Editing Eswatini (section)

===Independence (1968–present)===
Following the elections of 1972, the constitution of Swaziland was suspended by King [[Sobhuza II]] who thereafter ruled the country by [[decree]] until his death in 1982. At that point, Sobhuza II had been king of Swaziland for almost 83 years, making him the [[List of longest-reigning monarchs|longest-reigning monarch in history]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1986/0520/oswaz.html|title=Swazi King ready to rule – after exams|date=20 May 1986|work=[[The Christian Science Monitor]]|access-date=20 April 2018|issn=0882-7729}}</ref> A regency followed his death, with Queen Regent [[Dzeliwe of Eswatini|Dzeliwe Shongwe]] as head of state until 1984 when she was removed by the Liqoqo and replaced by Queen Mother [[Ntfombi of Eswatini|Ntfombi Tfwala]].<ref name=":0" /> [[Mswati III]], the son of Ntfombi, was crowned in 1986 as king and ''[[ngwenyama]]'' of Swaziland.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1986/04/26/Mswati-III-the-new-teenage-king-of-Swaziland-vowed/9754514875600/|title=Mswati III, the new teenage king of Swaziland, vowed...|work=UPI|date=26 April 1986}}</ref>

An attempt to transfer neighbouring parts of [[South Africa]], more precisely parts of the Zulu [[bantustan|homeland]] of [[KwaZulu]] and parts of the Swazi homeland of [[KaNgwane]], to Swaziland in 1982 was never realized.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/43109383|jstor = 43109383|title = Swaziland's Proposed Land Deal with South AfricaThe Case of Ingwavuma and Kangwane|last1 = Senftleben|first1 = Wolfgang|journal = Verfassung und Recht in Übersee / Law and Politics in Africa, Asia and Latin America|year = 1984|volume = 17|issue = 4|pages = 493–501}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/722639|jstor = 722639|title = The Abortive Swazi Land Deal|last1 = Griffiths|first1 = Ieuan Ll|last2 = Funnell|first2 = D. C.|journal = African Affairs|year = 1991|volume = 90|issue = 358|pages = 51–64|doi = 10.1093/oxfordjournals.afraf.a098406 |issn = 0001-9909}}</ref> This would have given land-locked Swaziland access to the sea. The deal was negotiated by the governments of South Africa and Swaziland, but was met by popular opposition in the territory meant to be transferred.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www2.lib.uct.ac.za/blacksash/pdfs/cnf19830311.026.001.000b.pdf |title=The Ingwavuma/KaNgwane Land Deal |access-date=8 June 2023}}</ref> The territory had been claimed by Sobhuza II as part of the Swazi monarchs' traditional realm, and the South African government hoped to use the area as a buffer zone against guerrilla infiltration from [[Mozambique]]. (The South African government responded to the failure of the transfer by temporarily suspending the autonomy of KaNgwane.)<ref>{{cite book |first=Dennis |last=Austin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D_0NAAAAQAAJ&dq=KaNgwane+Swaziland+%22Supreme+Court%22&pg=PA54 |title=South Africa, 1984 |location=London |publisher=Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd. |date=1985 |page=54|isbn=9780710206206 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Macmillan |first=Hugh |chapter=A Nation Divided? The Swazi in Swaziland and the Transvaal, 1865–1986 |editor-first=Leroy |editor-last=Vail |url=http://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft158004rs&chunk.id=d0e8042&toc.id=d0e7328&brand=eschol |title=The Creation of Tribalism in Southern Africa |location=Berkeley, California |publisher=University of California Press |date=1989 |pages=310–316}}</ref>

The 1990s saw a rise in student and labour protests calling on the king to introduce reforms.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://reliefweb.int/report/swaziland/swaziland-doubt-over-legality-protests-keep-swazis-bay-now|title=Swaziland: Doubt over the legality of protests keep Swazis at bay, for now|work=ReliefWeb|access-date=20 April 2018}}</ref> Thus, progress towards constitutional reforms began, culminating with the introduction of the current Swazi constitution in 2005. This happened despite objections by political activists. The current constitution does not clearly deal with the status of political parties.<ref name=":1" /> The first election under the constitution took place in 2008. Members of Parliament (MPs) were elected from 55 constituencies (also known as ''tinkhundla''). These MPs served five-year terms which ended in 2013.<ref name=":1">{{cite web |url=http://thecommonwealth.org/our-member-countries/swaziland/constitution-politics|title=Swaziland : Constitution and politics |publisher=The Commonwealth |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107005133/http://thecommonwealth.org/our-member-countries/swaziland/constitution-politics |archive-date=7 November 2017|url-status=dead |access-date=20 April 2018}}</ref> In 2011, Swaziland suffered an economic crisis which was caused by reduced [[Southern African Customs Union]] (SACU) receipts. This caused the government to request a loan from neighbouring South Africa. However, they did not agree with the conditions of the loan, which included political reforms.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.iol.co.za/business-report/economy/timeline-swaziland-economic-crisis-1448880|title=Timeline: Swaziland economic crisis |publisher= IOL Business Report |date=8 January 2013}}</ref>

