The Kingdom of Swaziland (population 1,069, 000) is a small landlocked country in Southern Africa covering an area of 17,364 sq km between South Africa and Mozambique. The capital, Mbabane is situated in north west Swaziland in the Mdzimba Mountains. Lobamba, the royal and legislative capital of Swaziland, lies about 20 km south of Mbabane.

Swaziland is governed by King Mswati III, an hereditary monarch. The prime minister is appointed by the king and thereafter recommends cabinet appointments for the monarch’s approval.

A former British protectorate, Swaziland became independent in 1968. Since 1973 Swaziland’s system of government has been adapted to bring together both parliamentary and traditional systems.  A constitutional review is ongoing.

Swaziland 's achievements since independence are a justifiable source of pride in many areas, but a cause for complacency in none. Huge strides have been made in areas such as education and average life expectancy, but little has been achieved in managing the consequences of population growth, and with:

• one of the highest national antenatal HIV rates on earth
• a high population growth rate of 2.7 percent
• increasing civil disturbances
• serious unemployment
• serious or very serious soil erosion and other environmental degradation
  heavily skewed income distribution with much of the population living in absolute poverty
• indicators such as total fertility rates and under-five mortality being more in keeping with low human development nations than medium human development nations, and
• the recent slowing of growth both in formal employment and GDP

the challenges ahead appear to be even greater than those already overcome.