Swaziland, a small landlocked country in Southern Africa, is nestled between South Africa and Mozambique.
It is known as the Kingdom of Eswatini, derived from the Swazi tribe, and was officially renamed in 2018.
Despite its compact size, spanning around 200 km north to south and 130 km east to west, Eswatini offers diverse landscapes, from cool mountains to hot lowlands.
The population predominantly consists of ethnic Swazis, with the Swazi language, also known as siSwati, being widely spoken.
The Swazi kingdom was established in the mid-18th century under the leadership of Ngwane III. The country takes its name from Mswati II, a 19th-century ruler who unified and expanded its territories.
Eswatini’s boundaries were defined in 1881 during the Scramble for Africa. Following the Second Boer War, it was a British high commission territory until gaining full independence on September 6, 1968. The name change to Eswatini in 2018 aligned with the commonly used Swazi name.
Eswatini is classified as a lower-middle-income economy and is a member of regional organizations such as the Southern African Customs Union and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa.
Its main trading partner is South Africa, and to maintain economic stability, the country’s currency, the lilangeni, is pegged to the South African rand.
Overseas, the United States and the European Union are significant trading partners. The agricultural and manufacturing sectors offer employment opportunities, contributing to the country’s development.
Eswatini is a member of various international organizations, including the Southern African Development Community, the African Union, the Commonwealth of Nations, and the United Nations.
Eswatini follows an absolute monarchy system, making it the only remaining one of its kind in Africa. King Mswati III has ruled since 1986, and regular elections determine the majority in the House of Assembly and the Senate.
The country adopted its constitution in 2005. Notable cultural events include Umhlanga, the reed dance held in August/September, and incwala, the kingship dance held in December/January.
However, Eswatini faces significant health challenges, particularly with high rates of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.
Approximately 28% of adults are HIV-positive, and the country’s life expectancy, at 58 years as of 2018, is among the lowest globally.
The population of Eswatini is predominantly young, with 35% aged 14 years or younger, and the median age is 22 years.
History
Archaeological findings in Swaziland have revealed human remains and artifacts dating back over 100,000 years.
Initially, the region was inhabited by Khoisan hunter-gatherers, who were later succeeded by Bantu tribes during the Bantu migrations.
The arrival of these Bantu-speaking people, hailing from the Great Lakes region of eastern and central Africa, brought advancements in agriculture and iron usage around the 4th century.
Settlements of languages ancestral to the present-day Sotho and Nguni languages can be traced back to at least the 11th century.
During the 18th century, the Swazi settlers, known as the Ngwane, established themselves along the banks of the Pongola River.
They had previously resided near the Tembe River in what is now Maputo, Mozambique. Encountering conflicts with the Ndwandwe, the Ngwane migrated northward and founded their capital at Shiselweni near the Mhlosheni hills.
Under the rule of Sobhuza I, the Ngwane people moved their capital to Zombodze, which is at the heart of present-day Eswatini.
This period saw the expansion of the Swazi kingdom, doubling its size under the leadership of Mswati II.
Eswatini, named after King Mswati II, is also referred to as KaNgwane, honoring Ngwane III. The royal house carries the surname Nkhosi Dlamini, with Nkhosi translating to “king.”
Mswati II played a significant role in consolidating the Swazi kingdom, incorporating and diminishing the autonomy of the Emakhandzambili clans.
The kingdom continued to evolve as more people were integrated through conquest or refuge, known to the Swazis as Emafikamuva.
The autonomy of the Swazi nation was influenced by British and Dutch control of southern Africa during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Despite the Scramble for Africa, the British government recognized Swazi independence through conventions in 1881 and 1884.
King Mbandzeni granted numerous concessions to Europeans, leading to a complex pattern of land ownership.
The Swaziland Convention of 1890 established a Chief Court to address disputes over land, mineral rights, and concessions.
Swaziland operated under a triumviral administration in 1890, representing the British, Dutch republics, and the Swazi people.
In 1894, it became a protectorate under the South African Republic. The rule continued until the outbreak of the Second Boer War in 1899, during which King Ngwane V passed away, leaving Sobhuza II as his four-month-old successor.
Swaziland experienced minor conflicts between the British and the Boers until 1902, marking the end of the war.
Independence
After the 1973 elections, King Sobhuza II suspended the constitution of Swaziland and ruled the country by decree until his death in 1982.
His reign of nearly 83 years made him the longest-reigning monarch in history. Following his passing, a regency period ensued, with Queen Regent Dzeliwe Shongwe serving as head of state until 1984 when she was replaced by Queen Mother Ntfombi Tfwala.
In 1986, Mswati III, Ntfombi’s son, ascended to the throne as the king and ngwenyama of Swaziland.
In 1982, there was an unsuccessful attempt to transfer parts of South Africa, specifically areas of the Zulu homeland of KwaZulu and parts of the Swazi homeland of KaNgwane, to Swaziland.
This proposal aimed to provide landlocked Swaziland with access to the sea. Although negotiated by the governments of South Africa and Swaziland, the transfer faced opposition within the designated territory.
Sobhuza II claimed these areas as part of the Swazi monarchs’ traditional realm, while the South African government sought to establish a buffer zone against guerrilla infiltration from Mozambique.
