Independence is Normal: Eswatini continues to fight for democracy

ESWATINI, the nation formerly known as Swaziland, first gained its full independence from the United Kingdom on this day in 1968.

The landlocked country bordering South Africa and Mozambique remains one of the last absolute monarchies in the world with King Mswati III ruling by decree over a population of a little under 1.2 million people.

Given the vastly different geopolitical landscape, it is somewhat difficult do draw comparisons between the African country and Scotland.

That being said, the overarching questions surrounding a constitution and the monarchy among a variety of other issues still had to be answered.

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Here, we chart the country’s journey to independence, how it dealt with the initial post-UK period and what it looks like now.

How did Eswatini gain independence?

In 1894, Eswatini (then known as Swaziland) became a protectorate of the Transvaal Colony which had come under British control following the Second Anglo Boer War.

This arrangement remained in place until 1906, when the kingdom became a High Commission Territory under the rulership of a British commissioner.

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As opposition grew to British rule, so too did the desire for independence. This was something of a gradual process with a constitution providing for limited self-government created in 1963.

On September 6 1968, Swaziland was granted complete independence although still retains some connections to the UK.

King Sobhuza signs independence on September 6 1968 (Image: Getty Images)

For example, the country competed in the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

What happened in the aftermath of independence?

A brief period of democracy followed and the constitution remained similar to what had been in place under British rule.

However, in 1972, King Sobhuza II ripped this up and restored a system of government in which all effective power remains in the royal capital.

His death in 1982 eventually led to teenage heir Prince Makhosetive being installed as King Mswati III.

How is the country run now?

Demonstrations and strikers were held throughout the entirety of the 1990s and 2000s in protest over the pace of progress towards democratic change, with the country also plagued by famine and drought.

The current phase of the struggle for democracy dates back to May 2021, when the death of law student Thabani Nkomonye, allegedly at the hands of the police, triggered a series of pro-democracy protests.

This has become defined by increasingly escalating violence as protesters called for a change to the fact that there is no legal avenue to register a political party.

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According to Amnesty International, more than 70 people were killed by state security forces during protests in 2021 with 150 hospitalised.

The King appoints the majority (20 out of 30) members of the Senate and 10 out of the 69 seats in the House of Assembly.

According to the BTI Transformation index – an organisation which charts processes towards democracy worldwide – Mswati acts as though the kingdom is his “personal fiefdom”.

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The report states that “the obscene lifestyle of the royal family stands in contrast to the living conditions of the majority of people across the country” and that there is little opportunity for people to express grievances.

So, is there any form of constitution?

In a bid to appease his critics, Mswati released a new draft constitution for public comment in 2003, although many criticised it for falling short of democratic reform, as it banned opposition political parties.

The BTI points out that this constitution has little impact though and is even somewhat “contradictory” as the King is ultimately the “absolute authority”.

 “The constitution protects civil rights de jure, but in reality, many people lack comprehensive knowledge of their rights and are therefore easily abused”, the BTI has said.

These thoughts were echoed by writers Fundile Maphanga and Christopher Vandome, who point out that whenever any call for democratic change is made, the reaction from the King is always effectively to shut this down.

What about the future?

According to academic David Towriss, the prospect of any further development of democracy is ultimately dependent on whether or not the monarch engage in “good-faith and inclusive dialogue”.

In November 2021, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has sought to initiate talks with Mswati agreeing to a “national dialogue”.

However, Towriss added: “He (Mswati) appears to have deliberately stalled the process, which to date has gone nowhere.”

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Why did the country’s name change?

The change from Swaziland to Eswatini was announced during the 50th anniversary of independence.

King Mswati said the name had caused some confusion, explaining: “Whenever we go abroad, people refer to us as Switzerland.”

Can Scotland learn anything from this?

As the BTI points out, it’s hard for many countries to draw comparisons with Eswatini given the unique nature of the political landscape.

Ultimately however, what it does point to is the fact that every country, no matter its position, has questions to answer on crucial issues such as the monarchy and the constitution.

First Minister Humza Yousaf (above) has already unveiled a white paper on what a constitution in Scotland might look like.

As for the monarchy, Westminster leader Stephen Flynn has previously said these decisions should be made by the people of Scotland.

As for the people of Eswatini, their very fight to have their voices heard on these issues looks set to continue for some time.