Swaziland Progressive Party | |
|---|---|
| Leader | John Nquku |
| Founded | 1959-1960 |
| Banned | 1973 |
| Ideology | Progressivism Nationalism Anti-racism Human rights [1] |
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The Swaziland Progressive Party was the first political party founded in Swaziland.
Swaziland Progressive Party | |
|---|---|
| Leader | John Nquku |
| Founded | 1959-1960 |
| Banned | 1973 |
| Ideology | Progressivism Nationalism Anti-racism Human rights [1] |
| |
|---|
The Swaziland Progressive Party was the first political party founded in Swaziland.
A Progressive Association was founded in 1929 under the auspices of the Resident Commissioner of the British Empire. In 1935, the Association had less than 100 members. In 1939, the Association split into Swazi and non-Swazi camps. John Nquku became President of the Association in 1945. [1]
The Association was transformed into a party in 1959-1960 by Nquku, who had travelled and met many European and American politicians. The party set about on the path to self-government and then independence. In 1962, Nquku was deposed as Party President and replaced with Ambrose Zwane. By appealing to the British government for democratic institutions to be included in the Swazi constitution, the SPP managed to secure a place in the 1964 general election. However, when the election showed widespread support in Swazi society for King Sobhuza II, the party lost influence.
The SPP had a four-point program: Non-racial universal enfranchisement, opposition to incorporation into South Africa, adoption of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, and integration of Swaziland's white minority and Swazi majority and ending racial discrimination. [1]
Eswatini, officially the Kingdom of Eswatini and formerly named Swaziland, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered by Mozambique to its northeast and South Africa to its north, west, south, and southeast. At no more than 200 km (120 mi) north to south and 130 km (81 mi) east to west, Eswatini is one of the smallest countries in Africa; despite this, its climate and topography are diverse, ranging from a cool and mountainous highveld to a hot and dry lowveld.
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 the king of Eswatini and head of the Swazi royal family. He was born in Manzini in the Protectorate of Swaziland to King Sobhuza II and one of his younger wives, Ntfombi Tfwala. He was crowned as Mswati III, Ingwenyama and King of Swaziland, on 25 April 1986 at the age of 18, thus becoming the youngest ruling monarch in the world at that time. Together with his mother, Ntfombi Tfwala, now Queen Mother (Ndlovukati), he rules the country as an absolute monarch. Mswati III is known for his practice of polygamy and currently has 15 wives.
Sobhuza II, was the Paramount Chief and later Ngwenyama of Swaziland for 82 years and 254 days, the longest verifiable reign of any monarch in recorded history. Sobhuza was born on 22 July 1899 at Zombodze Royal Residence, the son of Inkhosikati Lomawa Ndwandwe and King Ngwane V. When he was only four months old, his father died suddenly while dancing incwala. Sobhuza was chosen king soon after that and his grandmother Labotsibeni and his uncle Prince Malunge led the Swazi nation until his maturity in 1921. Sobhuza was acknowledged as King by the British in 1967, and Swaziland achieved independence in 1968. Sobhuza continued to reign until his death in 1982. He was succeeded by Mswati III, his young son with Inkhosikati Ntfombi Tfwala, who was crowned in 1986.
Labotsibeni Mdluli, also known as Gwamile, was the Queen Mother and Queen Regent of Swaziland.
The Ngwane National Liberatory Congress (NNLC) is a political party in Eswatini. It was founded on 12 April 1963 as a breakaway party from the Swaziland Progressive Party (SPP) led by Dr. J. J. Nquku.
The People's United Democratic Movement is the largest opposition party in Eswatini. It is a democratic socialist party. Formed in 1983 at the University of Eswatini, it is led by Mlungisi Makhanya. The Swazi government has been monitoring PUDEMO closely since it launched the Ulibambe Lingashoni campaign, which aims for a "total liberation" of Eswatini, and has recently cracked down heavily on even small manifestations of support for PUDEMO, such as the death in custody of PUDEMO member Sipho Jele, who was arrested for wearing a PUDEMO t-shirt in May 2010.
