MBABANE – History in the making!
Yesterday, history was made at Sharma House in Ezulwini, as there was a launch of the partnership between Eswatini TV and BakaNgwane series. This groundbreaking partnership is set to premiere on Eswatini Television in January 2026, with the series having 12 episodes. The invited guests for the launch included parliamentarians, CEO’s and cast members of the series to honour the prestigious event.
The shooting of the series began around 2020 and was finalised in 2023 with over 1 000 cast members.
The Executive Producer of the series, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Pholile Shakantu, gave attendees the history of how BakaNgwane came to life. “I began conceptualising this project in 2018, while serving as the Deputy Chair of the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC).
Through discussions with people locally and globally, I was struck by the widespread misconceptions about our identity as emaSwati. It was concerning to see the persistent stereotypes surrounding our country. These narratives were not only inaccurate, they were often false and harmful and creating an image that did not truly represent us. What was more concerning was that emaSwati, especially our young people, were believing these false narratives and slowly getting disconnected from their roots. “As a lawyer, I felt a duty bound to confront these misconceptions directly. This prompted me to conduct research to counter these inaccuracies with facts,” said the minister.
Initially, the minister focused on the country’s constitutional history, Tinkhundla and land concessions. “I took a leisurely approach to this research, using what I learnt to clarify our political system at international forums and to stakeholders in the electoral sphere. When I became Justice Minister, I continued my research and advocacy, focusing on constitutional and political issues, land matters, conventions that were negotiated and signed without involving us the owners of the land, customary law and human rights. To manage the increasing demands of my new role, I enlisted the help of two young lawyers (Sifiso J. Dlamini and Maqhawe Bhembe) to assist with research, enabling us to defend our country, our culture and our sovereignty,” she continued.
The minister’s interest deepened as she explored Eswatini’s land concessions, particularly King Sobhuza’s landmark case against Allister Miller. “King Sobhuza famously took his fight for our stolen land all the way to the Privy Council in London. I delved into the court records, uncovering countless lies about our king’s falsehoods perpetuated in books and narratives shaped by colonisers. Another decisive moment occurred when I read a telegram from the administrator in Natal to the High Commissioner in Cape Town, dated July 10, 1898.
This message reported the arrival of the Swati King and his men, who had come to complain about the Boers invading his country, bringing in arms and threatening his life. The King wanted the Queen of England to be reminded of her promise to the 1894 deputation that Britain would protect Eswatini from the Boers,” mentioned the minister as she detailed the history of the series approach.
Eswatini TV Chief Executive Officer Mlamuli Dlamini said that bringing the series to Eswatini TV continues to show that the broadcaster is proud to serve Eswatini stories told by emaSwati for emaSwati.
“Our mandate compels us to promote and broadcast locally produced content and we embrace this responsibility with passion. We deeply appreciate our strong working relationships with local independent producers. Looking ahead, we are eager to engage even more producers, fuelling the growth of local talent, creating jobs and amplifying our unique narratives on the global stage,” he said.
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