By John Ikani
Voters in Eswatini are heading to polls to cast their votes for parliamentary elections, an event that might not significantly alter the political landscape of a nation firmly under the rule of Africa’s last absolute monarch.
King Mswati III has held sway over the southern African kingdom, home to approximately 1.2 million citizens, since 1986, when he succeeded his father, Sobhuza II.
Although political parties remain outlawed, individual candidates have the opportunity to contend for seats in the House of Assembly every five years.
The elected politicians primarily possess the power to propose ideas to the king, who retains the authority to disregard them.
Louw Nel, a senior political analyst at Oxford Economics Africa, predicts that the election will be dominated by monarchists and other candidates aligned with the reigning monarch.
Notably, two previous parliament members who supported the pro-democracy movement found themselves behind bars, while another fled the nation, Nel reported.
As Sivumelwano Nyembe, spokesperson for Eswatini’s Multi-Stakeholder Forum, a pro-democracy activist group, remarked, “It is a misnomer to call what is happening in Swaziland elections.”
Growing discontent with the existing governance system has brewed for years, with pro-democracy protests taking a violent turn in 2021.
Advocates for change argue that the king has consistently sidestepped calls for substantive reforms that would guide Eswatini, which adopted the name change from Swaziland in 2018, toward democratic progress.
In contrast, opponents of Mswati assert that he utilizes public funds to sustain an opulent lifestyle shared among his 15 wives, while much of the population comprises struggling subsistence farmers.
The 55-year-old king vehemently rejects the label of autocracy and remains unapologetic about his wealth.
Freedom House, a U.S.-based organization, designates Eswatini as “Not Free,” emphasizing the king’s ultimate authority across all branches of the national government and his influence over traditional chiefs, which effectively controls local governance.
At the invitation of the kingdom, the South African Development Community (SADC) has dispatched an electoral observation mission to Eswatini, with a preliminary statement expected on Sunday.
