History of Eswatini in Timeline

Eswatini, a landlocked country in Southern Africa, is bordered by South Africa and Mozambique. It's one of Africa's smallest countries, characterized by diverse climate and topography, ranging from mountainous highveld to dry lowveld. Mbabane serves as the executive capital and largest city, while Lobamba is the legislative capital.

1902: Involvement in the Second Boer War

In 1902, Swaziland was indirectly involved in the Second Boer War with skirmishes between the British and the Boers occurring in the country.

1903: British High Commission Territory

In 1903, Swaziland became one of the British 'High Commission Territories' after the British victory in the Second Boer War.

1904: Establishment of Concessions Commission

In 1904, the Swaziland Administration Proclamation established a commission to examine concessions and define their boundaries.

1906: Transvaal Colony Self-Government

In 1906, much of the early administration of Swaziland, such as postal services, was carried out from South Africa until the Transvaal Colony was granted self-government.

1907: Completion of Concessions Examination

By 1907, the commission established in 1904 finished examining all the concessions and defining their boundaries.

1910: Land Set Aside for Swazis

In 1910, 1,639,687 acres (approximately 38% of Swaziland's area) were set aside for the Swazi people.

December 1921: Sobhuza II's Coronation

In December 1921, Sobhuza II was officially coronated as king after the regency of Labotsibeni.

1922: Unsuccessful Deputation to London

In 1922, Sobhuza II led an unsuccessful deputation to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom in London regarding the issue of the land.

1923: Establishment of Swazi Commercial Amadoda

In 1923, Sobhuza II established the Swazi Commercial Amadoda to grant licenses to small businesses on the Swazi reserves.

November 1963: Promulgation of Constitution

In November 1963, Britain promulgated a constitution for independent Swaziland, establishing a Legislative Council and an Executive Council.

1963: Resistance Against British Administration

By 1963, the Swazi royal leadership was successful in resisting the weakening power of the British administration and the possibility of incorporation of Swaziland into the Union of South Africa.

1963: Founding of Waterford School

In 1963, Waterford School, later named Waterford Kamhlaba United World College of Southern Africa, was founded as southern Africa's first multiracial school.

September 1964: First Legislative Council Constituted

On 9 September 1964, the first Legislative Council was constituted in Swaziland.

1967: Elections Under New Constitution

In 1967, elections were held in Swaziland under a new constitution providing for a House of Assembly and Senate.

September 1968: Swaziland Independence and Adoption of Westminster-style Constitution

In September 1968, Swaziland gained independence and adopted a Westminster-style constitution.

September 1968: Full Independence

In September 1968, Swaziland regained its full independence after being a British high commission territory since 1903.

1968: Regaining Independence

Following the 1967 elections, Swaziland was a protected state until independence was regained in 1968.

1972: Suspension of the Constitution

In 1972, following the elections, King Sobhuza II suspended the constitution of Swaziland and ruled by decree.

1972: Establishment of Mananga Agricultural Management Centre

In 1972, the Mananga Agricultural Management Centre was established at Ezulwini as an international management development centre.

1972: Tourism Development

In 1972, tourist numbers rose to 89,015 as Eswatini began attracting visitors with different policies from South Africa.

1972: First Participation in Summer Olympics

Since 1972, Eswatini has sent athletes to the Summer Olympics.

April 1973: King Sobhuza II Annuls Constitution

In April 1973, King Sobhuza II annulled the Westminster-style constitution by decree and assumed supreme powers.

1978: First Non-Party Elections Held

In 1978, the first non-party elections for the House of Assembly were held under the tinkhundla system.

1981: Waterford Kamhlaba Joins United World Colleges

In 1981, Waterford Kamhlaba joined the United World Colleges movement, becoming the first UWC on the African continent.

1982: Death of King Sobhuza II

In 1982, King Sobhuza II died after reigning for almost 83 years, leading to a regency.

1982: Attempted Land Transfer

In 1982, an attempt to transfer parts of South Africa to Swaziland was never realized due to popular opposition.

1982: Establishment of the University of Eswatini

In 1982, the University of Eswatini was established by act of Parliament and is headquartered at Kwaluseni.

1984: Removal of Queen Regent Dzeliwe

In 1984, Queen Regent Dzeliwe Shongwe was removed by the Liqoqo and replaced by Queen Mother Ntfombi Tfwala.

1986: Ascension of King Mswati III

In 1986, King Mswati III ascended to the throne after the death of his father King Sobhuza II.

1986: King Mswati III's Rule

In 1986, King Mswati III began his rule as the monarch of Eswatini.

1989: Peak in Tourist Numbers

In 1989, tourist numbers peaked at 257,997 in Eswatini.

1993: Election Process Details

Prior to the 1993 election, the voting process involved electing an electoral college through a public selection method.

July 1996: Constitutional Review Commission Appointed

In July 1996, King Mswati III appointed a constitutional review commission to draft proposals for a new constitution.

1996: Net Primary School Enrollment Rate

In 1996, the net primary school enrollment rate in Eswatini was 90.8%, with gender parity at the primary level.

1998: Children Reaching Grade Five

In 1998, 80.5% of children in Eswatini reached grade five.

May 1999: Drafts Released for Comment

In May 1999, drafts of the new constitution were released for public comment and faced criticism.

November 2000: Constitutional Drafts Released

In November 2000, further drafts of the constitution were released for comment, receiving strong criticism.

