APPOINTMENT OF PM IN ESWATINI TRADITION

Sir,
 
I wrote this letter in response to an article that appeared in the Times SUNDAY, dated June 27, 2021, titled ‘Burning emajobo is undermining emaSwati – ‘Sg’coko’. Not that my response has any relevance to the current political situation in the country but that our history, whether good or bad, should not be systematically distorted, hence my comment on the part of the article relating to the election of the prime minister, which in my view is disappointingly misleading.  For instance, S’gcoko mentioned that, originally, a prime minister was supposed to be a prince, not a ‘Mr Dlamini’.

He, however, prefers not to explain the difference between the two, which is something that has eluded most of us (the Dlaminis) for a very long time now. He continued to say a prime minister comes from the eight houses of senior royalty who are descendants of King Mswati II, which include Enyakeni and Nkhaba. This may be false. The Enyakeni royal household is attributed to Prince Malunge who was the son of King Ndvungunye. The Nkhaba royal household is a progeny of the Enyakeni royal household. An article by Babe N. Dlamini in the Times SUNDAY, on or about April 25, 2021, gives a rather more plausible and interesting account of the history of the Nkhaba chiefdom as it is, for the most part, corroborated by existing literature.

I also wish to mention that senior royalty houses which were members of the royal council have changed over time. For example, before 1900 some of the sons and descendants of King Ndvungunye were regarded as ‘senior royalists’, more especially those who lived to a good age. These included Princes Malunge, Jokovu (Malunge’s son), Sobhiyose and Sobandla, among others. Also, among the powerful members of the royal council controlling the political events before King Mswati II was circumcised were his elder brothers, Princes Somcuba and Malambule (ie sons of Sobhuza I). Furthermore, when King Mbandzeni took office there were a handful of his senior brothers who were contesting the throne, notable among these were Princes Logcogco and Mvelaphansi, who later became senior councillors.

It is also worth mentioning that there were also senior councillors dealing with Eswatini public affairs during this era that were not from the Dlamini clan, such as Sandlane Zwane, Mbovane Fakudze and others. In some instances, councillors and princes who were opposed to the ideals of a contemporary king were gotten rid of. As years went by, more and more councils (Emabandla) were established. The first prime minister of Swaziland was Prince Makhosini Dlamini, born at Enhletjeni royal residence near Hlatikhulu in 1914. He took office in about mid-May 1967. It would, therefore, seem reasonable to assume that the Ligunqa may have been formed around this time if its major role was to appoint a non-traditional prime minister. Based on the above discussion, one may surmise that the royal councils have evolved over time, with passé royal houses being replaced with contemporary royal houses. Hence, the criteria for choosing a prime minister may have been meant to ensure that the outmoded royal houses are ‘resurrected’ and kept relevant.

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