#23. The Kingdom of Eswatini

Would you like a taste of the most unique double-edged leadership? The most longest serving and also the youngest to start leadership champions, and incomparable historical endowments in one nation!

I am sure I am not the only person who has always confused Swaziland and Switzerland while studying in school. Formerly named Swaziland, it was renamed "Eswatini" in 2018 which means means "land of the?Swazis" in the Swazi language and was?partially intended to prevent confusion with the similarly named Switzerland. By renaming the country,?the king also hoped to eliminate a relic of the colonial era

The Kingdom of Eswatini is one of the few remaining absolute mornarchies in the world and the last one in Africa. This form of government gives the head of state supreme authority that supersedes all written laws, legislature or customs. By tradition, the king reigns along with his mother who is known as the Indlovukazi (She-elephant) while the King is reffered to as Ingwenyama (Lion). This is critical in the records of female leadership.

It is a land-locked country to the east of South Africa. It is almost entirely surrounded by the larger country, but also shares a border with Mozambique. Hosting the world’s second largest monolith (single piece of rock), Sibebe Rock which is located on the outskirts of Mbabane, the country is a beautiful place to be. It lags a little behind Australia’s?Uluru. Moreover, Ngwenya Mine which is found north of the Kingdom considered to be the world’s oldest mine with iron ore deposits that constitute to one of the oldest geological formations in the world. All that remains today of the ancient mine is a modest hole in the hillside, known as the Lion Cavern.?

The country's leadership is one of a kind and that I so much admire at a personal level. It is home for the world's longest reigning monach in world history: King Sobhuza II, the present King’s father, reigned from 1899 to 1982 and spent 82 years and 253 days on the throne. In addition, Eswatini is also famous for having the world’s youngest crowned monarch at the time of his coronation. King Mswati III, current reigning monarch, ascended to the throne at just 18. This is so unique.

The Kingdom of Eswati is a double-capital country: Mbabane is the administrative capital while Lobamba is the traditional capital. Hlane Royal National Park is a nesting paradise and it holds Africa’s largest population of nesting vultures. Southern Africa not only holds some of the world’s oldest fossils, including those of dinosaurs, but also some of the oldest landscape formations. The Mountains in Eswatini’s?Malolotja Native Reserve clock over 3.6 billion years old.

Do her endowments give you goosebumps of historical wealth like it is doing to me? Let see what lies behind the national identity of the Kingdom of Eswatini.

Brief history of the national flag

1:- In 1894 a distinct Swazi flag was flown, with eleven alternating equal dark and light blue stripes and a Swazi shield, also placed vertically, in the centre. The National Museum has a reconstruction of this flag with the caption “This flag was flown in 1894 when Swaziland had a Triumvirate Government made up of Swazi, Boer and British People. Theophilus Shepstone represented Swaziland. The flag is a rough illustration based on general descriptions, as there are no photographs or drawings of the original”, (shown below).

2:- There seems to have been another version of a Swaziland flag, dating back to the late 19th century or early 1900s, vertically divided into a dark and a light blue field with a vertical shield in the centre and two crossed battle axes in the top hoist. No original copy of this flag survives, (shown below).

3:- Although at the time of the death of Kind Mswati I, the Swazis had reached agreements with British and South African Republic authorities over a range of issues, including independence, the whites reneged on those agreements. Over Swazi protests, the South African Republic with British concurrence established incomplete colonial rule over Swaziland in 1894. As a result the “vierkleur” (Four colour) flag of the Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek (Transvaal) was flown, a flag based on that of the Netherlands with a green stripe, standing for hope and youthfulness, at the hoist, (shown below)

4:- Following the defeat in 1902 of the South African Republic (Transvaal) by the British in the Anglo-Boer War, Swaziland became a British protectorate in 1903. The protectorate did not have a distinctive flag of its own and the Union Jack was flown until independence in 1968. The current design dates from the Union of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801 and combines aspects of the three national flags: the red cross of Saint George (England), the red saltire of Saint Patrick's Flag (Ireland), both superimposed on Saint Andrew's Cross, the Flag of Scotland, (shown below)

5:- The Swaziland Protectorate was administered through the Office of the High Commissioner in South Africa, which was created in 1878. The High Commissioner in and for South Africa flew a British Union Flag charged in the centre, on a white roundel, with the letters S.A.H.C. in black above a Tudor Crown, within a green garland of laurel. This flag, which came into use in 1907, was used until 1931, (shown below)

6:- In 1931 the post of High Commissioner of Basutoland, Bechuanaland and Swaziland was created, responsible for the administration of the three British Protectorates in southern Africa. The High Commissioner, based in South Africa, was represented by a Resident Commissioner in each of the High Commission Territories; he flew a British Union Flag charged in the centre on a white roundel the letters H.C. in black, below the Imperial State Crown, within a garland of green laurel, (shown below).

