Politics

The politics of Swaziland takes place in a framework of an absolute monarchy. Swaziland today is foremost ruled by a monarch, although for all of its administrative history prior to British colonisation in 1903, it might have more properly been called a diarchy.

The head of state is the king, currently King Mswati III, who ascended to the throne upon the death of his father King Sobhuza II in 1986. By tradition, the king reigns along with his mother (the Indlovukazi, lit. Great She-Elephant), the former viewed as the administrative head of state and the latter as a spiritual and national head of state. As the monarch, the king not only appoints the prime minister (the head of government) but also appoints a small number of representatives for both chambers of the Libandla (parliament). It is important to note that with so much power in the hands of the king, effectively Swaziland is an absolute monarchy, despite the presence of a nominally democratic parliamentary system.

Constitution

The constitution of 6 September 1968 was suspended 12 April 1973 by a State of Emergency decree imposed by King Sobhuza II, the father of the current King Mswati III. The decree gave absolute power to the monarchy and banned organised political opposition to royal rule. A new constitution was promulgated 13 October 1978, but was not formally presented to the people.

In 2001, King Mswati III appointed a committee to draft a new constitution. Drafts were released for comment in May 2003 and November 2004. However, they were strongly criticised by civil society organisations in Swaziland and human rights organisations elsewhere. Criticisms of the constitution included:

failure to protect fully the rights to freedom of conscience, belief, expression, opinion, peaceful assembly and association;
failure to protect fully the right to life by, for instance, allowing law enforcement officials to use lethal force in situations where there is no threat to life posed to police or others;
failure to include economic and social rights as rights enforceable by the courts;
only partial protection of the rights of women, with for instance girls and young women not protected against forced marriage;
weak actual protection for the impartiality and independence of the judiciary, particularly regarding the selection, appointment, tenure and dismissal of judges.

In 2005, the constitution was put into effect, though there is still much debate in the country about that issue.

Executive Branch

The executive branch is made up of the King, the prime minister (the head of government) - appointed by the King, and the cabinet. In general practice however, the monarch's power is delegated through a dualistic system: modern, statutory bodies, like the cabinet, and less formal traditional government structures. The king must approve legislation passed by parliament before it becomes law. The prime minister, who is head of government, and the cabinet, which is recommended by the prime minister and approved by the king, exercises executive authority.

Legislative Branch

Parliament, the Libandla has two chambers: the House of Assembly has 65 members, 55 members elected out of candidates nominated by traditional local councils and 10 appointed members; balloting is done on a nonparty basis; candidates for election are nominated by the local council of each constituency and for each constituency the three candidates with the most votes in the first round of voting are narrowed to a single winner by a second round, and the Senate has 30 non-partisan members, 10 members elected by the Parliament and 20 appointed members.

Political Parties and Elections

Political parties are banned by the constitution promulgated on 13 October 1978; illegal parties are prohibited from holding large public gatherings. At the last elections, 18 October 2003, only non-partisans were elected. One of them is a member of the opposition Ngwane National Liberatory Congress. Most opposition politicians boycotted the elections.

The Monarchy

According to current Swazi law and custom, the monarch holds supreme executive, legislative, and judicial powers. The Ngwenyama (King, lion, representing the hardness as expressed in thunder) is a hereditary leader that rules the country with the assistance of a council of ministers and a national legislature. The King, according to the draft constitution, is also Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces. He, the Regent and in-Libandla have legal immunity.

King Mswati III is often criticised for living so lavishly in a nation that is afflicted by one of the world's highest HIV infection rates. His fleet of luxury cars, and the millions spent towards refurbishing his numerous wives' luxury mansions, are at odds with the approximately 34% of the nation that stand unemployed, nearly 70% of which live on less than 50p a day, and with around 49% of adults who are afflicted by HIV.

The Ndlovukati

The Ndlovukati (Senior Queen, preferentially the mother of the king, she-elephant, representing softness as in water) is in charge of national rituals, and acts as regent if her husband Ngwenyama dies and the heir has not performed royal adulthood rituals or is indisposed.

If the king's mother is no longer living, one of the king's wives may act as Ndlovukati. In Sobhuza II's case, his grandmother the Ndlovukati Labotsibeni Mdluli was regent from his choice as infant heir in 1899 following the death of his father Ngwane V (King Bhunu) until his accession to full authority in 1922, when his mother Lomawa Ndwandwe became the Ndlovukati. Later in his long reign, three other women became senior queen, when an Ndlovukati died, another was appointed from among his senior wives.

Diarchy System

The king and the senior queen rule together in theory, and did so in practice up until the reign of Sobhuza II, making the term "monarchy" somewhat misleading. Before colonisation, the senior queen acted as a check and counterweight to the king's power, both through her direct control of some military forces and her control of medicines and rites and of key aspects of the Ncwala national ritual that annually binds the fate of the king and the nation together. British policy and the strength of Sobhuza II's personality shifted power decisively toward the king and away from the senior queen during his long reign.

The King's Wives

A Swazi king's first two wives are chosen for him by the national councillors. These two have special functions in rituals and their sons can never claim kingship. The first wife must be a member of the Matsebula clan, the second of the Motsa clan. According to tradition, he can only marry his fiancées after they have fallen pregnant, proving they can bear heirs. Until then, they are Liphovela (fiancée).

The royal family decides which of the wives shall be 'Great wife' and 'Indlovukazi' (She-Elephant / Queen Mother). The son of this 'Great Wife' will automatically become the next king.

The 'Great Wife' must only have one son and be of good character. Her character affects her child's chances of ascending to the kingship.