Background Notes: Swaziland
PA/PC
Source: Office of Public Communication, Bureau of Public
Affairs
Date: May 15, 19905/15/90
Category: Country Data
Region: Subsaharan Africa
Country: Swaziland
Subject: Travel, History, International Organizations,
Trade/Economics
[TEXT]
May 1990
Official Name: Kingdom of Swaziland
PROFILE
People
Nationality: Noun and Adjective-Swazi(s). Population (1988 Est.):
750,000 (47% under age 16). Annual Growth Rate: (1986) 3.3%.
Ethnic Groups: The great majority is Swazi, with some Zulu and
non-African inhabitants. Religions: Christian and indigenous
beliefs. Languages: English, SiSwati (both official). Education:
Years compulsory-none. Attendance-82% in primary school. Some
secondary schooling-48%. Literacy-64%. Health: Infant mortality
rate-+0.115/1,000. Life expectancy-56 years. Work force-(12% of
population): Agriculture and forestry-30%; Financial and social
services-26%; Mining and manufacturing-18%; Transportation and
communications-7.8%; Construction-6.8%.
Geography
Area: 17,363 sq. km. (6,704 sq. mi.); slightly smaller than New
Jersey. Cities: Capital-Mbabane (pop. 44,000, est.). Other city-
Manzini, with industrial area (53,00 est.). Terrain: Mountainous and
plateau. Climate: Varies from near-temperate to subtropical and
semi-arid.
Government
Type: Monarchy. Independence: September 6, 1968. Constitution:
No written constitution in effect. Branches: Executive-monarch
(chief of state), prime minister (head of government), cabinet.
Legislative-parliament consisting of house of assembly (50
members) and senate (20 members). Judicial-court of appeals, high
court, subordinate and traditional courts. Administrative
subdivisions: Four regions, two municipal governments, and 40
Tinkhundla (traditional subregions). Political Parties: None; not
permitted by law. Suffrage: Universal. Central Government Budget
(1989-90): Revenue-$201 million (E527 million), Expenditure-$181
million (E475 million). Defense (1988): 1.4% of GDP. Flag: Five
horizontal stripes-blue, yellow, crimson, yellow, blue, with shield,
two spears, and staff centered on wide crimson band.
Economy
GDP (1988 est.): $583 million. Real Annual Growth Rate (1982-88):
3.4%. Per Capita Income (1986): $804. Avg. Inflation Rate (1989):
13.3%. Natural Resources: Asbestos, coal, clay, gold, diamonds,
timber, hydroelectric power. Agriculture (24% of GDP): Products-
sugar cane, corn, citrus fruit, livestock, wood, pineapple, cotton,
tobacco. Cultivated land-16% (crops plus commercial forests).
Manufacturing (26% of GNP): Types- sugar refining, light
manufactured goods, wood pulp, textiles, ginned cotton, processed
foods, beverages, consumer goods. Trade (1988, est.): Exports-$436
million: sugar, wood products, manufactures, canned fruit,
asbestos, citrus, meat and meat products. Major markets-South
Africa, other African countries, European Community, United States.
Imports (1988) -$424 million: motor vehicles, heavy machinery,
fuel and lubricants, foodstuffs, clothing. Major suppliers-South
Africa, United Kingdom, Japan, Australia. Official Exchange Rate: 1
lilangeni (pl. emalangeni) = 1 South African rand; 2.65 emalangeni =
$1. Fiscal Year: April 1-March 31.
Membership in International Organizations
UN and most of its specialized agencies, Organization of
African Unity (OAU), Commonwealth of Nations, International Sugar
Association, South African Customs Union, Common Monetary Area,
Preferential Trade Area, Southern African Development
Coordination Conference, Nonaligned Movement.
GEOGRAPHY
Swaziland is bordered on three sides by the Republic of South
Africa (the provinces of the Transvaal and Natal). It also shares a
112-kilometer (70-mile) border with Mozambique.
Swaziland is divided geographically into four well-defined
regions running from north to south.
The mountainous highveld in the west has a humid, near-
temperate climate with 100-230 centimeters (40-90 in.) mean
annual rainfall.
The middleveld and the Lubombo plateau (the central and
extreme eastern sections, respectively) are subtropical and
somewhat drier with 65-120 centimeters (25-47 in.) mean annual
rainfall.
The lowveld, a broad area running north to south, is subtropical
and drier still with 50-90 centimeters (20-35 in.) mean annual
rainfall concentrated mainly in a few heavy storms.
