What exactly is Swaziland celebrating on 6 September 2008 when it marks 40 years of independence from colonial rule?
That might sound an obvious question, but as far as I can see nobody in Swaziland: not the monarchy, the government, nor the media have told us. To them we are simply celebrating a date.
What achievements are being celebrated? What improvements in the lives of people can we point to and say ‘independence allowed this to happen?’
I ask the questions because recently I have been looking at newspaper reports from the time of independence in 1968. Anyone looking back at that time cannot fail to be impressed by the optimism that was around. Swaziland was a relatively wealthy country (the wealthiest of Britain’s southern African colonies) at the time.
In the report I reproduce below, the New York Times (4 August 1968) looks forward one month to Swaziland’s independence. The New York Times highlights Swaziland’s booming economy and the relatively peaceful nature of the kingdom. It goes on to praise King Sobhuza II for what the paper sees as his modern outlook, while appreciating his attempts to retain the best of Swaziland’s tradition.
How sad then to look at Swaziland in 2008. The economy is shattered. Four people out of ten of the population face starvation. About 70 percent of the population live in abject poverty earning less than one US dollar a day (E7). Meanwhile, Swaziland’s present king, Mswati III, is estimated by Forbes to have a net worth of 200 million US dollars (about E1.4 billion).
And Sobhuza II? After five years of independence he tore up Swaziland’s constitution because people in Swaziland voted for a political party he did not like. Since then Swaziland has been ruled by royal decree. This decree has not been set aside even though Swaziland has had a new constitution since 2005.
So, I ask again. What exactly is Swaziland celebrating on 6 September 2008?
The sound of the bushback drums will roll through the Ezulweni Valley from Sherba’s Breasts, the twin mountain peaks gracing this rich green country, the fires will blaze. Independence will come to Swaziland Sept. 6.
For Britain, the occasion will be one of nostalgia, and historic significance, for, apart from rebel Rhodesia [now Zimbabwe] Swaziland is Britain’s last colonial possession in Africa.
When the Duke of Kent hands over the articles of independence to King Sobhuza II of Swaziland the gesture will signify a farewell to a colonial past.
To the Swazis, once one of Africa’s great warring tribes, Independence Day is an event for which they have waited with considerable patience.
In natural resources and development potential Swaziland has always been on top of the list of Britain’s three ‘sister’ territories in southern Africa, Basutoland and Bechuanaland, being the other two.
Bechuanaland became independent Botswana in September 1966, and a month later, Basutoland became Lesotho. Swaziland is not planning at this time to change its name when it becomes independent.
The last 10 years have brought Swaziland a multimillion dollar timber and pulp industry; a massive iron-ore mining project; a railway link out of the landlocked country to the sea; tarred roads; hydroelectric power and great strides in agriculture.
Swaziland has the only set of traffic lights among the three ‘sister’ territories.
Since 1965, Swaziland’s exports have almost tripled – from 16.8 million US dollars to more than 45 million US dollars. In the first four months of 1968, Swaziland’s exports to Britain were more than the entire budget figure for Lesotho.
King Sobhuza, a man with a desire for the development of his people, who now must weld their traditions and respect for the monarch with the demands of a modern, multi-racial, constitutional society nominated two whites to the senate and four others to the lower house in the general elections last year.
The Swaziland whites number about 8,000 out of a total population of some 300,000.
‘Take what is good from the white man and drop what is bad. Take what is good from your own traditions and drop what is bad. On this foundation build your future.’
This is the philosophy of Sobhuza. Ngwenyama or King of Swaziland and one of the last of Africa’s select band of monarchs.
The following comment on thew above post was sent to the Swaziland Solidarity Network Forum.http://groups.google.com/group/sa-swaziland-solidarity-eom-forum
ReplyDeleteIt is really sad to think about all the earlier propsects of
Swaziland, and the disaster that it is today (even though some of the
seeds of that were laid in the type of independence Swaziland got).
For example the article mentions that Swaziland was relatively
economically advanced at the time of independence compared to other
countries in the region. In fact, at independence in 1968 the GDP per
person of Swaziland was more than DOUBLE that of Botswana, while today
the GDP per person of Swaziland is less than HALF that of Botswana.
Meaning that Swaziland only grew a quarter as much as Botswana in the
40 years since independence. While Botswana might be something of a
special case, even compared to other countries in the continent
Swaziland has been left far behind. Swaziland's terrible growth record
might not be such a big deal if there had been better progress in
other areas, like human development, but that is even worse. Indeed,
nothing to celebrate!!