Lobamba is a city in Eswatini, and is one of the two capitals, serving as the legislative, traditional, spiritual, seat of government of the Parliament of Eswatini, and Ludzidzini Royal Village, the residence of Queen Ntfombi, the Queen Mother.
In Eswatini, an inkhundla is an administrative subdivision smaller than a district but larger than an umphakatsi. There are 55 tinkhundla in Eswatini: 14 in Hhohho District, 11 in Lubombo District, 16 in Manzini District, and 14 in Shishelweni District. According to the constitution of Eswatini, the government for Eswatini is a democratic, participatory, tinkhundla-based system that emphasizes devolution of state power from central government to tinkhundla areas and individual merit as a basis for election or appointment to public office. The system is non-partisan since the constitution does not recognize political parties, although section 25 of the constitution allows for open freedom of assembly and association. Each inkhundla elects one representative to the House of Assembly of Eswatini, the lower chamber of the bicameral parliament (Libandla). The same trend is applied in local government elections. This governing system was designed by King Sobhuza II with the assistance of political scholars and lawyers. It came to effect in 1978 and was adjusted in the early 1990s.
There are several monarchies in Africa, defined as either actually or nominally self-governing states, territories, or nations on the continent of Africa where supreme power resides with an individual who is recognized as the head of state. All are similar in that the sovereign inherits their office and typically keeps it until their death or until their abdication. However, only three are currently sovereign, while the remaining are sub-national monarchies. Two of these are constitutional monarchies, in which the sovereign is bound by laws and customs in the exercise of his or her powers, and one is an absolute monarchy (Eswatini), in which the sovereign rules without bounds. The sub-national monarchies are not sovereign, and exist within larger political associations. In addition to these, there are also three dependencies of two European monarchies.
Klein Vrystaat was a short-lived Boer republic in what is now South Africa.
The 2007 Swazi general strike has been ongoing since 25 July 2007, led by the Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions, the Swaziland Federation of Labour and the Swaziland National Association of Teachers. They plan to stage a two-hour full stoppage of public life every month until the incumbent absolute monarch Mswati III gives in to their demands: multi-party elections in October 2008, that benefits cease to be taxed and an end to absolute monarchy.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in Eswatini are limited. LGBT people face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. According to Rock of Hope, a Swati LGBT advocacy group, "there is no legislation recognising LGBTIs or protecting the right to a non-heterosexual orientation and gender identity and as a result [LGBT people] cannot be open about their orientation or gender identity for fear of rejection and discrimination". Homosexuality is illegal in Eswatini, though this law is in practice unenforced. According to the 2021 Human Rights Practices Report from the US Department of State, "there has never been an arrest or prosecution for consensual same-sex conduct."
Jan Sithole was a Swaziland trade union activist and politician. Sithole was president of the Swaziland Democratic Party (Swadepa), and was in October 2013 elected to the House of Assembly of Eswatini. He passed on the 12th of September 2020.
John June Nquku was an early Swaziland nationalist and creator of Swaziland's first political party, the Swaziland Progressive Party.
Eswatini–South Africa relations refers to the current and historical relationship between Eswatini and South Africa. South Africa surrounds Eswatini on the north, west and south. The two states share strong historical and cultural ties. Mutual High Commissions were established in Pretoria and Mbabane at the end of the apartheid era in 1994. Eswatini's High Commission in Pretoria is also cross-accredited to Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The United Swaziland Association (USA) was a political party that promoted interests of the Europeans in Swaziland. USA was founded in 1963. It was led by Willie Meyer.
Eswatini remained a British protectorate throughout World War II. As such, it fought alongside the Allies against the Axis. While no large scale battles or major military operations took place in or around Eswatini, the colony did supply the Allies with troops during the war. World War II was also responsible for several important domestic developments in Eswatini.
Regina Gelana Twala was a feminist activist, writer, researcher, evangelist, and liberation leader in what is now eSwatini.
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