Swaziland
Country in southeast Africa, bounded east by Mozambique and southeast, south, west, and north by South Africa.
Government
Swaziland is a monarchy within the Commonwealth. Under the 1978 constitution, amended in 1992, the monarch is head of both state and government, and chooses the prime minister and cabinet. There is a two-chamber legislature, the Libandla, consisting of a 65-member house of assembly (55 popularly elected and 10 appointed by the monarch) and a 30-member senate (20 appointed by the sovereign and 10 elected by the assembly). Candidates for the 55 elected assembly seats are nominated, at regional level, by traditional local councils (Tinkhundla). The powers of the Libandla are more advisory than legislative. The king must approve legislation passed by the legislature before it becomes law. There are no political parties.History
For early history, see South Africa. The Swazi peoples, who had been settled in Mozambique in the 16th century, and in northern Zululand in the mid 18th century, settled in modern Swaziland in the early 19th century, and a Swazi kingdom was established by King Sobhuza I. Under the leadership of King Mswati II, the Swazis expanded the territory under their control in the 1840s. During his reign, white settlement began. The region's original autonomy was guaranteed by Britain and the Transvaal, providing assistance against Zulu raids. After the Second Boer War 1899–1902, Swaziland became a British protectorate, or special High Commission territory, in 1903. The South African government repeatedly asked for Swaziland to be placed under its jurisdiction, but, after South Africa intensified its policy of racial discrimination (apartheid) after World War II, this call was resisted by the British government as well as the people of Swaziland.Independence
The first elections to a legislative council were held in 1964 and all seats were won by the Imbokodvo National Movement (INM), which supported King Sobhuza II. In 1967 the country achieved internal self-government and in September 1968 full independence within the Commonwealth, with Sobhuza II as head of state. The INM won 75% of the vote in the post-independence parliamentary elections, held in 1972, while the Ngwane National Liberatory Congress (NNLC) won 20%. Concerned at the growing support for the NNLC, in May 1973 the king suspended the 1968 constitution, banned trade unions and political parties, and assumed absolute powers. In 1978 a new constitution was promulgated, creating a new parliament chosen partly by indirect elections and partly through appointment by the king.Power struggles over accession
King Sobhuza died in August 1982, and the role of head of state passed to the queen regent, Dzeliwe, until the king's heir, Prince Makhosetive, should reach the age of 21 in 1989, but a power struggle developed within the royal family. Queen Dzeliwe was ousted by another of King Sobhuza's wives, Ntombi, who became queen regent in October 1983. In 1984 it was announced that the crown prince would succeed to the throne in 1986, three years before attaining his majority. The crown prince was formally invested as King Mswati III in April 1986. By June 1987 a power struggle had developed between the sovereign's supreme advisory body, the Liqoqo, and Queen Ntombi over the accession of her son. King Mswati abolished the Liqoqo and dissolved parliament, and a new government was elected in the same year, with Sotsha Dlamini as prime minister.Calls for democracy
From 1988 there were demands, led by the underground People's United Democratic Movement, for democratic reform and greater freedom, and complaints of government hostility towards trade unions. In response, King Mswati called for the creation of an indaba (popular parliament) in August 1990, in which people's views could be expressed. There was agitation for further democratic reforms in 1991. In October 1992 King Mswati approved a number of constitutional amendments and agreed to proposals for a revised electoral system, expanding the assembly and widening its electoral base. Later in the same month he dissolved parliament and returned to rule by decree. A general election was held (September–October 1993) and Andreas Fukudzi appointed interim prime minister. He was later replaced by Prince Jameson Mbilini Dlamini.In 1994 King Mswati appointed a 15-member commission to draft a new constitution. Dlamini was dismissed by King Mswati in May 1996, and replaced by Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini. At the same time, it became clear that the king had no plans to lift the ban on political activity imposed in 1973. In October 2000, he came under increasing pressure once more. When the leader of the opposition party Mario Masuku called for an end to the 27-year-old state of emergency, he was arrested for allegedly making seditious comments. The following month, trade unionists blockaded Swaziland's borders in a two-day general strike for political reform.
In 2001, King Mswati appointed a committee to draft a new constitution. A first draft was released for comment in 2003. It was criticized for failing to protect civil and human rights, including the rights of women. There was a general strike in January 2005 by labour organizations in protest against the lack of political and labour rights.
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