In one of the few countries where a single person can action a name change, Swaziland’s absolute King Mswati III has done just that.
To mark the 50th anniversary of Swazi independence from British colonisation, as well as the King’s 50th birthday, Swaziland will now ‘revert to its original name’ and be called ‘the Kingdom of eSwatini’.
In the country’s local language, eSwatini means ‘land of the Swazis’. The small, landlocked nation borders South Africa and Mozambique and has a population of about 1.3 million.
Other African countries such as Zimbabwe, Ghana, and Tanzania, changed their names after they gained independence, but Swaziland kept it after its 60 years as a British colony came to an end in 1968.
According to AFP, King Mswati III said:
I would like to announce that Swaziland will now revert to its original name.
African countries on getting independence reverted to their ancient names before they were colonised.
So from now on, the country will be officially be known as the Kingdom of eSwatini.
The BBC reports that the monarch has been using the name eSwatini for year, including when he addressed the United Nations General Assembly last year.