Mean annual temperatures vary between 10.8oC (51oF) in the
highveld and 29.7C (85F) in the lowveld.
PEOPLE AND HISTORY
Most Swazis are subsistence farmers. About 17,000 are
employed outside the country in South African gold and platinum
mines. The whites consist of English, Afrikaans, and Portuguese
groups and are engaged mainly in agriculture, commerce,
construction and mining. Most white Swazis are managers or
skilled laborers.
Christianity in Swaziland is sometimes mixed with traditional
beliefs and practices. Most Swazis ascribe a special spiritual role
to the monarch.
The country's official languages are SiSwati (a Nguni language
related to Zulu) and English. Government and commercial business
is conducted mainly in English.
According to tradition, the people of the present Swazi nation
migrated south before the 16th century to what is now Mozambique.
After a series of conflicts with people living in the area of modern
Maputo, the Swazis settled in northern Zululand in about 1750.
Unable to match the growing Zulu strength there, the Swazis
moved gradually northward in the early 1800s and established
themselves in the area of modern Swaziland. They consolidated
their hold in this area under several able leaders. The most
important of these was Mswati, from whom the Swazis derive their
name. Under his leadership in the 1840s, the Swazis expanded their
territory to the northwest and stabilized the southern frontier with
the Zulus.
The first Swazi contact with the British came early in
Mswati's reign when he asked the British agent general in South
Africa for assistance against Zulu raids into Swaziland. During
Mswati's reign, the first whites settled in the country.
In the years following Mswati's death, the Swazis struggled to
guarantee their independence. Agreements between the British and
the Transvaal (South Africa) governments in 1881 and 1884
provided that Swaziland should be independent. During this period,
however, many concessions for farming, mining, and commerce were
granted to whites by the Swazi ruler, Mbandzeni. A number of
confusing claims stemming from these concessions were pressed
on the Swazi government. To bring order to the chaotic situation, a
provisional administration for the territory was established in
1890 representing Swazi, British, and South African (Transvaal)
government interests.
In 1894, under a convention between the British and the South
African governments, the latter assumed the powers of protection
and administration. Swaziland continued under this form of
government until the conquest of the Transvaal during the Boer War,
when the rights and powers assumed by the South African Republic
in the country passed to the British. In 1903, Britain formally took
over the administration of Swaziland.
In 1907, the British made an effort to settle the land
concession question by defining farm concession boundaries and
returning about one-third of all contested land to the Swazis in
return for freehold titles granted to the concessionaires. The
boundaries of mineral concessions were also defined, and all
monopoly concessions were canceled.
In 1921, Swaziland's first legislative body, an advisory council
of elected white representatives, was established. Its purpose was
to advise the high commissioner on purely non-Swazi affairs. In
1944, the high commissioner recognized the council as having
official status. At the same time, the high commissioner
recognized the paramount chief as the native authority for the
territory, empowering him to issue legally enforceable orders to
the Swazis.
After 20 years of rule by a regent, the Queen Mother
Labotsibeni, Sobhuza II became Ngwenyama (the lion) or head of the
Swazi Nation in 1921. Before coming to the throne, the king studied
for several years at Lovedale in South Africa and received special
education by royal tutors. Shortly after becoming Ngwenyama, he
traveled to London with his advisors to argue unsuccessfully the
Swazi side of the land concession question before the privy council.
In the early years of colonial rule, the British expected that
Swaziland would eventually be incorporated into South Africa.
After World War II, however, South Africa's intensification of
apartheid prompted the United Kingdom to prepare Swaziland for
independence. Educational and medical development and investment
in agricultural projects were increased markedly.
Political activity intensified in the early 1960s. Partly in
response to events elsewhere in Africa, several political parties
were formed that agitated for independence and economic
development. These parties were largely urban-based, however, and
had few ties to the rural areas where 80% of the Swazis live. The
traditional Swazi leaders, including King Sobhuza and his council,
formed the Imbokodvo National Movement, a political group that
capitalized on its identification with the traditional Swazi way of
life.
