Swaziland: A History

Map of Africa, showing the location of Swaziland (World Atlas - Swaziland; http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/africa/sz.htm)

Swaziland is a small nation in southern Africa, surrounded on three sides by South Africa, and on the fourth by Mozambique.[1]  The country is only slightly smaller than the state of New Jersey.  The climate ranges from tropical to temperate with most of the land being mountainous and hilly, with smaller parts giving way to plains and river valleys.[2]

Map showing Swaziland's diverse geography (World Atlas - Swaziland; http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/africa/sz.htm)

Malolotja National Park in Northwest Swaziland (http://www.traildino.com/trace/continents-Africa/countries-Swaziland)

In the early 17^th century a group from the Dlamini, under the rule of Ngwane III, migrated south along the Pongola River, to establish their own kingdom.  They originally settled along the southern most portion of the river, however the Zulu people were also settled in the area.  After several confrontations the Dlamini people moved northward over the Lubombo Mountains and finally settled.  During the reign of King Sobhuza I (1816-1836) and King Mswati II (1839-1865) the kingdom was expanded.[3]  Through peaceful absorption, in which case they were allowed to keep their local leaders and tradition, and at times forceful absorption,[4] the Nguni, Sotho, Tsonga became part of the new kingdom.  Under the rule of King Mswati II this combined people group became known as the Swazi.[5]  This expansion lead to a large growth in land holding, such that the kingdom under Mswati II was about twice as big as it is today, and stretched from the coastline of present day Mozambique as far inland as Zimbabwe.[6] 

Changes to Swaziland's Border compared to today (Swazi History; (http://www.sntc.org.sz/cultural/swazihistory1.html)

In the mid 1800’s the Swazi had their first encounter with outsiders as the Dutch Boers moved inland from South Africa and entered the Southern part of Swazi land.  The Boers sought out King Mswati and his council to try and gain land for settlement.  The king was willing to concede some farm and grazing land to the Boers.  There were two major concessions of land in 1846 and 1855, essentially giving the Boers control over most of Swazi territory.  However, there was controversy over whether the Swazi knew the extent of the land they had given away as it was outside the ability of the King at the time to have given away such vast amounts of land which included some of the royal family’s home.[7] 

King Sobhuza I, in 1839, heard from representatives at the Zulu court, that the son of a rival chieftain was being taught by missionaries at Mparani Mission station, near the Caledon River.  King Sobhuza then sent a delegation to ask the missionaries to come stay with him and teach his son, Mswati II.  Due to financial difficulties, the missionaries were unable to make the trip.  On his deathbed, Sobhuza instructed his son to follow his dream.  The dream, from before Sobhuza sent after the missionaries, was claimed to have been from the ancestral spirits showing strange men entering the land and that the people were to welcome them.[8]  After Mswati became king, he sent another delegation to the mission, and in1844 the Wesleyan Missionaries arrived.  The missionaries were welcomed by the people and were given a portion of land in the southern area of Swaziland where they could build a chapel and house.[9]

Mission Church, Oldest place of worship in Swaziland. (Mahamba Gorge, http://www.mahambagorgelodge.com/photo)

In 1894 the British and South African Republic, without inclusion of the Swazi people, made an agreement that made Swaziland a protectorate of the Boers.  The Boers then pushed inward on the Swazi land from the North and West.[10]  They also forced the Swazi into a cash economy to try and force workers into the gold mines, as well as other jobs under the Boers.[11]

In 1902, after the Boer Wars, during which the Swazi remained neutral, Britain gained control over Swaziland.[12]  Then in 1907, they took approximately 2/3 of the Swazi’s land to give to white settlers, leaving the Swazi with land that was unsuitable for agriculture or cattle raising.  King Sobhuza II tried to regain the land by going to court in Britain, but was unsuccessful.  He then created a Swazi trust in which taxes were used to buy back some of the land, which he then distributed back to the people.[13]

In 1968 Swaziland became and independent nation, however, the Swazi have only regained 2/3’s of their prior land holdings.  Today the Swazi are still trying to regain their prior land holdings; most of which is controlled by South Africa.  Today, more Swazi live outside of present day Swaziland than inside the borders.  The current king, Mswati III, is trying to regain some of this land, which if accomplished would reconnect Swaziland with the Indian Ocean as well as extending further East into South Africa.[14]

