Countries of the World/COUNTRYS.BIN/dp/0344/03445.txt

Text File | 1991-06-25 | 26KB | 487 lines

$Unique_ID{COW03445}
$Pretitle{440}
$Title{Swaziland
Introduction}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Greg Dardagan and Jennifer Edley}
$Affiliation{Embassy of Swaziland, Washington DC}
$Subject{swaziland
king
swazi
industrial
country
manzini
town
majesty
area
matsapha}
$Date{1990}
$Log{Map*0344501.scf
}
Country:     Swaziland
Book:        A review of commerce and industry 1990 edition Swaziland
Author:      Greg Dardagan and Jennifer Edley
Affiliation: Embassy of Swaziland, Washington DC
Date:        1990

Introduction

[See Map: Swaziland in relation to the rest of Africa. Courtesy of the Embassy
of Swaziand, Washington DC.]

MESSAGE FROM THE HON. N D NTIWANE, MINISTER OF COMMERCE, INDUSTRY AND TOURISM

     The message of assurance I gave in the 1989 edition still holds
good-Swaziland remains the best place for investment. Those genuine investors
who heeded this message have continued to enjoy the peace, prosperity and
harmony that exists nation-wide.

     Though land is getting scarcer at Matsapha Industrial Estates, there are
other areas that are still open in all the regions. Investors must come and
take advantage of our new trade routes to international markets at reduced
rates. Finance, as always, must be the last worry of any potentially good
investor, with maximum returns being assured for the project concerned. Our
investment arm, the Swaziland Industrial Development Corporation would enjoy
discussing any such project.

     As we never tire of meeting friends, so we shall never tire of
introducing you to our fascinating life.

     We mean business.

Introduction

     It was indeed fortunate that Swaziland gained independence during the
reign of one of the country's greatest Kings, His Majesty King Sobhuza II,
because the stability he established has continued to gain the confidence of
nations worldwide. Attracted by easy access to markets, a good commercial
infrastructure and tax incentives, investments have poured in and a major
industrial base with a growing export potential has been established.

     Since independence, the gross national product (GNP) has trebled;
production, processing and trade in agriculture and forestry related products
have become major activities and the traditional sub-sector has been raised
from subsistence level to commercial or semi-commercial farming. Added to
this, nation-wide education has been achieved on schedule and the National
Employment Service has been established to place school-leavers effectively;
preventative medical care will soon stamp out diseases which have been taking
their toll for centuries; King Sobhuza's personal promise that no-one would
have to walk more than five minutes for health care is near fulfilment; and
the National Provident Fund gives protection to the aged and needy.

     Even the appearance of the nation has changed, with high-rise buildings
and enlarged industrial estates housing totally new industries. International
standard hotels have been built of which the most prominent is the Piggs Peak
Protea Hotel. The tourism industry has become a major foreign-exchange earner
with more than 315 000 bed-nights sold in 1988. Total estimated receipts from
tourism were E46 million, exceeding the E38, 1 million of 1987.

     Swaziland is a member of international organisations such as the British
Commonwealth, United Nations, Organisation of African Unity, International
Monetary Fund, African Development Bank, International Labour Organisation,
World Health Organisation, Economic Commission for Africa, Preferential Trade
Area, SADCC, World Bank and the Southern African Customs Union.

     Yet, as development continues in ways that even King Sobhuza II never
dreamed of, his influence remains because of his insistence on retaining
traditional tribal values. From this core of stability, Swaziland can look
forward with confidence to the next 20 years and further.

HISTORY AND GOVERNMENT

     The Swazi people are descendants of the Nguni who migrated from Central
Africa several hundred years ago. Around 1750, an offshoot of these migrants,
the Nkosi Dlamini, settled in the south-eastern sector of the area which is
now Swaziland. Mswati II was proclaimed king in 1840 and "the people of
Mswati" engendered the Swazi nation. From the 1840s onwards, white settlers
secured many valuable commercial and agricultural concessions while the
British and Transvaal Governments demarcated Swazi territory between them. In
1906 Swaziland became a High Commission Territory under British colonial
administration.

     In 1968 the country was led to independence by His Majesty King Sobhuza
II, Ngwenyama ("The Lion") of Swaziland. Born in 1899, Sobhuza became King in
1921 and ruled until his death in 1982. Thus in terms of continuity, Swaziland
can boast a political stability unknown by most Western nations. It was with
great joy that the Swazi nation witnessed the coronation of His Majesty King
Mswati III in April 1986.

     The Westminster-style constitution imposed by Britain at Independence was
revoked in 1973 and replaced with a dualistic structure which combines the
modern Western concept of government with the traditional tribal system.
Executive power is vested in the King who rules in consultation with both the
cabinet and the bicameral parliament. This is paralleled by the Swazi National
Council, or Libandla, consisting of the King, the Queen Mother, and all adult
males. The King and Queen Mother, who rule jointly, are advised by the
Libandla on all matters connected with Swazi law and custom. Similarly, the
courts interpreting and administering modified Roman Dutch law are paralleled
by the Swazi National Courts which have jurisdiction over the indigenous
inhabitants and administer Swazi law and custom.

     In keeping with the teachings of Sobhuza, the government has maintained a
non-racial policy which has ensured that there is no discrimination against
the 3 per cent of the population who are not of Swazi origin-people of mainly
Zulu, European, Mocambican and mixed descent. Evidence of this philosophy is
that members of minority groups hold ministerial office.

CLIMATE AND TOPOGRAPHY

     Swaziland, although a small country, encompasses extraordinary climatic
and scenic variety. Geographers divide the country into four distinct belts
running north to south-the highveld, middleveld, lowveld and Lubombo plateau.

     The westernmost belt, the highveld, is a mountainous area with an average
altitude of 1 300 m, split by many rivers, valleys and gorges. Only 10 per
cent of this land has potential for crop agriculture, though sheep and
cattle-grazing is practised. Swazis call this region Nkhangala
("The Treeless") but afforestation schemes have been successful in some parts
of the region. The climate is near-temperate but humid with the annual
rainfall ranging from 1 016 to 2 286 mm. There is occasional frost, while snow
has fallen three times this century. Temperatures vary between 33 degrees and
-4, 5C.

     The undulating middleveld, with an average elevation of 700 m, has a
warmer and drier climate-temperatures vary between 37,2 degrees and 2,5
and the annual rainfall ranges from 762 to 1 143 mm. This region is
agriculturally the most highly developed: maize is the main crop cultivated on
Swazi Nation Land, but tobacco, sorghum, beans, cotton, groundnuts and
vegetables are also grown. On freehold farms, cotton, fruit and maize are the
most important crops.

     The lowveld climate, like that of the middleveld, is also subtropical,
although it is hotter and drier. Temperatures range from 41,8 degrees to -2,6
and the annual rainfall from 508 to 590 mm. Since the region suffers
from periods of protracted drought, crops are grown under irrigation - sugar
predominates but cotton, rice, groundnuts, sorghum and citrus fruit are also
grown. Elevation averages 200 m.

     The easternmost region, the Lubombo plateau, with an average altitude of
600 m, has a climate very similar to that of the middleveld. There is crop
agriculture on o