GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE
The Kingdom of Swaziland is a small
landlocked country of just over
17,000 square kilometres and is
about the same size as Wales. It is arguably
the smallest country in the Southern
hemisphere, situated between the Republic
of South Africa and Mozambique at a
latitude of 31 degrees, 30 minutes east of
Greenwich and a longitude of 26 degrees,
30 minutes south of the equator.
Often referred to as the Switzerland of
Africa, Swaziland comprises magnificent
mountain scenery with unique, ancient rock
formations, which are a source of
fascination for geologists, scholars and
visitors. Within this small area each feature
of Africa’s terrain, apart from desert, is to
be found.
The Kingdom comprises four topographical
and climatic areas varying from 400 to 1800
metres above sea level, each with its own
unique characteristics.
The mountainous Highveld to the west
features rivers, waterfalls and gorges and
has a temperate climate of warm, wet
summers and dry winters when the
temperature can rise sharply during the day
but with cold nights. Winter snowfalls
occasionally occur on the higher ground.
This area is generally not suitable for
agriculture although much of it is given over
to forestry.
The subtropical Middleveld, at a lower
altitude, is made up of lush, fertile valleys
and has a warm climate that is ideal for
cultivating a diversity of crops and it is here
that much of the country’s agricultural
activities occur.
Further to the east is the Lowveld which is
the largest region covering about 40% of
the country, and is also subtropical. While
this area is drought-prone, sugar is
successfully grown commercially on a wide
scale under irrigation. Cattle farming is also
extensively carried out here. Much of the
area is typical African bush where a
wonderful profusion of indigenous wild life,
birds and flora are found in protected areas.
The smallest region is Lubombo, which
borders with Mozambique. This subtropical
area is typified by mountainous scenery and
supports abundant plant and animal life.
Mixed farming is the main activity here.
The nearest harbour is at Maputo in
Mozambique, which is about 235 kilometres
from Mbabane, the administrative capital,
and 200 kilometres from Matsapha, the
country’s main industrial area. It is from
here that most of the country’s export
products are shipped.
THE PEOPLE AND TRADITIONS
During the fifteenth and sixteenth
centuries, an African people of
Nguni descent migrated southward
from Central Africa and during the mideighteenth
century, a group of them settled
in the area which today is Swaziland. These
people, the Nkosi Dlamini, became known
as the Swazis, and today both names
continue to be used. Nkosi means ‘king’ and
Dlamini is the surname of the royal family.
The country derives its name from a later
king, Mswati I but another name, Ngwane,
is an alternative word for Swaziland.
The Swazis are a proud but peaceful people
with happy, easy-going and often humorous
personalities which have earned them the
title Latins of Africa.
Old Swazi traditions are carefully guarded
and colourful ceremonies regularly take place
to mark special occasions. The two main
rituals are the Umhlanga or Reed Dance,
and the Incwala, or First Fruits Ceremony.
The Umhlanga, which is held during August
or September, involves unmarried maidens
who, dressed in colourful beaded skirts and
accessories, travel to the royal kraal (village)
to honour the Queen Mother and perform
traditional dances. On the way, they gather
the reeds which are used to make screens
around the royal kraal and it is from this
custom that the ceremony derives its name.
The Incwala ceremony involves direct
participation by the King and much of it
entails ancient secret rituals. It takes place
over a three-week period during December
and January with dates selected by
astrologers who monitor the moon phases
to determine the ideal time. The ritual starts
with a journey to Mozambique or South
Africa to collect water from the Indian
Ocean and after the performance of various
rites by young men, leads to the slaughter
of a bull on the third and darkest night,
before the new moon. On the fourth day
the King appears in full ceremonial dress
and after taking part in various rituals and
dances with his warriors, he eats the first
fruits of the season. The Queen Mother then
participates and the Incwala ends with a ritual cleansing on the sixth day after the
new moon.
Although western dress is widely worn,
particularly in the urban areas, the Swazis
have a distinctive, colourful national dress
known as emahiya and this is worn with
different accessories and headdresses,
depending on the status and age of the
individual, as well as on the occasion.