As a response to the failed transfer, the South African government temporarily suspended the autonomy of KaNgwane.
During the 1990s, there was an upsurge in student and labor protests urging the king to implement reforms.
Consequently, progress was made towards constitutional reforms, leading to the adoption of the current Swazi constitution in 2005, despite objections from political activists.
However, the constitution does not clearly address the status of political parties. The first election under the new constitution occurred in 2008, with Members of Parliament (MPs) elected from 55 constituencies known as tinkhundla. These MPs served five-year terms until 2013.
In 2011, Swaziland faced an economic crisis due to reduced receipts from the Southern African Customs Union (SACU).
The government sought a loan from South Africa but disagreed with the loan’s conditions, which included political reforms.
During this period, pressure mounted on the Swazi government to enact further reforms, leading to increased public protests by civic organizations and trade unions.
Improved SACU receipts in 2012 eased fiscal pressure, and a new parliament was elected in 2013. Sibusiso Dlamini was reappointed as prime minister for the third time by the king.
On April 19, 2018, Mswati III announced that the Kingdom of Swaziland would be renamed the Kingdom of Eswatini, marking the 50th anniversary of Swazi independence.
The name Eswatini translates to “land of the Swazis” in the Swazi language and aimed to avoid confusion with Switzerland.
In September 2018, Eswatini workers initiated anti-government protests against low salaries, leading to a three-day strike organized by the Trade Union Congress of Eswatini, causing significant disruption.
In June 2021, pro-democracy protests erupted across the country, resulting in riots, looting, and clashes with police and soldiers.
These civil unrests were fueled by frustration over the lack of meaningful reforms towards democracy and reports of the government’s ban on submitting petitions.
Several buildings associated with King Mswati III were set on fire by protesters, and there were reports of police assaulting and arresting political opponents.
Described as the most explosive civil unrest in Eswatini’s 53 years of independence, the protests resulted in the deaths of at least 20 people, with many more injured and detained.
The government imposed an internet shutdown, making it challenging to access reliable news from the country.
Although there were claims that the king had fled the country, government officials disputed these reports and called for an end to the protests.
Government
Eswatini is governed as an absolute monarchy with a combination of constitutional provisions and Swazi law and customs.
The supreme authority is held by the king, known as the ngwenyama or lion. Currently, King Mswati III occupies the throne since 1986, succeeding his father King Sobhuza II after a regency period.
As per the country’s constitution, the ngwenyama represents unity and the enduring nature of the Swazi nation.
Traditionally, the king rules alongside the ndlovukati or she-elephant, often his mother or a symbolic figure.
The former serves as the administrative head of state, while the latter holds a spiritual and national leadership role, balancing the king’s power. However, over time, the role of the ndlovukati has become more symbolic during Sobhuza II’s lengthy reign.
The king appoints the prime minister from the legislature and selects a minority of legislators for both chambers of the Libandla or parliament, with assistance from an advisory council.
The constitution permits the king to appoint certain parliament members to represent special interests.
These individuals may include unsuccessful electoral candidates or those who did not run, ensuring a diversity of perspectives within the parliament.
Special interest representatives can come from various backgrounds, such as different genders, races, people with disabilities, business community members, scholars, and chiefs.
Eswatini is divided into four regions: Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, and Shiselweni. Each region contains multiple tinkhundla, which are further managed by regional administrators.
Elected members in each inkhundla support the regional administrators. Local governance is structured differently in rural and urban areas, depending on the level of development.
In urban areas, there are three tiers of government: city councils, town councils, and town boards, varying based on the size of the town or city.
Similarly, rural areas have three tiers: regional administration at the regional level, tinkhundla, and chiefdoms.
Full council decisions are based on recommendations from sub-committees, with the town clerk serving as the chief advisor in each local council or town board.
Eswatini has twelve designated urban areas, consisting of two city councils, three town councils, and seven town boards.
Major cities and towns in the country include Manzini, Mbabane, Nhlangano, and Siteki, which also serve as regional capitals.
Language & Religion
SiSwati (also known as Swati, Swazi, or Siswati) is a Bantu language belonging to the Nguni Group. It is spoken in Eswatini and South Africa, with a speaker count of approximately 2.5 million people.
SiSwati is taught in schools and holds official language status in Eswatini, alongside English. It is also recognized as one of the official languages in South Africa.
English serves as the primary language for education, business transactions, and the media. Zulu is spoken by around 76,000 individuals in Eswatini, while Tsonga has approximately 19,000 speakers.
A portion of the population, particularly those of Afrikaner descent, also speaks Afrikaans. Additionally, due to a significant community of Portuguese speakers from Mozambique or Portugal, Portuguese has been introduced as a third language in schools.
Regarding religion, Christianity is the predominant faith in Eswatini, with approximately 83% of the population adhering to it.
The majority of Christians follow Anglican, Protestant, and indigenous African churches, including African Zionist, which constitute 40% of the Christian population. Catholicism represents about 6% of the total population.
Also read: King Sobhuza II, the Man Who Became a King at Four Months
On July 18, 2012, Ellinah Wamukoya made history as the first woman to be elected Anglican Bishop in Swaziland, serving in that position until her passing in 2021.
Source
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eswatini
