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Artifacts indicating human activity dating back to the early Stone Age have been found in the Kingdom of Eswatini. The earliest known inhabitants of the region were Khoisan hunter-gatherers. Later, the population became predominantly Nguni during and after the great Bantu migrations. People speaking languages ancestral to the current Sotho and Nguni languages began settling no later than the 11th century. The country now derives its name from a later king named Mswati II. Mswati II was the greatest of the fighting kings of Eswatini, and he greatly extended the area of the country to twice its current size. The people of Eswatini largely belong to a number of clans that can be categorized as Emakhandzambili, Bemdzabu, and Emafikamuva, depending on when and how they settled in Eswatini.
Mswati III is Ngwenyama (King) of Eswatini and head of the Swazi royal family. He heads Africa’s last absolute monarchy, as he has veto power over all branches of government and is constitutionally immune from prosecution.
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Zingiswa Phyllis Losi is a South African politician and trade unionist who is currently serving as the president of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) since September 2018. She was formerly Cosatu's second deputy president from 2009 to 2018. She is a member of the Central Committee of the South African Communist Party (SACP) and a former member of the National Executive Committee of the African National Congress (ANC).
Mcebo Dlamini is a Swazi-born South African politician who was one of the prominent leaders of the #FeesMustFall protests in South Africa which led to a conversation on the introduction of free tertiary education for the poor, mainly black students, in the country.
Tanele Maseko is a Swazi human rights activist and the widow of the prominent human rights lawyer and democracy activist Thulani Maseko. Following her husband's assassination in 2023, Maseko has become a prominent campaigner both with regards to continuing her husband's activism promoting democratic reform in Eswatini, and also by calling for an independent investigation into his death, for which she has received harassment and intimidation from Swazi authorities.
References
- ↑ Ndlovu, Hlengiwe (2 February 2010). "Tertiary students abandon classes". The Swazi Observer. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
- ↑ Ndzimandze, Mbongiseni (5 September 2009). "Students union seeks ministers' ears". The Swazi Observer. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
- ↑ Ndlovu, Hlengiwe (3 February 2010). "Students deliver petition at PM's office". The Swazi Observer. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
- ↑ "SNUS Demonstrations". Africa Contact. 15 February 2010. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
- ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/education/2011/may/26/swaziland-nus-president-maxwell-dlamini
- ↑ https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2023/10/9/people-want-change-but-fear-the-guns-fighting-for-democracy-in-eswatini
- ↑ "Swazi students elect new leadership during vibrant congress | Newstime Africa". www.newstimeafrica.com. Archived from the original on 2013-03-09.
