Swaziland

Swaziland, Eswatini or Eswatini, whose official name was Kingdom of Swaziland and is now Kingdom of Eswatini (in Swazi, Umbuso weSwatini; in English since 2018, Kingdom of Eswatini, formerly called Kingdom of Swaziland), is a small sovereign landlocked state located in Southern or Southern Africa, on the eastern foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains, between South Africa and Mozambique. Its territory is organized into four districts. Its capital is made up of two cities: Mbabane, the administrative headquarters, and Lobamba, the seat of royal and legislative power. The most populated city is Manzini. It has an area of 17,364 km².

The population is primarily ethnic Swazi, with the predominant language being Siswati or Swazi. The Swazis established their kingdom in the mid-18th century century under the leadership of Ngwane III. The country and ethnic group take their names from Mswati II, a king of the 19th century whose rule expanded and unified Swazi territory; the current boundaries were drawn in 1881 during the Scramble for Africa. After the Second Boer War, the kingdom became a British protectorate from 1903 until its independence on 6 September 1968. In April 2018, its official name changed from Kingdom of Swaziland to Kingdom of Eswatini, reflecting the name commonly used in Siswati.

The government is an absolute monarchy, the last of its kind on the continent, led by King Mswati III since 1986. Elections are held every five years to determine a majority in the House of Assembly and of the Senate. The current constitution was adopted in 2005. It is a developing country and is classified as a lower-middle-income economy. As a member of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), its main local trading partner is South Africa; the national currency, the lilangeni, is pegged to the South African rand. The country is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the United Nations and the African Union.

History

Archaeological sites dating back more than 100,000 years have been found in Swazi territory. Evidence of agriculture and the use of iron date from the IV century. The Nguni peoples began to colonize this land from the mid-XV century, who in the migratory process they carried out from Central Africa to the South, they were dividing into tribes, settling in different territories and evolving in different directions, giving rise to their different cultures: Zulu, Xhosa, Swazi and Ndebele.

The Swazis split from the Nguni in the south of what is now South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province, where they settled until fighting with the Zulu (led by King Shaka) forced them to flee to the northeast. Sobhuza I, chief of the Dlamini clan, gathered up the remnants of the tribes that Shaka had broken up—including Zulu deserters and the regional remnants of the Bushmen—and settled in the central area of present-day Swaziland. Here the Swazis continued the process of expansion by conquering small Sesoto and Nguni-speaking tribes to grow into the state today called Swaziland, located in northeast KwaZulu-Natal. Sobhuza I, who died shortly after the Zulu defeat by the Boers (1839), bequeathed to his son Mswati II the task of holding his people together against the Afrikaner threat.

Over the course of almost thirty years of resistance, the town took as its own the name of its king, who instituted a standing army and established good relations with the white settlers, granting them concessions.

Swaziland on a map of 1885.

Originally, the country was under the Transvaal protectorate and, after the Boer War in 1906, it was under the protectorate of Great Britain, under the High Commission for South Africa. From 1961, the post of High Commissioner for South Africa was held by the Ambassador of the United Kingdom to the Republic of South Africa.

There were two councils: one representing the interests of Europeans drawn to the country's gold, tin, and diamond mines; and the Swazi National Council, which defended those of the native population. An elective legislative council was established in 1963, which gained internal autonomy in 1967. The monarchist party, Imbokodvo National Movement, won all the seats and its leader, Makhosini, was appointed prime minister.

On September 6, 1968, Sobhuza II proclaimed the independence of Swaziland. In the 1972 elections, the Imbokodvo National Movement won a majority losing only three seats to the main opposition Ngwane National Liberation Congress.

In April 1973, Sobhuza II abolished the Constitution, banned political parties, and dissolved Parliament, replacing it, in 1978, with a series of tribal assemblies (Tinkhundla), a new Parliament (the Libandla), and a Liqoqo or Supreme Council.

Signed a non-aggression treaty with South Africa in February 1982, leading Swaziland to publicly defend South Africa and imprison members of the African National Congress.

