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History and Government
History: Swaziland became a British Protectorate in 1907, following the Boer War of 1899-1902. The country became independent in September 1968. Repeated South African requests that the territory be handed over to them had been refused by the British, who administered Swaziland (like Botswana and Lesotho) as a ‘High Commission Territory’ – one of three established by a 1910 Act of Parliament. Since independence, the country’s domestic politics have suffered constant turbulence. Between 1973 and 1978, the constitution was suspended and a state of emergency imposed at the instigation of the king. Political parties, public gatherings and freedom of speech were all outlawed.
In 1978, a new constitution concentrated political power in the hands of the monarch, who appointed a prime minister and cabinet; the state of emergency remained in force, however. An elected parliament, the Libandla, in which political parties remained illegal, was established, although its functions were restricted to conveying advice to the king and his principal advisory body, the Liqoqo (Supreme Council of State). The current monarch, King Mswati III, was crowned in April 1986. Political stability continued to prove elusive during the late 1980s – the Mswati monarchy was repeatedly threatened by plots organised by dissident members of the royal family and disaffected politicians but all were stifled with apparent ease.
The focus of opposition has been the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), which operated largely clandestinely until February 1992, when it declared itself a legal opposition party – in contravention of the government ban on political association – and demanded a constitutional referendum. Although steady pressure has been exerted against the king from both inside and outside the country, he remains immune to any warnings and entreaties and continues to be one of the world’s few absolute monarchs. The king was more inclined to dismiss those who delivered such messages than to take heed of them and the country remains subject to regular internal political disturbances. A notable recent casualty was Dr Sishayi Nxumalo, one of the country’s most experienced politicians, who had taken over as prime minister in mid-1996 and was dismissed in April 1998. His replacement was Barnabas Dlamini. The campaign to reduce the powers of the monarch has now been taken up by opposition leader Mario Masuku who has had several major spats with Mswati.
The major complaint against the monarch concerns his profligate lifestyle. Swaziland is desperately poor and suffered a serious food shortage during 2002. Moreover, according to a January 2003 World Health Organisation report, the country has the world’s highest incidence of HIV/AIDS, with an estimated 40% of the adult population infected.
Swaziland’s foreign relations are dominated by South Africa. In general, these have undergone a steady improvement since 1994 and the advent of majority rule in South Africa. The main points of contention are a number of territorial disputes in which Swaziland claims tracts of land in the KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga provinces.
Government: The constitution dates from 1978. The monarch is the head of state and appoints the ministers. Parliament consists of the Senate, with 20 appointed and ten elected members, and the House of Assembly, with ten appointees and 55 elected representatives. Elections are not direct but made by an electoral college, which itself is directly elected on a regional basis through traditional local councils known as Tinkhundla.
Copyright © 2003 Columbus Publishing Ltd.
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