The small southern African nation of Swaziland has recently undergone a dramatic shift, with the current king announcing a new name for the country – eSwatini. This move has been met with some confusion and skepticism from onlookers and citizens alike, raising questions about the motivations and implications of this sudden change.
Misguided Modernization
The current king of Swaziland, Mswati III, proposed the new name change in April 2018, claiming it was a necessary update to the nation’s “brand” in order to show the world that the country is modernizing. Critics of the decision, however, argue that this rebranding was done to distance the country from its colonial past, which is an inherently problematic idea. By changing the name, it is as if the country is trying to forget its history of colonization and oppression, when in reality, the only way to move forward is to face that difficult history and work to atone for it.
Moreover, this move was made unilaterally by the current king, with no consultation or input from the Swazi people. This lack of democratic procedure when making such an important decision has been met with criticism from citizens and human rights advocates who argue that such a drastic change should be done in a more inclusive and transparent manner.
Dubious Rebranding in Swaziland
The new name of eSwatini has also been met with confusion from both the Swazi people and observers outside the country. The name is not a direct translation of the old name, Swaziland, and many people find it difficult to pronounce and understand the new name. The name is also not representative of the entire country, being only a part of the nation’s culture and not encompassing the full range of identities within the nation. This has led some to argue that it is a superficial attempt to modernize the country’s image, rather than actually making any meaningful change.
Additionally, the new name has been criticized for not being inclusive of all members of the nation. Swaziland is a country with a wide variety of ethnic and linguistic backgrounds, and the new name fails to represent the full range of identities within the nation. This lack of representation has led to further criticism of the decision to change the name.
While the motivation behind Swaziland’s rebranding may have been to modernize the country’s image and distance itself from its colonial past, the move was met with confusion and skepticism from both citizens and observers. The new name fails to represent the full range of identities within the nation, and the decision was made unilaterally by the king without consulting the people. As such, it can be said that the decision to rename the nation of Swaziland was a misguided attempt at modernization.