During this period, there was increased pressure on the [[Government of Eswatini|Swazi government]] to carry out more reforms. Public protests by civic organisations and [[trade union]]s became more common. Starting in 2012, improvements in SACU receipts eased the fiscal pressure on the Swazi government. A new parliament, the second since the promulgation of the constitution, was elected in 2013. The king then reappointed [[Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini|Sibusiso Dlamini]] as prime minister for the third time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gov.sz/index.php?option%3Dcom_content%26view%3Darticle%26id%3D1460%3Aking-re-appoints-dr-bs-dlamini-as-prime-minister%26catid%3D1%3Alatest-news|title=King re-appoints Dr. B.S. Dlamini as Prime Minister|website=Government of the Kingdom of Swaziland|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029200528/http://www.gov.sz/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1460%3Aking-re-appoints-dr-bs-dlamini-as-prime-minister&catid=1%3Alatest-news|archive-date=29 October 2013|access-date=20 April 2018}}</ref>

On 19 April 2018, Mswati III announced that the Kingdom of Swaziland had been renamed as the Kingdom of Eswatini, reflecting the extant Swazi name for the state ''eSwatini'', to mark the 50th anniversary of Swazi independence. The name Eswatini means "land of the Swazis" in the Swazi language and was partially intended to prevent confusion with the similarly named [[Switzerland]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-43821512|title=Swaziland king changes the country's name|date=19 April 2018|work=BBC News|access-date=19 April 2018}}</ref><ref name="KingdEswatini">{{cite web|title=Kingdom of Swaziland Change Now Official|url=http://www.times.co.sz/news/118373-kingdom-of-eswatini-change-now-official.html|website=Times Of Swaziland|access-date=25 May 2018|date=18 May 2018|archive-date=27 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327101352/http://www.times.co.sz/news/118373-kingdom-of-eswatini-change-now-official.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Eswatini workers began anti-government protests against low salaries in September 2018. They went on a three-day strike organised by the [[Trade Union Congress of Eswatini]] that resulted in widespread disruption.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://allafrica.com/stories/201809210158.html|title=Swaziland: Police Turn Swaziland City Into 'Warzone' As National Strike Enters Second Day|date=21 September 2018|via=AllAfrica}}</ref> In June 2021, [[2021 Eswatini protests|pro-democracy protests]] broke out across the country, sparking riots, looting, and street skirmishes with police and soldiers. This civil unrest began as a result of years of anger towards the lack of meaningful reforms that would nudge Eswatini in the direction of democracy, as well as the government's reported banning of the submission of petitions.<ref name="Petition Ban" />  Numerous buildings said to be connected to King Mswati III were torched by protesters, and police reportedly assaulted and arrested political opponents. ''[[The New York Times]]'' called the turmoil in the landlocked nation "the most explosive civil unrest in its 53&nbsp;years of independence".<ref>{{cite news|first=John|last=Eligon|title=Africa's Last Absolute Monarchy Convulsed by Mass Protests|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=July 2, 2021|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/02/us/africa-monarchy-eswatini-protests-swaziland.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/02/us/africa-monarchy-eswatini-protests-swaziland.html |archive-date=2021-12-28 |url-access=limited|access-date=July 3, 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref> At least 20 people were killed by state security forces and dozens more injured and detained.  The government shut down the Internet (with the compliance of mobile providers MTN and Eswatini Mobile) making it difficult to access reliable news from the country.  The king was also said to have fled the country, though government officials disputed those claims, also calling for an end to the protests.<ref name="Petition Ban">{{cite web|url=https://ewn.co.za/2021/06/29/eswatini-govt-defends-decision-to-ban-delivery-of-petitions-by-protestors|title=eSwatini govt defends decision to ban delivery of petitions by protestors |work=Eyewitness News |first1=Mia |last1=Lindeque |first2=Gladys |last2=Mutele |date=29 June 2021 |access-date=2 July 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-57652034|title=King Maswati not fled Eswatini's violent protests – PM|work=BBC News|date=30 June 2021|access-date=2 July 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/anti-monarchy-protests-african-kingdom-eswatini-turn-violent-2021-06-29/|title=Anti-monarchy protests in African kingdom eSwatini turn violent|date=29 June 2021|newspaper=Reuters|access-date=2 July 2021|last1=Masuku|first1=Lunga}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://mg.co.za/africa/2021-07-01-qa-whats-driving-the-protests-in-eswatini/|title=Q&A: What's driving the protests in Eswatini? |date=1 July 2021|work=Mail & Guardian |last=Allison |first=Simon |access-date=2 July 2021}}</ref>