Responding to pressures for political reform, the colonial
government scheduled an election in mid-1964 for the first
legislative council in which the Swazis would participate. In the
election, the Imbokodvo won all 24 elective seats. Four other
parties, most of them having more radical platforms, also competed
in the election. The largest of these, the Ngwane National
Liberatory Congress (NNLC), received 9% of the vote but won no
seats. Having solidified its political base, the Imbokodvo
incorporated many demands of the more radical parties, especially
that of immediate independence. In 1966, the British agreed to hold
talks on a new constitution. Some conservative whites living in the
territory made an unsuccessful attempt to establish the principle
of separate elections for white-reserved seats in the new national
assembly. The constitutional committee, consisting of
representatives of the king and of the Swazi National Council, other
political parties, and the British Government, rejected this
suggestion. The committee agreed on a constitutional monarchy for
Swaziland, with self-government to follow parliamentary elections
in 1967. Although the NNLC received 20% of the vote in the April
elections, the party was weakened before then by extensive
defections of its younger and more dynamic leaders to the
Imbokodvo movement. Swaziland became independent on September
6, 1968.
Swaziland's first post-independence elections were held in
May 1972. The Imbokodvo gained about 75% of the vote. The NNLC
received slightly more than 20% of the vote, winning three seats in
Parliament.
On April 12, 1973, King Sobhuza repealed the 1968
constitution, suspended meetings of parliament, and assumed all
governmental powers. He dissolved and prohibited all political
parties. These steps were justified as removing alien and divisive
political practices incompatible with the Swazi way of life. In
January 1979, a new parliament was convened, chosen partly
through indirect elections and partly through direct appointment by
the king.
King Sobhuza II died in August 1982, and Queen Regent Dzeliwe
assumed the duties of head of state. In 1983, an internal dispute
resulted in the replacement of the prime minister and the eventual
replacement of Queen Regent Dzeliwe by Queen Regent Ntombi.
During the same period, Ntombi's son, Prince Makhosetive, was
named heir to the Swazi throne. Parliamentary elections under the
indirect system were held again in October 1983, but real power
was concentrated in the Liqoqo, a traditional advisory body that
claimed to give binding advice to the queen regent. In October 1985,
the queen regent reasserted her power by dismissing the chief of
police and the leading figures of the Liqoqo. Prince Makhosetive
returned early from school in England to ascend the throne and put
an end to the continuing internal disputes.
The crown prince was enthroned as Mswati III in April 1986.
Shortly afterward, he abolished the Liqoqo. In November 1987, a
new parliament was elected and a new cabinet appointed. The
current prime minister, who replaced the prime minister selected
at the time of the king's coronation, was appointed in July 1989.
In 1988, the king pardoned 12 senior figures convicted in 1987
of treason stemming from the overthrow of Queen Regent Dzeliwe.
Only one, a senior prince, remains in prison, having been convicted
on an additional charge of framing political opponents.
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS
Under Swazi law and custom, the king holds supreme
executive, legislative, and judicial power. In general practice, the
monarch's power is delegated through a statutory and traditional
governmental structure. The parliament consists of a 50-member
house of assembly (40 chosen through indirect election and 10
appointed by the king) and a 20-member senate (10 elected by the
house of assembly and 10 appointed by the king). Legislation passed
by the parliament must receive royal assent. A prime minister
(head of government) and a cabinet exercise executive authority.
The king appoints these from among the members of parliament.
The judiciary consists of a court of appeals, a high court, and
various subordinate and traditional courts.
For local administration, Swaziland is divided into four
regions, the administrators of which are appointed by the central
government. Manzini and Mbabane have municipal governments.
Parallel to this statutory government structure is a traditional
system consisting of the king and his traditional advisors,
traditional courts, and 40 Tinkhundla (subregional districts in
which the traditional chiefs are grouped).
Principal Government Officials
Head of State-King Mswati III
Prime Minister- Obed M. Dlamini
Ministers Agriculture and Cooperative-H. Sipho Mamba
Commerce, Industry, and Tourism-Douglas Nkomeni Ntiwane
Education-Chief Sipho Shongwe Finance- Barnabas Dlamini
Foreign Affairs-George Mamba Health-Fannie Friedman
Interior and Immigration-Senzenjani Tshabalala
Justice-Reginald Dhladhla
Labor and Public Service- Benjamin Nsibandze
Natural Resources, Land Utilization and Energy-Prince Nqaba
Dlamini
Works and Communications-Wilson Mkhonta
Swaziland maintains an embassy in the United States at 3400
International Drive, NW, Suite 3M, Washington, DC, 20008 (202-
362-6683).
Swaziland's Mission to the United Nations is at 866 UN Plaza,
New York, NY, 10017 (212-371-8910).
ECONOMY
Swaziland ranks among the more prosperous countries in
Africa. Most of the high-level economic activity is in the hands of
non-Africans, but ethnic Swazis are becoming more active small
entrepreneurs and are moving into mid-management positions.
