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The history of the current Kingdom of Swaziland
can be traced back 200,000 years as Stone Age artifacts have been
found in the region as well as pre-historic rock art dating from
around 25,000 BCE. Whilst home to a
number of peoples, the Swazis, descendants of the Bantu, migrated
to the area in the 15th and 16th centuries. By the late nineteenth
century Africa was becoming heavily colonised and Swaziland came
under joint British and the Boer Republic of Transvaal rule before
becoming a British protectorate in 1903.
In 1968 Swaziland gained its independence from
Britain and adopted a new constitution as a parliamentary democracy, albeit with
some members of that parliament nominated by the monarch. However five years
later, King Sobhuza suspended the constitution and banned all political parties,
with the parliament being relegated to having a mere advisory role comprising
both the monarch's nominees and candidates nominated by local councils (Tinkhundlas). Today Swaziland is ruled by King Mswati III
(below) as an
absolute monarchy with all political parties still banned. Despite this ban,
there are regular outpouring of civil disturbances which are brutally put down
by the regime. It has been described as "as an island of dictatorship in a sea
of democracy" however King Mswati counters that the country is not ready for
greater democracy believing that such democracy creates divisions and that, as a
monarch, he is a strong unifying influence.
The king's appointed
prime minister Prime Minister, Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini (in office from October 2008 to September 2018) said that the
government will consider using 'sipakatane' to "punish dissidents and foreigners
who come to the country and disturb the peace" (this being a form of torture
where the feet are repeatedly hit with nail embedded rods.) He was succeeded by Vincent Mhlanga who died on 24th December 2020 from Covid who was in turn succeeded by his deputy Themba Masuku who drew widespread criticism for his handling of the 2021 Eswatini Protests against the monarchy. On 16th July 2021, King Mswati replaced Masuku with Cleopas Dlamini as the new prime minister who is currently in office.
Eswatini Profile: Volunteer in Eswatini (Swaziland)
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Eswatini History: Life in Eswatini
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Eswatini History: Sponsor Children in Eswatini (Swaziland)
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Eswatini History: Eswatini (Swaziland) Country Profile
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