Sobhuza II died in August of that same year, leaving Prince Makhosetive and his stepmother, Queen Regent Dzeliwe, in charge of the country. Bhekimpi Dlamini, representative of the traditionalists, was appointed prime minister and had the regent replaced by Ntombi, widow of Sobhuza and mother of the crown prince.

Makhosetive was crowned on April 26, 1986 as Mswati III. She eliminated Liqoqo, dismissed Bhekimpi Dlamini, and dissolved Parliament calling for new elections, with only the Imbokodvo National Movement legalized. He appointed a new prime minister (Sotsha Dlamini) in 1987, and another (Obed Dlamini) in 1989.

After the political changes in South Africa, the demands for democratic freedoms towards the regime gained new strength, until in 1992, the United Popular Democratic Movement was legalized, and later in 1993 national elections were held.

However, in the last legislative elections in Swaziland on October 21, 2003, political parties had once again been outlawed, with only citizens unrelated to any political party being able to be elected.

Following international pressure, in 2001 a commission was created to endow the country with a constitution after the 1968 one, which was abolished in 1973. In May 2003 and November 2004, the drafts were published so that are publicly discussed. However, they were seriously criticized by civil society organizations in Swaziland, and human rights organizations abroad. In July 2005 the new constitution was approved and in February 2006 it entered into force, despite the fact that there is still an intense debate on the subject in the country.

On April 19, 2018, King Mswati III announced that the country would cease to be known by its colonial name, becoming officially called Eswatini, which the Spanish government and the European Union adapted, to the Spanish language, as Eswatini. One of the reasons is to mark the 50th anniversary of the country's independence; although also, in part, to avoid the name of the country being confused with that of Switzerland (in English, Switzerland).

Swaziland continues to have territorial disputes over the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal.

Government and politics

Mswati III has been king of Swaziland since 1986.

Map of Swaziland.

Swaziland's system of government is an absolute monarchy. The king (Mswati III since 1986) is the head of state and who appoints the ministers (including the prime minister —head of government—). He simultaneously exercises both executive and legislative power. Traditionally the king rules alongside the Queen Mother or Indovuzaki (lit. Great Elephant), who is seen as a spiritual leader.

Parliament (Libandla) limits itself to debating government proposals and advising the king. It consists of an Upper Chamber or Senate (composed of twenty members appointed by the king and another ten elected by the Assembly) and a Lower Chamber or Assembly (composed of ten members appointed by the king and another fifty-five elected). There are fifty-five tinkhundla which are a set of constituencies that each appoint a member of the Assembly. Elections are held every five years in November.

Judges of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal are also appointed by the king.

Due to the absolutist regime, the activity of political parties is highly limited. Currently, most of Swaziland's political parties are legalized, following an absolute ban on political activity from 1973 to 1992. However, the 2003 elections were held without the presence of any party, due to a royal decree. Despite the apparent political opening promoted by the king —mainly due to international pressure— several political parties are still outlawed, and there is even political persecution of those members of the anti-monarchy parties. Recently, Amnesty International has denounced severe torture by of the police, even reaching the death of one of the detainees.

Some of the main political parties are:

• Ngwane National Liberation Congress (NNLC),
• United People ' s Democratic Movement (PUDEMO),
• Ngwane Socialist Revolutionary Party (NGWASOREP),
• Communist Party of Swaziland (SWACOPA),
• Sive Siyinqaba National Movement,
• United African Democratic Party (AUDP),
• Inhlava Party,
• National Front of Swaziland (SWANAFRO),
• National Progressive Party of Swaziland (SNPP).

The 1968 constitution has been abolished since 1973. However, in July 2005 a new constitution was approved, although its text generated major protests from human rights groups.

King Mswati III is frequently criticized for living so luxuriously in a nation afflicted by the world's highest rate of HIV infection. His multitude of luxury cars and the millions he has spent restoring the ostentatious mansions of his many women are not in keeping with the reality of a country in which approximately 34% of the active population is unemployed, of which almost 70% live on less than a dollar a day, and around 39% of adults are infected with HIV.

Territorial organization

Districts of Swaziland.

Swaziland is divided into four districts; these in turn are divided into 55 tinkhundla, and these in Imiphakatsi: Hhohho Lubombo Manzini Shishelweni

Geography

Satellite image.

