Good Morning Africa from the Kingdom of Swaziland

Although Swaziland is one of the smallest countries in Africa, it comes with diverse climate and geography that includes a cold mountainous region and a hot and dry lowveld.

In the country, the king rules by decree over his subjects. He is known as the Ngwenyama and is considered a symbol of unity and eternity in Swaziland.  Currently, the ruler is King Mswati III, who took over his father King Sobhuza II, who ruled for 82 years and is one of the longest verifiable reigns in any monarchy recorded in history.

Read: Good Morning Africa from the people of Seychelles

Swaziland’s King Mswati III arrives at the Waterkloof Airforce Base to attend the 25th AU Summit under the theme ” 2015 year of Women Empowerment and Development towards Africa’s Agenda 2063, Pretoria, 12/06/2015. Siyasanga Mbambani/GCIS.

Traditionally, the Ngwenyama rules alongside his mother, Ndlovukati, who is the spiritual and national head of state.

The country is named after King Mswati II who became king in 1839. A great fighter, Mswati II extended the area of the country to twice its size. Swaziland was a largely independent country thanks to the convention signed by the British government in 1881 and 1884.

However, it Britain took over the country between 1906 and 1968 after their victory in the Anglo Boer war of 1903.

The king appoints the prime minister and a minority of legislators to both chambers of the parliament: the Senate, which has 30 members (10 appointed by House of Assembly and 20 by the King) and the House of Assembly (10 appointed by the King and 55 by popular vote.)

Elections are held every five years and a contestant has to be nominated by at least 10 members of the chiefdom. On nomination day, contestants are selected for positions of Member of Parliament, constituency headman and constituency executive committee. Elections are then held at the chiefdom and later at the constituencies.

The people of Swaziland are known as Swazi and they speak Swati. Some of the cultural aspects of the Swazi include dancing and singing. Their minor arts include pottery and carving.

A Swazi Woman Dancing [Photo: Wiki CC]

In terms of religion, the country intertwines traditional belief with modern day Christianity. Various spiritual rituals are carried out at the family level to celebrate rites such as birth, death and marriage

rincess Sikhanyiso Dlamini [left] at the Reed dance festival in Swaziland 2006. She is daughter of the first wife of the king. [Photo: Wiki CC]