SWAZILAND: HISTORY, CULTURE & TRADITION
Background
Chosing a King
The Incwala Ceremony
The Umhlanga or Reed Dance
Sibhaca Dance
Traditional Medicine & Divination
Family Life
Family Life
The Royal/Government Coat of Arms
Background
Swaziland has always been a land of kings
and since the building of the nation, a line
th
of kings has led the people. During the 15
th
and 16 centuries, Africans of Nguni descent
migrated southwards from Central Africa
under the leadership of Dlamini III and under
th
Ngwane III, in the mid 18 century, some of
them settled in the area which today is
Shiselwini in southern Swaziland. These
people, the Nkosi Dlamini, became known
as Swazis and today the usage of both names
continues. Nkosi means king and Dlamini
is the surname of the royal family. The royal
line of Dlamini dates back to about 1550.
During King Mbandzeni’s reign the British
dismantled the Zulu kingdom in 1879 and
to secure ongoing independence and avoid
land grabbing by South Africa, he made a
series of grazing, mining and trade
concessions. This attracted unscrupulous
agents and opportunists and ironically
resulted in loss of territorial independence
as concessions were converted to freehold
title in the Land Partition of 1907.
Until 1894, the kingdom was ruled by a
provisional government comprising Boer,
British and Swazi. At that point, Swaziland
became a protectorate of South Africa under
King Bhunu and when Britain won the Anglo
Boer War in 1902, that power administered
the country as a protectorate until
independence in1968.
Queen Gwamile, who was the Regent until
Sobhuza II, ascended the throne, was a firm
believer in books and education as the
foundation for the nation’s growth and after
primary school, young Sobhuza, the father
of the present King, attended the Lovedale
Mission College in the Cape Province of
South Africa. He became the world’s longest
reigning monarch and throughout his rule,
he devoted himself to regaining the lost land,
establishing a fund to enable its repurchase.
This was a period of stability, rapid economic
growth and development.
Following Sobhuza’s death in 1982, Queen
Dzeliwe became regent until the young heir,
Prince Makhosetive, returned home from
Sherborne School in England, and following
year in 1986, aged only 18 years, he was
installed as King Mswati III. Mswati has
established an amended constitution and
heads a nation in which ancient traditions
and culture work hand in hand with modern
technology, economic practice and
infrastructure that attract investors from all
over the world.
C
Choosing the King
The heir to the throne is chosen accordingto his mother’s status and a Queen Mother
is selected based on her high rank, by the
Royal Council following the king’s death. The
King is always a Dlamini and never
intermarries so the Queen Mother is never a
Dlamini. The king must be her only son and
is expected to choose wives from various
clans to ensure national unity.
The monarchy is a dual one with the balance
of power lying with the King - Ngwenyama
(or lion) - and the Queen Mother, who is
the Ndlovukazi (she elephant).
The Royal Council plays a key role in the
selection of the heir to the throne. He must
be unmarried, and if still a minor, the Queen
Mother to the late King assumes the
responsibility of Regent until the Crown Prince
becomes the Ngweny ama.
The Incwala Ceremony
The Incwala, or first fruits ceremony, in which
he King plays a dominant role, is the most
acred of all the Swazi rituals. It is held in
December or January on a date chosen by
astrologers in conjunction with the phases
of the moon and sun. The ritual begins with
a journey by the “Bemanti” (people of the
water) to the Indian Ocean to collect water
and on their return to the royal kraal, the
ittle Incwala begins, on the new moon. At
he full moon, youths from all parts of the
kingdom travel to collect the sacred branches
of the “lusekwane” shrub, a species of
acacia. On the third day a bull is ritually
laughtered by the youths, instilling solidarity
among them and a spirit of valour. The fourth
day is the culmination of the Incwala when
he King, in full ceremonial dress, joins his
warriors in the traditional dance. He then
enters a special sanctuary and after further
ituals, eats the first fruits of the season. On
he appearance of the King to his people,
hey may also eat these fruits with the blessing
of the ancestors.Certain parts of the Incwala may not be
witnessed by outside people and it is vital to
have a permit to take photographs within
the proximity of the royal cattle byre.
The Umhlanga or Reed Dance
This takes place in late August or early
September and is a ceremony that attracts
young maidens from all over the Kingdom,
providing the opportunity to honour the
Queen Mother. Most of the participants are
eenagers, although some of the girls are
younger.
Over 20,000 maidens gather reeds from
elected areas and the day of the Umhlanga
begins with bathing and grooming prior to
appearing before the King and QueenMother. The girls wear short beaded skirts
with anklets, bracelets and jewellery and
colourful sashes. The royal princesses wear
red feathers in their hair and lead the
maidens to perform before Their Majesties.
This ceremony may be freely photographed,
provided you have a permit from the Ministry
of Information.
Sibhaca Dance
This vigorous dance is performed by team
of men and the activity is also popular amon
young boys at their schools, who form thei
own teams and perform for special occasions
Many of the hotels and resorts have thei
own Sibhaca teams to entertain visitors.
Traditional Medicine & Divination
Traditional healers are regarded as
physicians, prophets, priests, diviners and
herbalists, and about 80% of the people
consult these practitioners, who are mostly
male. The “ïnyanga”, as they are known,
inherit their skills from their fathers and
grandfathers and they hold a senior place
in society. The function of divination involves
throwing bones and interpreting the patterns
into which they fall.The “sangoma” is a traditional diviner who
has been called to the profession. Generally
women, they are consulted to alleviate
physical and mental problems,
attend variousceremonies and act as counsellors. When
divining, the sangoma traditionally relies on
pirit possession.
Family Life
Swaziland’s social structure is based on a
clan system and through marriage, these
clans have intermingled. There is a class
system which regulates marriage and within
the aristocracy the first wife is never the senior
one and a second wife of higher status will
take precedence. A preferential marriage
arranged by the parents bestows a higher
status on the union, forming a permanent
bond between the two families.The bridegroom’s family pays “lobola” (a
dowry) in the form of a number of cattle in
keeping with the bride’s family status. A
traditional marriage ceremony can take a
full weekend before the bride is annointed to
indicate that the union has taken place.
The rights of fatherhood are acquired through
lobola and if no cattle have been given, any
child born of the union remains within the
mother’s family.
Children are taught to share both the good
things and problems of life with other family
members. Discipline and a share of family
responsibility are imparted from an early age
and the authority of the father is respected
and obeyed.Boys are taught by male members
of the family to assume male
roles and skills and girls
similarly learn from their mothers
and female relatives.
Boys enter regiments in
which they train with their
peers, developing with the
same group throughout life,
and members of the regiments
are expected to support each
other. Only when a young man
achieves mature warrior status
may he consider courtship as his
earlier responsibilities involved
participation in national projects and rituals.Grandparents teach the young to respect their parents
and old age is treated with reverence within the
culture.
The Swazi Flag
The present Swazi flag, which has been used since
1967, comprises a black and white shield on a bright
background of blue, yellow and red. The shield
depicts racial harmony and is also part of the
weaponry of the “Sotja” (soldier) Regiment that served
in World War II. The blue represents the sky; the
yellow is for gold, or the country’s mineral wealth;
and the red is the rich fertile soil of Swaziland.