IDENTITY AS PEOPLE OF THE KING

One of the most robust identities we have as emaSwati has been our kingship as a monarchy.

I recall, for the longest time, that one  of my oldest friends, a South African, always referred to me and all emaSwati  as ‘Bantu beNkhosi’, loosely translated to mean ‘People of the King’. It would seem to the gentleman that being people of the King translated to people with respect as if we were all royalty just by being born in Eswatini. When one travelled to South Africa and met a South African, one of the first things they would talk about (with a strange fondness, almost with envy) was the royal family. How is the King, they would ask, almost as if we all sat around chatting with the King like we were his buddies. The image, respect and status surrounding the King would not be bought, no matter how rich you became.

Kings anointed by God

Could there be something to the biblical notion that kings are indeed ordained and anointed by God? One of the most significant biblical characters is King David. He was anointed by God to be King, but would not sit on the throne for 20 years. During these years he was trained (as he found himself working in the palace), hunted and hated with a passion for no reason by the reigning King Saul. However, David, who was not yet King, but had been anointed King by God, still understood that there was something special about kings regardless of their shortcomings, and he spared King Saul’s life. In 1 Samuel 24, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his king’s robe. Imagine feeling guilty for just cutting a corner of his robe, not harming the same king with 3 000 men who were out to kill him. He said to his men; “God forbid that I should do such a thing to my king, the Lord’s anointed, or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the Lord.”  With these words, David sharply rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. King Saul lived, but his kingship had been taken away by God.

God gives wisdom

Many years ago, King Mswati II built and ruled a vast empire from the Raising Sun, which is today called the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa. It stretched from Witbank, Emalahleni, down to Jozini, all the way to Mozambique, and up to Kruger National Park. The subsequent Kings, Ludvonga II and Ngwane V, also known as Mahlokohla or Bhunu, somehow lost the majority of the original land of emaSwati. His Majesty King Mswati III inherited a much smaller kingdom. I have often spoken about a constitutional monarchy where His Majesty the King is above the day-to-day politics and still remains a respectable head of State. I am sure many within the royal family question this wisdom as to how the King can be above politics but still have respect and power; especially knowing the way the Constitution is set up and knowing that the powers within the supreme law can topple the monarchy if left unchecked, hence the gatekeepers.

Now history tells us that the way of all the monarchies is the same; there is simply no escaping the inevitable. All monarchies of this world have given away political power with the exception of the super oil-rich monarchies, of which Eswatini is not one. The monarchies that realised this early were able to keep royal houses intact and have been able to enjoy a lot of respect, love and admiration over the years. It is my prayer that His Majesty will have the wisdom to start to lead the transformation of the royal house towards a real constitutional monarchy that is not involved in the dirty game of politics. Yes, they all control some political decisions to maintain safeguards, but the love from the people remains their safest guarantee.  

Royalty has to win hearts, minds

King Mswati II faced warring African tribes and he fought them and expanded the kingdom. There were constant challenges to his reign that he had to overcome. Over the years we have seen the demise of countless monarchies from Europe to Asia and back to Africa. The war now is that of winning the hearts and minds of the citizens. Nowadays, people see royalty differently. Royalty must now fight for its survival as people question why they are still relevant to be funded by taxpayers. European monarchies have to deal with this question all the time and African monarchies are but a shadow of themselves as political parties mushroom everywhere. The Eswatini royal family can’t rebrand itself while being seen and perceived as the government that has issues to deliver. I dare say that even if government delivered as Muamma Gaddafi did, people would still be unhappy because it is in the nature of politics. The damage that has been done to the royal family is very serious and needs serious funding and a change of mindset to repair.

Otherwise the negative emotions are slowly eroding the love for the royal family. This does not need a warrior king to show military strength and put the fear of God to bring the citizens into order. No, those times are gone. Those strong tactics will only cause the demise of the monarchy like countless others before it. The royal family needs to be people-friendly, accessible, compassionate and willing to be there for all emaSwati. The nation is spending a considerable sum of money on the royal family and they need to know why this should continue. The times of privilege by virtue of birth are over. Wealthy parents from inheritance are acceptable because it is assumed they worked for their money. However, royalty from the taxpayer is not acceptable. Comment septembereswatini@gmail.com

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