.2 million people, has been severely hit by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. In 2004, UNAIDS reported that the pandemic had reached devastating proportions and it was showing no signs of subsiding. The pandemic, coupled with other challenges of slow economic growth, rising poverty levels, deteriorating food security situation, unemployment and others was surely leading this Sub-Saharan Africa country to the worst humanitarian disaster recoded in its history. At this rate, the country was going to miss most if not all of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), including Education for All.

The school fees waiver system represents measures taken by the government to ensure that the rights of OVC to education are met in Swaziland. It is estimated that there are over 130,000 OVC in Swaziland and these include 70,000 orphans and an estimated 60,000 vulnerable children who have parents yet still destitute, ill and unable to support themselves(NPA, 2006). The school fees waiver comes by way of school fees grants which sometimes cover examination fees. Currently, a primary school going pupil benefits E250 (previously E400 before the introduction o free textbooks and stationary across the board) in school fees and examination fees if required. A secondary school going pupil benefits E1, 500 per annum and examination fees where required.