According to tradition, the people of the present Swazi nation migrated south before the 16th century to what is now Mozambique. Following a series of conflicts with people living in the area of modern Maputo, the Swazis settled in northern Zululand in about 1750. Unable to match the growing Zulu strength, the Swazis moved gradually northward in the 1800s and accomplished themselves in the area of modern or present Swaziland.

The government also has been criticized by both domestic groups and international observers for remarkable interference starting in late 2002 with the freedom of the judiciary, Parliament and freedom of the press. Swaziland has been without a Court of Appeals since the Court’s resignation en masse in December 2002 in protest of the government’s refusal to abide by the Court’s decisions in two valuable rulings. Other related events have been the resignation of the Chief Justice, the removal of two other Justices of the High Court, interference by the Palace with Parliament, and the official announcement of new censorship rules.