Traditionally, Swaziland is a polygamous
society and the men may take more than
one wife. It is customary to pay a dowry,
known as lobola, which normally entails
presenting cattle - the cultural symbol of
wealth - to the brides’ parents. However,
monogamous marriages, performed in the
western custom are frequent occurrences as
the Swazi people adapt to and adopt more
aspects of the western lifestyle. However,
the cultural heritage is deeply rooted with
traditions carefully protected and sustained.
POPULATION
With poverty at 69% and the HIV/
AIDS pandemic standing at
above 40%, the country is facing
its greatest challenge ever. The situation
impacts negatively on the population, both
in terms of structure and numbers. It is
estimated that the population stands at less
than a million people compared with earlier
estimates of 1,126,000. Reduced life
expectancy and a decline in the birth rate
continue to be the trend. It is projected that
by 2015, life expectancy will further decline
to 32.5 years. The social structure has
changed with more child-headed
households emerging, as parents have
succumbed to the pandemic, or with
grandparents taking the place of parents.
HIV in pregnant women is about 43%.
While this figure comprises antenatal clinic
responses, it does appear to reflect the overall
percentage of infection.
Economically active people aged between 20 and 39 years comprise about 47% of
reported HIV/AIDS cases and the virus is
also prevalent in the 15 to 20 age group.
There are about 150,000 vulnerable children
in the country and it is estimated that there
will be 120,000 AIDS orphans in 2010. In
line with this trend, in excess of 15% of
households are headed by children aged
below 18 years. Sustained efforts are made
to educate people in order to create greater
awareness and to stem the disease. The
main players in this respect are specific
NGOs, particularly NERCHA, large
corporate entities and the private sector. The
pandemic naturally has a devastating effect
on the economy and social services.
The National Strategic Plan which addresses
the crisis largely relies on donor funding of
E300 million from the Global Fund and
E250 million from the US Government. The
Swaziland Government has set aside E65.7 million for the provision of antiretroviral
drugs.
Southern Africa is home to 30% of the
people who are infected with HIV/AIDS
globally and yet the region comprises less
than 2% of the world’s population.
About 77% of the Swazi people live in rural
areas with 23% residing in the towns and
cities. The Manzini and Hhohho regions are
the most highly populated at 30.8% and
27.5% respectively. Shilsewini and
Lubombo are the least populous regions at
20.9% and 20.4%.
THE MONARCHY
Swaziland has been a monarchy since
the Nguni people entered the territory,
where they lived under the leadership
of Dlamini I. Although Dlamini is the
surname of the royal family, it is important
to note that not all Dlaminis are of royal
blood. The country and people derive their
name from a later king, Mswati I, who reigned during the mid-19th century. It has
been said that the dual Swazi monarchy is
arguably the only ruling one in Africa,
although Morocco and Lesotho also have
kings. The Swazi King or Ngwenyama (lion)
rules in conjunction with the Queen Mother
or Ndlovukazi (she-elephant). She may
either be the King’s biological mother, which
is presently the case or, on her death, a
senior wife.
Strict stipulations apply in terms of who
succeeds to the throne and while many of
these are closely guarded secrets it is
generally known that the king must be the
only child of his mother and unmarried.
Thus the Swazi kings are always young men
when they come to the throne. The King is
regarded as the mouth-piece of his people
and is described as umlomo longacali manga
(the mouth that tells no lies).
The present monarch, King Mswati IIIascended the throne in 1986 at the age of
18, succeeding his father King Sobhuza II,
a much respected and loved man who was
also the world’s longest reigning monarch,
ruling from 1921 until 1982.
The monarchy has endured throughout
Swaziland’s history, often in adverse
situations. During the second half of the
nineteenth century foreign settlers acquired
valuable land for agricultural and
commercial use. King Sobhuza II was
instrumental in re-acquiring much of this
land for the people and today this is known
as Swazi Nation Land.
Swaziland became a protectorate in 1903,
when British colonial rule was established,
and retained this status until she became a
self-governing state in 1967 when Sobhuza
II, previously regarded as a paramount chief,
received international recognition as a king
and the country acquired her own flag. In
1968 independence was celebrated since
when, the monarchy has retained its secure
position.