Perhaps many will answer this question that they do not know, but the truth is that there is a magical kingdom on the African continent with unique and ancient customs and traditions that you cannot find anywhere else.
The Kingdom of Eswatini, or formerly Swaziland, is an independent African kingdom surrounded by South Africa on the north, south and west, and Mozambique on the east, and its capital is Mbabane.
In it, the king plays a dominant role in various political, economic and social fields, and defines the executive and legislative powers. It has multiple agricultural and mineral wealth and unique attractions.
A small country with a big heart
Sintamba Mtunzi-Msibi, Policy Development Officer in International Affairs, Peace and Security, who also worked for the African Union Commission, says the Kingdom of Eswatini is a small country with a big heart and friendly people.
He added that Eswatini, or formerly Swaziland, is a country that is one of the few remaining kingdoms in Africa that embraces and supports its unique and ancient traditions, adding that both the monarchy and the people of Eswatini actively preserve a wonderful cultural heritage unparalleled anywhere in Africa.
Speaking to “Sky News Arabia”, he pointed out that visitors can get a better idea of the traditional African culture in Eswatini than anywhere else in the region.
And what can be seen there, in addition to organizing wonderful festivals – not only for the sake of the tourist currency but to introduce the culture, stressing that there are traditional celebrations such as “Umhlanga” and “Incwala”, in which tens of thousands of Swazilanders participate, and attract visitors from all over the world. , Adding that traditional costumes, ceremonies and dances are present throughout the country at all times of the year.
He pointed out that the Swazi people are proud of their country and very friendly people, explaining that they welcome visitors with a cheerful smile and are happy to show off their beautiful country, in addition to a number of community-run tourism initiatives, including that visitors can experience daily life in Eswatini in a local home or village, where they will be welcomed. With them strongly from the people of the village.
He continued that there is a village called Mantenga Cultural with ancient landmarks and houses dating back to the 1850s, which provides a true experience for all visitors to life in traditional Swati, noting that there are a series of museums and wonderful historical sites that are well presented in telling the story of the country in the past and present and deserves the visit.
And this kingdom has a distinctive African costume that expresses a robe around the body and does not cover the shoulders as well as the bottom of the feet, and it is worn by everyone, including the king called Mswati III.
King Mswati III, who has been sitting on the throne of the Kingdom since 1986, decided to change the name of his country, Swaziland, to “Eswatini”, during the celebrations of his fiftieth birthday, and also on the anniversary of Swaziland’s celebration of the 50th anniversary of independence in 2019.
Rhino and bird paradise
On natural life, he said that there is a rich variety of landscapes in Eswatini that gives it an abundance of animals and plants, with the sheer number of mind-boggling species according to most European standards, adding that there are about 17 protected areas that are home to a very wide range of species, as well as Its about being one of the best places on the continent to see rhinos.
The official at the King’s Office emphasized that Eswatini is also the ideal place to deal with the many small creatures that are often overlooked on safari elsewhere, which is a bird watchers’ paradise.
According to Sentimba, the majority of Swaziland’s population, which amounted to 1.2 million citizens according to the last census in 2018, belongs to Catholic and Protestant Christian churches, explaining that before independence they were responsible for many educational and health services, especially in rural areas, and that many of their followers maintain beliefs. And traditional practices of the rest of the population.
Young prince
And about the king, he indicates that King Mswati III was born on April 19, 1968, in the Manzini region, Swaziland, and he is a member of the royal family in Swaziland and became its king in 1986. (King of all nations).
The young prince was one of more than 60 sons that Showza and several of his wives had, as he received his early education in Swaziland and was later sent abroad in England to continue his education, according to Sentimba.
The official stated that the king, whose original name was “Majostev”, was 14 years old when his father died in 1982.
A will to rule Swaziland was created until Majostev assumed the throne on his twenty-first birthday, and despite a power struggle within the royal family, he ended up with Makosteve gaining the crown when he was 18 years old, making him the youngest world leader at that time, to be crowned on April 25, 1986. On that day, he was named King Mswati III, and he also married the first of his 15 wives.
The king, Sintamba says, contributed to the elimination of malaria, as the Kingdom of Swaziland is among 21 countries in the world that have the ability to stop the transmission of malaria among the indigenous population by 2020 and thus achieve the goal of eliminating malaria.
Earlier, King Mswati III inaugurated the Regional Office for International Trade for South Africa, where the initiative aims to establish 600,000 small and medium-sized companies, which in turn will create 22 million jobs across Africa.
When the Southern African Regional Office of the African E-Commerce Group was launched, King Mswati III said that this initiative will accelerate the realization of the goals of Agenda 2063 for the Africa we want, adding, “We thank our ancestors for the political liberalization, the challenge facing us is to take leadership and liberate the continent economically.”
Eswatini is committed, through the directives of His Majesty, to work closely with all countries in the Southern African region in order to ensure the achievement of the goals of job creation and the promotion of intra-African trade. As the host government of the Southern African Regional Headquarters, they have announced their intention to participate at the highest level in each of the events. Regional, continental and global launches to support the launch of initiatives.
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