Although 80% of Swazis live in rural areas or on farms, almost
every homestead has someone employed for wage income who
provides financial support. In recent years, new entrants into the
labor pool have exceeded the number of new jobs created.
About 56% of the land is held by the crown trust for the Swazi
nation. The remaining 44% is privately owned, much of it by non-
residents. Questions of land use and ownership remain sensitive.
Cattle are the main evidence of Swazi wealth. Although always
valued for their own sake, cattle are being used increasingly for
milk, meat, and profit. Beef, hides, and skin are important export
items. Dairy farming is increasingly important.
In connection with the development of an iron ore mine at
Ngwenya, which has since ceased operation, the Swaziland railway
was constructed from east to west across the country. The railway
made it possible to export bulk goods from Swaziland through the
port of Maputo, Mozambique. Until recently, most of Swaziland's
exports were shipped through this port. Conflict in Mozambique
over the last few years has diverted many Swazi exports to ports in
South Africa. A northern rail link was completed in 1986, providing
a connection between the eastern Transvaal rail network and the
South African ports of Richard's Bay and Durban.
The sugar industry, based solely on irrigated cane, is centered
on three mills and is Swaziland's leading export earner. Soft-drink
concentrate (a US investment) is the kingdom's second largest
export earner, followed by wood pulp and lumber from cultivated
pine forests. Pineapple, citrus fruit, and cotton are other important
agricultural exports.
Coal deposits in the east have been developed and are
increasingly exploited. Diamonds, industrial and gem, are growing
in importance. Asbestos, formerly a leading mineral export, now
constitutes less than 5% of total exports.
In recent years, many small industries have been established,
some of them in the two new industrial estates at Matsapha, near
Manzini and at Nhlangano, in the south. In addition to processed
agricultural and forestry products, the fast growing industrial
sector also manufactures machinery and transport equipment, iron-
pipe fittings, structural-steel parts, plastic containers, cardboard
packaging, furniture, beer, liquor, soft drinks and soft-drink
concentrates, candles, paint, resins, fertilizers, insecticides and
other chemicals, and knitted and woven clothing. The Swaziland
Industrial Development Corporation (SIDC) has assisted in bringing
many of these industries to the country. The government also
encourages industries and businesses. The Small Enterprises
Development Company and SIDC aid in the creation of small Swazi
firms.
Tourism also is important. The country's beautiful scenery and
well-developed tourist facilities attract more than 250,000
visitors annually.
During the early and mid-1970s, Swaziland consistently
experienced trade balance surpluses. In the early 1980s, dramatic
declines in market prices for sugar and wood pulp led to
increasingly large deficits. Recovery in those sectors as well as
rapidly growing foreign investment in the manufacturing center
have boosted growth rates dramatically in the last two years.
Since mid-1985, the depressed value of the lilangeni has increased
the competitiveness of Swazi exports and moderated the growth of
imports, generating trade surpluses.
The United States is not a major market for Swazi exports,
lagging far behind the European Community and South Africa, the
kingdom's most important customers. The United States is a
significant market for Swazi sugar, however, and purchased 30,000
metric tons in 1989.
Swaziland, Lesotho, Botswana, and South Africa form a custom
union in which import duties apply uniformly to the member
countries. Swaziland, Lesotho, and South Africa are joined in a
common monetary area (CMA). A formal agreement governing
currency controls and monetary affairs among the three countries
was signed by member countries in December 1974 and renegotiated
and extended in 1986. The CMA allows free transfer and
unrestricted use of money with the CMA and provides for uniform
foreign exchange controls in connection with non-members.
Swaziland issued its own currency, the lilangeni (emalan-geni in
the plural), in September 1974. Although not tied to the Rand, the
lilangeni at present trades at par with it. Monetary transfers
within the common monetary area do not require government
approval. Transfers outside the CMA do require central bank
approval, which is generally granted.
FOREIGN RELATIONS
Swaziland is a member of the United Nations and the
Organization of African Unity. More than 40 countries have
accredited ambassadors to the kingdom, although only a few have
resident representatives. Swaziland maintains diplomatic missions
in Brussels (European Community), London, Maputo, Nairobi, New
York (UN), and Washington, D.C.
Because of its location, Swaziland has close economic ties
with South Africa. Abouty 15% of the Swazis with paid employment
work in South African mines, industries, and farms, and roughly 90%
of Swaziland's imports either originate in or transit through South
Africa. The governments cooperate as appropriate. Although
diplomatic representatives have not been exchanged, a South
African trade commissioner lives in Mbabane.