Swaziland is divided into four distinct geographic regions, from west to east:

• The Highveld or High Veld (Alto Veld), with an average altitude of 1300 meters, corresponds to the foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains of South Africa.
• The Middleveld or Middle Veld (Medio Veld), with 700 meters of average height, occupies 26 % of the territory. It is a region of hills and fertile valleys.
• The Lowveld or Low Veld (Lower Veld), 200 meters of average, is an unhealthy and dry area.
• La Cordillera Lebombo, 600 meters high, is a relatively isolated area east of the country.

The most important rivers that irrigate the country are: the Usutu, the Ingwavuma and the Komati. The highest point is Mount Emlembe, with 1862 meters, and the lowest is in the Usutu River, 21 meters above sea level.

With 70,000 inhabitants, the capital Mbabane is the second most populous city. Other important cities are: Manzini, Lobamba (administrative capital), Siteki, Nhlangano and Piggs Peak.

Despite being a very small country, it has a wide variety of climates. To the west, the Highveld has a subtropical climate with rainfall exceeding 1,000 mm (1 kl/m²) per year. To the east it has a semi-arid tropical climate. The central-eastern region (the Lowveld) is the driest area, with about 600 mm of rain per year.

Ecology

View of a river of the country with hippos.

WWF divides Swaziland into three ecoregions, from west to east:

• Drakensberg mountain range
• Treeed savannah of the Zambeze
• Maputaland Coastal Mosaic Forest

Economy

Swazi coins.

Swaziland's trade balance is in deficit; It mainly exports agricultural products (85% of total sales), such as sugar, wood and derived products, citrus fruits, cotton, and meat.

After the country's independence, agrarian renewal has been carried out within the traditional framework, without intensifying the exploitation of the soil or introducing new crops, since demographic pressure does not force it, and also due to the contribution to national income seasonal emigration to South Africa.

Within the industrial sector, sugar plantations and lumber factories stand out. Reserves of 250 million tons of coal are estimated. There are diamond deposits in the northeast of the country, which have been exported since 1984.

Economically, it is worth noting a dependency on South Africa, which is the destination of 85% of exports, and origin of 35% of imports. It provides 66% of the electricity and strong foreign exchange earnings, thanks to tourism and a customs agreement.

Swaziland is largely rural with 63% of its population below the poverty line. An economic circle of 15,000 entrepreneurs take most of the country's wealth. This circle includes South African investors who came to Swaziland to find labor three times cheaper, and a group of white businessmen who inherited from British colonists. Foreign companies established in the country, such as Coca-cola, benefit from a very low tax rate. Public services are very underdeveloped.

However, the cultivation of sugarcane, the country's main resource, enslaves a part of the population: forced evictions of rural communities to develop plantations, child labor, work weeks of up to 60 hours, etc. The International Trade Union Confederation denounces "hard and unhealthy working conditions, miserable wages and violent repression of any attempt to organize".

Demographics

Traditional Swiss population.

84.3% of the population is Swazi, and another 10% is Zulu, in both cases they are Bantu, which implies an ethnically very homogeneous country. There are also Europeans (3% of the total, mainly of British origin) and Mozambican refugees. The European minority is basically concentrated in the cities.

Traditionally the Bantu have had a subsistence economy, cultivating and raising their own animals for food. Some work in the mines in South Africa.

The official languages are Swati or Swazi (a Bantu language) and English. Government affairs and commerce are conducted in English for the most part. There is also a small number of Afrikaans speakers, all of them belonging to the white minority.

Princess Sikhanyiso Dlamini at Umhlanga Dance in 2006.

The estimated population of Swaziland according to The World Bank in 2019 was 1,148,130. The administrative capital and largest city is Mbabane (which has a population of 73,000). Lobamba is the royal and legislative capital of Swaziland. Manzini is the most populous city in the country: its metropolitan area exceeds 100,000 inhabitants. Siteki is another of the large cities, and is the capital of one of the four districts into which the country is organized.

