Mswati III

Mswati III (born Makhosetive Dlamini; 19 April 1968) is the Ngwenyama (King) of Eswatini and head of the Swazi royal family since 1986. He is the head of an absolute monarchy, holding executive authority over all branches of government and constitutionally immune from prosecution. Along with his mother Queen Ntfombi, Mswati is the last remaining absolute monarch in Africa and one of twelve remaining absolute monarchs worldwide.

Under the constitution, the king is commander-in-chief of the defence force and commissioner-in-chief of police and correctional services, and exercises influence over local government through traditional chiefs. In 2018, Mswati promulgated a decree renaming the country from Swaziland to Eswatini, restoring its pre-colonial name. Political activism and dissent are regulated under laws including those against sedition. Protests calling for political reform from 2021 onwards were dispersed and a number of activists were arrested.

Eswatini faces significant economic challenges: in 2022, an estimated 32% of the population lived below the US$2.15/day international poverty line (measured by purchasing power parity in 2017) while 55% fell below the lower-middle-income country threshold of $3.65/day. The government exercises influence over state broadcast media, while a growing number of independent online outlets operate in the country.