Sobhuza II

Sobhuza II
Ngwenyama
Sobhuza II in 1945
King of Swaziland
Reign	10 December 1899 – 21 August 1982
Coronation	10 December 1899
Predecessor	Ngwane V
Successor	Mswati III
Regent	Labotsibeni Mdluli (1899 – 1921)
Born	(1899-07-22)22 July 1899 Zombodze, Swaziland
Died	21 August 1982 (aged 83) Mbabane, Swaziland
Spouse	70 wives (including Ntfombi Tfwala)
Issue	210 children (including Mswati III)

Sobhuza II (22 July 1899 – 21 August 1982) was the King of Swaziland (now Eswatini) for 82 years and 254 days, the longest verifiable reign of any monarch in recorded history. The future king, also known as Nkhotfotjeni and Mona, was born at the Zombodze Royal Residence to King Ngwane V and Inkhosikati Lomawa Ndwandwe. His father passed away unexpectedly during a traditional dance when Sobhuza was only four months old, leading to his immediate selection as the new king. Due to his young age, his grandmother, Labotsibeni, and his uncle, Prince Malunge, governed the nation as regents until he reached maturity in 1921.

During his extensive reign, Sobhuza II guided Swaziland from its status as a British protectorate to an independent nation. The British officially recognised him as king in 1967, and Swaziland achieved full independence in 1968. Just five years later, in 1973, he repealed the constitution, banned political parties, and assumed all governmental powers, ruling as an absolute monarch until his death in 1982. He was known for maintaining Swazi traditions while also guiding his country toward stability and economic progress. After his death, a succession struggle occurred within the royal family, which was resolved in 1986 when his son, Mswati III, was crowned king.

Biography

Early life and education

The statue of King Sobhuza II.

Born on 22 July 1899 in Zombodze, Ingwenyama Sobhuza was just a four-month-old infant when he inherited the Swazi throne on 10 December 1899, following the death of his father, Ngwane V. His education took him through Zombodze Primary School, Swazi National School, and the Lovedale Institution in South Africa's Eastern Cape, before he became King at the age of 22. The regency during his minority was managed by his grandmother, Labotsibeni Mdluli, who officially transferred power to the Ngwenyama on 22 December 1921. In preparation for his royal duties, he also undertook a period of anthropological study in England.

Kingship

Sobhuza's direct rule spanned more than six decades (1921–1982), during which time he oversaw Swaziland's independence from the United Kingdom in 1968, following which the British government formally acknowledged him as King of Swaziland (Eswatini). Early in his reign, Sobhuza aimed to tackle the issue of land that had been occupied by white settlers in 1907. He initially led a delegation to London to meet King George V and petition for the restoration of these lands to the Swazi people. In 1929, he again pursued the land dispute, presenting his case to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. However, he was unsuccessful, due to the provisions of the Foreign Jurisdictions Act 1890, which effectively placed the actions of British administrations within protectorates beyond the jurisdiction of British courts. Sobhuza's role throughout this colonial period was largely ceremonial, yet he maintained significant influence as the traditional head of the Swazi nation. In 1934, he hosted the anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski, and in 1953, he attended the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in London.

In the early 1960s, Sobhuza played a crucial part in the events that led to his country's independence in 1968. He opposed the post-colonial Westminster constitution proposed by the British government, which would have assigned him the role of a constitutional monarch. Consequently, acting through his advisory council, he established the Imbokodvo National Movement, a political party that competed in and won all seats in the 1967 pre-independence elections. The British recognised him as King of Swaziland in 1967 when Swaziland achieved direct rule. Independence was secured on 6 September 1968. Subsequently, Sobhuza skillfully blended appeals to tribal customs with an ability to manage economic and social change for his kingdom. On 12 April 1973, the king abrogated the constitution and dissolved parliament, thereafter governing as an absolute ruler. In 1978, a new constitution was promulgated, providing for a detailed return to a tribal system of governance involving an electoral college of eighty members chosen by forty local councils known as tinkhundla, heavily influenced by tribal elements. The Swazi economy thrived under Sobhuza's leadership. Swaziland possesses abundant natural resources, and a substantial portion of the land and mineral wealth initially owned by non-Swazi interests was brought under indigenous control during Sobhuza's reign.

Later life and death

In 1981, Sobhuza marked his Diamond Jubilee, having successfully re-established and cemented the monarch's position as the primary decision-maker within his realm. Early in that decade, he attempted to gain control of KaNgwane, a Bantustan created by the South African government to bring together Swazi people separated by colonial borders. The King passed away at the age of 83 on 21 August 1982 at the Embo State house.

Sobhuza's official tenure of 82 years and 254 days stands as the longest accurately documented monarchical reign in history and the longest recorded reign of any sovereign since antiquity. While longer reigns are attributed to Min Hti of the Arakan Kingdom, Pepi II Neferkare of Ancient Egypt, and Taejo of the Goguryeo kingdom, these claims are subject to debate.

Family and succession

Nelson Mandela in 1993.

Revered with the honorific "Bull of the Swazi," King Sobhuza maintained the tribal custom of having numerous wives and fathered a vast number of children. According to official records, he had 70 consorts and 210 offspring between 1920 and 1970. Around 180 of his children survived infancy, and his descendants reportedly numbered over 1,000 grandchildren at his death.

Upon Sobhuza's passing in 1982, Prince Sozisa Dlamini was appointed to advise a regent. After a power struggle, the first regent, Queen Dzeliwe, was replaced by Queen Ntfombi. Her portrait was famously included in Andy Warhol's 'Reigning Queens' series. Queen Ntombi acted as regent for her son, Prince Makhosetive Dlamini, who was later crowned King Mswati III in 1986.

The king's family alliances extended internationally through his children's marriages. His daughter, Princess Mantfombi, married King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu of the Zulus in South Africa. Another son, Prince Thumbumuzi Dlamini, wed Zenani Mandela, daughter of Nelson Mandela, and they subsequently established a business in the United States.