History
Swaziland attained her Sovereign National Independence from the United Kingdom on the 6th September 1968. This historic day was held at the Somhlolo National Stadium at Lobamba, the spiritual home of the Swazis. Historians have asserted that the land, which is now the modern Kingdom of Swaziland, has been inhabited since the Stone Age. There are also relics of nomadic bushmen, of Sotho and the Ntungwa - Nguni clans.
Centuries ago, a great migration from the Central Africa occurred. A sub - group known as the Nguni, which today includes the Zulu and Xhosa, branched off from the main stream of this movement to follow the East Coast. The first steps towards the
creation of the Swazi Nation were taken around 1750 when Ngwane III led his people
inland to settle in, what is now, Southern Swaziland.
His successor, Sobhuza I or Somhlolo was troubled with raids by the Zulu's to the South and re-established his capital near present-day Lobamba, which has remained the heartland of the Nation. Mswati III succeeded Sobhuza I and inherited the Kingdom twice the size. During the 1840's white adventures - hunters, traders, cattlemen, missionaries, began to arrive in the area. The Swazi’s received them peacefully but during the rein of Mbandzeni, it became clear that many of them were simply fortune hunters, greedy for land and trading concessions. Then, in late 1800's both Boers of the old South African Republic and the British sought administrative domination over the Kingdom. This was a confused period where little was done to resolve the problem of the fortune hunters and the present Northern, Western and Southern borders of the country were defined without reference to the Swazi's.
It was in 1899, when Sobhuza II was born, after the death of his father Bhunu, his grandmother, Labotsibeni or Gwamile assumed the Regency until the King became of age.
After independence, it was recognized that the Constitution, created with western thinking by the British, did not suit the traditional needs of Swazis. King Sobhuza II ruled Swaziland from 1921, when he ascended the throne, until his death in 1982. His long rule is remembered for the wisdom of his insistence on the maintenance of traditional tribal values at a time of modern development. Thus, at his death, he was the longest reigning monarch in the world.
The Queen Mothers (iNdlovokazi) Dzeliwe and Ntombi became regents until April 1986, when the Crown Prince, Makhosetive was crowned as King Mswati III.The Swazi Monarchy has maintained an unbroken record of Royal lineage for centuries, thus continue being an important National symbol of unity of the Swazi Society.
Furthermore, the Swazi Monarch is a dual monarchy whereby the King (Ingwenyama) rules in conjunction with the Queen Mother (Indlovokazi). Above all, the King is endowed with sacred and mystical attributes and thus regarded by Swazi Custom as the mouthpiece of his people - which is philosophically summed up in saying the monarch is "UMLOMO LONGACALI MANGA", meaning, the mouth that tells no lies.