Swaziland view from the hills overlooking a river valley (http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/swaziland-guide)

Today Swaziland relies on natural resources for its economy, such as asbestos, coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, forests, some gold and diamond, quarry stone, talc.  While mining is only a small part of Swaziland’s economy today, Swaziland is home to the oldest know mine site in the world, the Lion Cavern, located at the Ngwenya Iron Mine northwest of Mbabane.  It is shown that the mine was used to collect hematite, specularite ochres for cosmetic and ritual centuries before the Swazi people arrived.[15]

Ngwenya Mine and Lion cavern, the oldest know mine in the world. (http://www.thekingdomofswaziland.com/pages/attractions/the_attraction.asp?AttractionsID=10)

Swaziland has several issues other than border disputes that the people have to deal with on a daily basis.  There are limited potable water supplies for most people, and wildlife populations are being depleted by excessive hunting.[16]  Swaziland also has the highest adult prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the world.[17]

CHIPS (Children's HIV Intervention Program in Swaziland) Mobile Clinic Founded by Missionaries (Rehmeyers_In_Swaziland http://rehmeyers.blogspot.com) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjoNUawt9Po

(if it still isn't working the link will take you to the video) 

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[1] World Atlas, “Swaziland”; http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/africa/sz.htm.

[2] CIA; World Fact Book, “Swaziland”; https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/wz.html.

[3] Swaziland: Origin and rise of the Swazi Kingdom (c1750 - 1868 CE); (http://www.content.eisa.org.za/old-page/swaziland-origin-and-rise-swazi-kingdom-c1750-1868-ce); Pr. 1

[4]Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience;  (http://books.google.com/books?id=TMZMAgAAQBAJ&pg=RA4-PA111&lpg=RA4-PA111&dq=boers+and+swazi&source=bl&ots=ghS-HbvPOo&sig=e1n_MspoclqdUCvHXQLGfGi3VpM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=EgeCVLuRFcmfyAT2oILYBA&ved=0CEcQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=boers%20and%20swazi&f=false); pg. 111

[5] Macmillan, Hugh; The Creation of Tribalism in Southern Africa; 1989; Ch. 10, A Nation Divided? The Swazi in Swaziland and the Transvaal, 1865–1986; (http://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft158004rs&chunk.id=d0e7328); pg. 290

[6] Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience; pg. 111

[7] The Kingdoms of Swaziland: Studies in Political History, (http://books.google.com/books?id=u3p9vATL1NkC&pg=PA30&lpg=PA30&dq=swaziland%27s+first+contact+with+europe&source=bl&ots=9JHMfzjEmW&sig=bsMZBbsKtUodBpCqkfw26qkMmtU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Y_VvVJCLD4mrgwTAlIPYDA&ved=0CCkQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=swaziland's%20first%20contact%20with%20europe&f=false), (pg. 30-31)

[8] Nyawo, Sonene; The Early Encounter Between the Swazi and the Western Missionaries; (http://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10413/4443/Nyawo_Sonene_2004.pdf?sequence=1); pg. 81-82

[9] Ibid; pg. 83

[10] Swaziland: Boer incursion and British meddling (1868-1907); (http://www.content.eisa.org.za/old-page/swaziland-boer-incursion-and-british-meddling-1868-1907); pr. 2

[11] Ibid, pr. 5-6

[12] Rose, Laurel; Swazi; Encyclopedia of World Cultures; 1996; (http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Swazi.aspx); (History and Cultural Relations)

[13] Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience; pg. 112

[14] Hall, James; Politics-South Africa: Swaziland Seeks Border Adjustment; Inter Press Service; (http://www.ipsnews.net/2005/01/politics-south-africa-swaziland-seeks-border-adjustment/) 

[15] Swaziland; Worldmark Encyclopedia of Nations; 2007; (http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Swaziland.aspx); sec. Mining

[16] Swaziland; Worldmark Encyclopedia of Nations; sec. Environment

[17] CIA; World Fact Book; Country Comparison :: Hiv/Aids - Adult Prevalence Rate (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2155rank.html) (table)