On Thursday, the former Swaziland marks 50 years of independence. To celebrate, King Mswati III renamed the country eSwatini. The move is part of an attempt to break with the colonial past, but not everyone is happy.

When did Swaziland name change?

After the Second Boer War, the kingdom, under the name of Swaziland, was a British protectorate from 1903 until it regained its independence on 6 September 1968. In April 2018, the official name was changed from Kingdom of Swaziland to Kingdom of Eswatini, mirroring the name commonly used in Swazi.

Why did they change Swaziland name?

eSwatini—or is it Swaziland? ... King Mswati III announced on April 19 that Swaziland would now be known as eSwatini. The name-change was driven by a desire to fully break from the country's colonial past, while ending international confusion between Swaziland and Switzerland, the king said.