DEFENSE
National defense is the responsibility of the Umbutfo
Swaziland Defense Force, consisting of about 3,000 troops and
commanded by Brig. Gen. Fonono Dube. A small British military team
assists the defense force in military training. Several officers
each year are also trained in the United States under the
International Military Education Training Program.
US-SWAZI RELATIONS
The United States seeks to maintain and strengthen the good
bilateral relations that have existed since Swaziland became
independent in 1968. The United States respects Swaziland's non-
racial policy and encourages its continued economic and political
development.
The United States has assisted in developing Swazi
agriculture, in expanding the rural health and rural water systems,
in developing a more job-relevant primary school curriculum, and in
developing the private sector. Swaziland sends about 20 students
to the United States each year, primarily for master's and doctorate
degrees. Some 80 Peace Corps volunteers work in Swaziland in a
wide range of activities.
Principal US Officials
Ambassador-Vacant
Charge d' Affaires, a.i.- Arma Jane Karaer
Director, AID Mission-Roger Carlson
Public Affairs Officer (USIS)-Helen Picard
Director, Peace Corps-John Stabler
The US Embassy in Swaziland is in the Central Bank Building,
Warner Street, P.O. Box 199, Mbabane.
TRAVEL NOTES
Customs: American citizens do not need visas to enter
Swaziland.
Climate: Swaziland's climate is moderate, similar to that of
the middle Atlantic states but with the seasons reversed.
Health: Adequate medical care is available in Swaziland for
routine illnesses. Serious illnesses and accidents must be treated
in South Africa or elsewhere. Tap water should be boiled or
filtered. The climate is basically healthful.
Telecommunications: International and local telephone and
telegraph services are available. Mbabane is seven time zones
ahead of eastern standard time.
Transportation: Regular air service to and from Matsapa
airport, near Mbabane and Manzini, links Swaziland with major
international routes. Taxis and rental cars are available at the
airport and in Mbabane.
National Holidays: Businesses and the US Embassy may be
closed on the following Swazi holidays:
Good Friday: Varies
Easter Monday: Varies
King's Birthday: April 19
National Flag Day: April 25
Ascension Day: May 12
Public Holiday: July 22
Reed Dance: Varies-August or September
Independence Day: September 6
Christmas Day: December 25
Boxing Day: December 26
Incwala: Varies- December or January
FURTHER INFORMATION
These titles are provided as a general indication of the
material published on this country. The Department of State does
not endorse unofficial publications.
Bonner, Philip. Kings, Commoners and Concessionaires.
Johannesburg: Ravan Press, 1983.
Booth, Alan R. Swaziland: Tradition and Change in a Southern
African Kingdom. Boulder: Westview Press, 1983.
Grotpeter, John J. Historical Dictionary of Swaziland.
Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1975.
Jones, David. Aid and Development in Southern Africa: British
Aid to Botswana, Lesotho, and Swaziland. London: Croom Helm,
1977.
Kuper, Hilda. Sobhuza II, Ngwenyama and King of Swaziland:
The Story of an Hereditary Ruler and His Country. London:
Duckworth, 1978.
Kuper, Hilda. An African Aristocracy: Rank Among the Swazi.
Reprinted with new preface. London: Oxford University Press, 1961
(C. 1947). Matsebula, J.A. History of Swaziland. Cape Town:
Longman 1988. Matsebula, J.A. The Eye of the King. Cape Town:
Maskew Miller, 1983.
Potholm, Christian P. Swaziland: The Dynamics of Political
Modernization. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1982.
Selwyn, Percy. Industries in the Southern African Perifery: A
Study of Industrial Development in Botswana, Lesotho, and
Swaziland. London: Croom Helm, 1975. The Sixth National
Development Plan (1990/91-1992/93). Swaziland: Government
Printing Office, 1990.
For information on economic trends, commercial development,
production, trade regulations, and tariff rates, contact the
International Trade Administration, US Department of Commerce,
Washington, DC. 20230 or any Commerce Department District
Office.
Published by the United States Department of State -- Bureau of
Public Affairs -- Office of Public Communication -- Washington,
DC -- May 1990 -- Editor: Jim Pinkelman
Department of State Publication 8174 Background Notes Series --
This material is in the public domain and may be reprinted without
permission; citation of this source is appreciated. For sale by the
Superintendent of Documents, US Government Printing Office,
Washington, DC 20402. (###)