A good deal of the land is owned by Europeans or foreign companies, but about 55% is held in trust by the king for exclusive use by the Swazis.

In 2000, 216,977 children attended primary schools and 60,830 were enrolled in secondary schools. The University of Eswatini (1964) is located in Kwaluseni.

Swaziland's rural population is 73% (2002), and the country has a population growth rate of 0.55%, a highly variable figure due to HIV/AIDS. The pressures generated by the rural population are felt in soil resources. The increasing demand for arable land and overgrazing on communal lands lead to soil erosion. Erosion and poor wastewater disposal practices contribute to already high rates of waterborne diseases. Only 59% (1990-1998) of the population has access to adequate sanitation facilities, and 50% to safe drinking water.

30% of its population suffers from HIV/AIDS and this, together with the high infection rate of the virus in this country, means that life expectancy in Swaziland is very low, just fifty years.

Religion

The religion of Swaziland is as follows:

• Protestant Christianity: 35% (church members of the World Council of Churches present in Swaziland)
• Zion African Church: 30%
• Catholic Christianity: 25%
• Islam: 1 %
• Hinduism: 0.15 %

The remaining 9% of the population is divided between the Baha'i faith, Mormonism, Judaism and other religious groups.

The main religion is Christianity, sometimes mixed with other indigenous beliefs. A large part of the inhabitants attribute a special spiritual role to the monarch. 79% of the inhabitants identify themselves as Christians. Protestant, evangelical and independent churches stand out in first place, which add up to 73%, followed by Catholicism with 6%. The number of non-religious and unaffiliated who make up 10% of the population. Another 10% identify with traditional and ethnic religious forms. The other religious options are more minority, never reaching 1%, highlighting 0.9% Muslims and 0.4% Bahai's.

Culture

Rural dance.

• Languages
  • Officers
    • English (in official use within the government)
    • Siswati or Swiss Language
  • No officers
    • Zulu language
    • Language xhosa
    • Language ndebele
    • Portuguese (used by a Mozambican minority of origin)
    • Afrikaans (speaking by a minority of the white population residing in the country).

Media

Press

• The Nation: founded in 1997, it is a monthly and independent news magazine.
• The Swazi News: English weekly founded in 1983. It has a strip of 18,000 copies.
• Eswatini Observer: State property.
• Swaziview: monthly magazine of topics of general interest. 3,500 copies.
• The Times of Swaziland: founded in 1897, published in English from Monday to Friday. It also has a monthly edition and a strip of 18 000 copies.
• All South Africa and Mozambique national newspapers and magazines.

Television

• Swaziland Television Authority 1: Generalist in English. Chain founded in 1978 and owned by the State. It emits only 7 hours a day in own production English, the rest is external production (United States, South Africa, United Kingdom, Australia...).
• Swaziland Television Authority 2: Swiss language generalist. Recently founded chain and state property. It emits only 7 hours a day in its own production, the rest is external production in Swaziland (South Africa, Lesotho and Mozambique).
• All national TV channels in South Africa and Mozambique.

Radius

• Swaziland Broadcasting of Information Service 1: Generalist in English. Chain founded in 1966 and owned by the State. It emits own production programming, the rest is external production (United States, South Africa, United Kingdom, Australia...). At first it was in English and Swaziland, it currently only emits in English.
• Swaziland Broadcasting of Information Service 2: Swiss language generalist. Recently founded chain and state property. It emits its own production programming, the rest is external production in Swaziland (South Africa, Lesotho and Mozambique)
• Swaziland Commercial Radio (Pty) Ltd: Privately owned commercial emissary. It broadcasts in South Africa in English and Portuguese, musical and religious programs.
• Trans World Radio: Founded in 1974. It has five stations from which it emits in 30 languages south, center, east and west of Africa.
• All national radio stations in South Africa and Mozambique.

Sports

The Swaziland National Soccer Team is controlled by the Swaziland National Soccer Association and attached to CAF and FIFA. They have never qualified for the Soccer World Cup or the African Cup of Nations. Within the country, there is the Swaziland Premier League, which was founded in 1976 and the most winning team is the Mbabane Highlanders with 13 titles.^{[citation required]}