December 2001: Team Announced to Draft New Constitution

In December 2001, a 15-member team was announced to draft a new constitution, with reported ties to the royal family.

2001: Real GDP Growth

Since 2001, Real GDP growth in Eswatini has averaged 2.8%, lower than growth in other Southern African Customs Union member countries.

2003: Establishment of Eswatini Tourism Board

In 2003, the Eswatini Tourism Board was established to promote royal celebrations and game parks.

2005: Adoption of the Constitution

In 2005, the constitution of Eswatini was adopted.

2005: Introduction of Current Constitution

In 2005, the current Swazi constitution was introduced, despite objections by political activists.

2005: Establishment of a Dual Judicial System

The 2005 constitution in Eswatini established a court system based on the Western model, consisting of Magistrates Courts, a High Court, and a Court of Appeal (Supreme Court).

2005: End of "umchwasho" Custom

The country was under the rite of "umchwasho" until 2005, when all young girls were placed in a female age-regiment.

2006: Eswatini Joins Lubombo Route Agreement

In 2006, Eswatini joined the Lubombo Route agreement with South Africa and Mozambique, facilitating cross-border travel.

2008: First Election Under the Constitution

In 2008, the first election under the new constitution took place, with members of Parliament elected from 55 constituencies.

2010: Establishment of Southern African Nazarene University

In 2010, the Southern African Nazarene University in Manzini was established as a merger of multiple Nazarene colleges.

2011: Economic Crisis

In 2011, Swaziland suffered an economic crisis due to reduced Southern African Customs Union (SACU) receipts.

July 2012: Election of Ellinah Wamukoya

On July 18, 2012, Ellinah Wamukoya was elected Anglican Bishop of Swaziland, becoming the first woman bishop in Africa.

2012: Establishment of Eswatini Medical Christian University

In 2012, Eswatini Medical Christian University, focusing on medical education, was established in Mbabane.

2012: Easing of Fiscal Pressure

Starting in 2012, improvements in SACU receipts eased the fiscal pressure on the Swazi government.

2013: New Parliament Elected and Prime Minister Reappointed

In 2013, a new parliament was elected and Sibusiso Dlamini was reappointed as prime minister for the third time.

2013: End of MP Terms

In 2013, the five-year terms of the Members of Parliament (MPs) that were elected in 2008 came to an end.

2013: Jewish Families in Eswatini

In 2013, there were 14 Jewish families residing in Eswatini.

2014: Start of SNPAS Project

In 2014, Eswatini participated in the Strengthening the National Protected Areas System (SNPAS) project.

2015: Drought Impact

The 2015 drought decreased sugar and soft drink concentrate production export.

April 2018: Name Change

In April 2018, the official name of the country was changed from Kingdom of Swaziland to Kingdom of Eswatini.

April 2018: Kingdom of Swaziland Renamed

On 19 April 2018, Mswati III announced that the Kingdom of Swaziland had been renamed as the Kingdom of Eswatini, reflecting the Swazi name for the state.

September 2018: Anti-Government Protests

In September 2018, Eswatini workers began anti-government protests against low salaries, resulting in a three-day strike.

2018: Health Issues and Demographics

As of 2018, Eswatini had the 12th-lowest life expectancy in the world at 58 years, with 35% of the population aged 14 years or younger.

2018: Poorly Developed Public Services

As of 2018, public services in Eswatini were poorly developed, with limited ambulances, disappearing canteens in elementary schools, and pharmacies.

2018: Forest Landscape Integrity Index

In 2018, Eswatini had a Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 4.21/10, ranking it 142nd globally out of 172 countries.

2018: UNDP Establishes OECMs

In 2018, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) established a new category for informal, or non-gazetted, conservation areas called OECMs, or Other Effective Conservation Measures.

2019: HIV Prevalence Rate

As of 2019, Eswatini has the highest prevalence of HIV among people aged 15 to 49 globally, at 27.1%.

2019: UWC East Africa Joins Movement

In 2019, UWC East Africa in Tanzania joined the United World Colleges movement, becoming the second UWC on the African continent.

June 2021: Pro-Democracy Protests

In June 2021, pro-democracy protests broke out across Eswatini, sparking riots, looting, and street skirmishes with police and soldiers.

2021: Death of Ellinah Wamukoya

In 2021, Ellinah Wamukoya, the first woman to be a bishop in Africa, passed away.

2021: Certification of Informal Conservation Areas

In 2021, the SNPAS Project began certifying informal conservation areas in Eswatini using the OECM terminology.

2022: Vision 2022

The government of Eswatini expressed concern that climate change is exacerbating existing social challenges such as poverty, a high HIV prevalence, and food insecurity and will drastically restrict the country's ability to develop, as per Vision 2022.

September 2023: Last Elections

The last elections in Eswatini were held on 29 September 2023, overseen by the Elections and Boundaries Commission.

2023: V-Dem Democracy Indices Ranking

According to the 2023 V-Dem Democracy indices, Eswatini is ranked 9th lowest worldwide and 2nd lowest in Africa for electoral democracy.

2024: Eswatini's International Relations

As of 2024, Eswatini maintains ties with Taiwan, being the only country in Africa not recognizing the People's Republic of China.

2024: Global Hunger Index Score

In 2024, Eswatini scored 15.7 on the global hunger index, ranking 74th.

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