Swaziland: The King's Constitution

Abstract

On 31 May 2003, after a delay of seven years, King Mswati III finally unveiled the draft of a new national constitution for Swaziland, at Ludzindzini royal village. While this new constitution ensures that governing power remains firmly in the hands of the monarchy, it is still an attempt to balance the concerns of the royal establishment (sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarchy) with local and international demands for political reform and the acknowledgement and respect of human rights. However, what it fails to address is the status of political opposition parties. These have been banned since 12 April 1973 when Mswati’s father, King Sobhuza II, suspended the constitution. In fact, while a new provision in the Bill of Rights guarantees “freedom of assembly and association”, there is no specific mention of political parties. As a consequence, the question of what role the monarchy must play in Swazi politics (a problem that has bedevilled this tiny kingdom ever since it...