7:- In order to assist the Allied forces with the invasion of Italy, the Swazi Pioneer Corps was being trained at the time. King Sobhuza II tasked three princesses with creating a special flag for the military. On a background of blue, yellow, and red horizontal bars, the image consists of a shield in black and white with a staff and two spears. A Swazi oxhide-shield, belonging to the Emasotsha regiment, is laid sideways on the central stripe as if carried while walking. Decorative “injobo”, bunches of feathers of the lisakabuli (widowbird) and ligwalagwala (lourie) hang from the black portion of the shield. The shield is reinforced by a staff from which also hang injobo tassels, bunches of feathers of the widowbird and the lourie. Two spears, symbolising protection of the country, are placed above the staff. The flag was presented to them as a reminder of the country’s military customs.

In order to identify structures, a political network for organizing public gatherings was developed in 1954. Its flag was based on the one flown by the Swazi Pioneer Corps above.

The Swazi National Council decided to use the above that as the new national flag. It was hoisted for the very first time in place of the Union Jack on April 25, 1967. It was the same flag that was raised upon independence in September 6, 1968, (shown below).

Here, Kings have flags called Royal Standard too as a display of their majesty:

I_____King Sobhuza II, who reigned over Swaziland from 1921 till his death in 1982, used the National Flag with a small gold lion on the upper stripe, facing the fly. It was designed by King Sobhuza himself; the lion is the symbol of the “iNgwenyama”, the king. The royal standard flew publicly for the first time on 5 September 1968 at the Somhlolo National Stadium at Lobamba during the independence celebrations, (shown below).

II______Prince Makhosetive was crowned King Mswati III on 25 April 1986 and a new royal standard came to be used. The lion symbol is now the most prominent feature on the flag: it is on the central maroon stripe, orientated to the hoist and faces the observer. Small shields of the Emasotsha Regiment (lihawu) and traditional Swazi battle axes (lizeze) are placed on the blue stripes. The “inyoni” ceremonial feather head-dress is placed in the centre of the upper stripe and the royal cipher (M III R) is in the centre of the lower stripe, (shown below).

8:- In July 2011, the flag of Swaziland slightly changed, without an official announcement. The shade of blue changed to a lighter colour, and the spears and shaft, now with a brown guard, were white. The “injobo”, bunches of feathers, were now in grey in a more realistic rendition, (shown below)

Meaning of the flag parameters

The red symbolizes the battles of the past.

The yellow represents the wealth of the country's resources.

The blue stands for peace.

The black and white Swazi shield is that of the Emasotha Regiment, formed in the late 1920's?. Swazi, known as a warrior, has an obsolete shield made entirely of black cow skin stretched out on a wooden frame. An image of such a shield is a summary of the flag fluttering in the late nineteenth century when they were jointly administered by the Republic of South Africa (Boer) and Britain. It is adorned and reinforced by feathers.

The feather tufts represent The Eswatini royal dynasty and also serve as a symbol of their ancestry. Eswatini is home to a species of?bird?known as the widowbird, which has stunning, long tail feathers. Only members of the Swaziland royalty are permitted to wear the red?lourie (turaco)?feathers. To mirror the natural color of the widowbird, the tassels’ color was altered to black in 2011.

The National Anthem

Originally written in siswati language. English translation below:

___________________________

Title: Oh God, Bestower of the Blessings of the Swazi

O Lord our God, bestower of the blessings of the Swazi ;

We give Thee thanks for all our good fortune ;

We offer thanks and praise for our king ;

And for our fair land, its hills and rivers ;

The Blessings be on all rulers of our country ;

Might and power are Thine alone ;

We pray Thee to grant us wisdom without deceit or malice.

Establish and fortify us, Lord Eternal.

_____________________________

The lyrics by Andrease Enoke Fanyana Kukies Simelane, and the composer of the tune was?David Kenneth Rycroft.

National motto:?“Siyinqaba” meaning "We are the fortress".

What discovery has given you goosebumps of late? Have you ever realized you are uniquely rich of values, features, possessions and abilities that many of us in the world will always admire in awe? After several self ridicules of how weird one is and at times trying to be a people pleaser by faking, growth catapults someone into a space of accepting the special being they are. It is okay to be different! Your value still remains and keeps zooming out:)

I am here staring at such a beautiful and historically rich African country. To many, it may sound like the most weird or probably ignored country that may not cover the world headlines like others. However, I am in awe of the power this nation has. With all the world histories it hosts, it is enough value to start and win from. As the last absolute monarchy in Africa, it should teach the rest of the continent or world some unique lessons or give unique highlights about leadership diversity.

My heart longs for the day I will land in the Kingdom of Eswatini and have a taste of this magical beauty.

References: Mountain inn, A-z Animals, The Flager, The Britannica, Oz outback, UN, Government of Swaziland.

Hey! Thanks for reading:)

See you in the next country.

?Girl of the African Soil