List of Presidents of Eswatini

The Presidents of Eswatini is the main executive and legislative head of the nation of Eswatini. Since the formation of the post of PresidentsMinister of Swaziland in 1967 to the present day, there has been a total of nine people. There were six acting Presidents. They serve to represent the country and the Presidents of the nation.

Key

Political parties
  •   Imbokodvo National Movement
Other factions
Status

/Chiefs of the Swazi people (pre–1745)

  • Other possible-existing unknown and/or unidentified earlier kings (or chiefs; or rulers)? ?–? (?)
  • Mkhulunkosi: ?–?
  • Qomizitha: ?–?
  • Sukuta (king): ?–?
  • Madlasomo: ?–?
  • Ndlovu: ?–?
  • Ngwekati: ?–?
  • Mawawa/Kuwawa: ?–?
  • Sidvwabasilutfuli: ?–?
  • Sukumbili: ?–?
  • Mbokane: ?–?
  • Gebase: ?–?
  • Kunene: ?–?
  • Nkabingwe: ?–?
  • Madlabane: ?–?
  • Hhili: ?–?
  • Dulunga: ?–?
  • Dondobola: ?–?
  • Sihuba: ?–?
  • Mlangeni: ?–?
  • Msimudze: ?–?
  • Mbhondlo: ?–?
  • Tembe: ?–?
  • Sikhulumaloyo: ?–?
  • Langa Samuketi: ?–1200
  • Nkomo: 1200–1300
  • Khabako: 1300–1355
  • Nkosi I: 1355–1400
  • Ngwane I: 1400–1435
  • Dlamini I (Matalatala): 1435–1465
  • Mswati I: 1480–1520
  • Ngwane II: 1520–1550
  • Dlamini II: 1555–1600
  • Nkosi II: 1600–1640
  • Mavuso I: 1645–1680
  • Magudulela: 1685–1685
  • Ludvonga I: 1685–1715
  • Dlamini III: 1720–1744

Kings of Swaziland (1745–1903)

  • Ngwane III: 1745–1780 (The first King of modern Swaziland)
  • LaYaka Ndwandwe (Queen Regent): 1780
  • Ndvungunye (Zikodze, Mavuso II): 1780–1815
  • Lomvula Mndzebele (Queen Regent): 1815
  • Sobhuza I (Somhlolo): 1815–1839
  • Lojiba Simelane (Queen Regent): 1836–1840
  • Mswati II (Mavuso III): 1840–1868
  • Tsandzile Ndwandwe (Queen Regent): July 1868 – June 1875
  • Crown Prince Ludvonga II (Macaleni) – Never became King
  • Dlamini IV (Mbandzeni): 1875–1889
  • Tibati Nkambule (Queen Regent): 7 April 1889 – 1894
  • Ngwane V (Mahlokohla): January 1895 – 10 December 1899
  • Labotsibeni Gwamile Mdluli (Queen Regent): 10 December 1899 – 7 August 1903

President Paramount Chiefs under British rule (1903–1968)

  • Labotsibeni Gwamile Mdluli (Queen Regent): 7 August 1903 – 22 December 1921
  • Sobhuza II: 22 December 1921 – 2 September 1968

Kings of Eswatini (1968–present)

NameLifespanReign startReign endNotesFamilyImage
Sobhuza II(1899-07-22)22 July 1899 – 21 August 1982(1982-08-21) (aged 83)2 September 196821 August 1982Son of Ngwane VHouse of Dlamini
Mswati III (1968-04-19) 19 April 196825 April 1986IncumbentSon of Sobhuza IIHouse of Dlamini
"Authorized Person" during the minority of King Mswati III
  • Prince Sozisa Dlamini: 21 August 1982 – 1 November 1985 (suspended from July 1984)
Regents during the minority of King Mswati III
  • Queen Dzeliwe: 21 August 1982 – 9 August 1983
  • Prince Sozisa Dlamini: 9 August 1983 – 18 August 1983 (acting)
  • Queen Ntfombi: 18 August 1983 – 25 April 1986

Chairmen of the (Provisional 18 Dec 1889 - 13 Sep 1890) Government Committee

16 May 1887 - Feb 1889     Theophilus "Offy" Shepstone, Jr.   (b. 1843 - d. 1907)

                     

Feb 1889 - 10 May 1889     Allister Mitchell Miller           (b. 1864 - d. 1951)

May 1889 - 18 Dec 1889     Naphtali "Naph" Herz Cohen         (b. 18.. - d. 1907)

18 Dec 1889 - 28 Aug 1894  Theophilus "Offy" Shepstone, Jr.   (s.a.)


28 Aug 1894 - 21 Feb 1895  George Herbert Hulett              (b. 1864 - d. 1943)

South African Republic (Transvaal) Special Commissioner

21 Feb 1895 - 1902         Johannes Christoffel Krogh         (b. 1846 - d. 1921)

British Special Commissioner (subordinated to the governor of Transvaal)

24 Aug 1902 - Mar 1907     Francis Greenock Herbert Enraght-  (b. 1865 - d. 1943)

                             Moony

British Resident Commissioners, Swaziland

(subordinated to the High Commissioner for Southern Africa to 3 Oct 1963)

Mar 1907 - Oct 1907        Francis Greenock Herbert Enraght-  (s.a.)

                             Moony (interim)

Apr 1907 - Jan 1916        Robert Thorne Coryndon             (b. 1870 - d. 1925)

                            (acting for Enraght-Moony to Oct 1907)

1916 - Oct 1928            De Symons Montagu George Honey     (b. 1872 - d. 1945)

                            (acting to 1 Jan 1917)

Oct 1928 -  1 Apr 1935     Thomas Ainsworth-Dickson           (b. 1881 - d. 1935)

Apr 1935 - Sep 1935        John Rae Armstrong (acting)        (b. 1881 - d. 1955?)

Oct 1935 - Nov 1937        Allan Graham Marwick               (b. 1877 - d. 1966)

2 Nov 1937 - 1942         Charles Lamb Bruton                (b. 1890 - d. 1969)

30 Sep 1942 - 1946         Eric Kellett Featherstone          (b. 1896 - d. 1965)

25 Aug 1946 - 1951         Edward Betham Beetham              (b. 1905 - d. 1979)

5 Mar 1951 - 1956         David Loftus Morgan                (b. 1904 - d. 1976)

19 Dec 1956 - 16 Oct 1963  Brian Allan Marwick                (b. 1908 - d. 1992)

                            (from 8 Jun 1963, Sir Brian Allan Marwick)

Commissioners for Swaziland

16 Oct 1963 -  1 May 1964  Sir Brian Allan Marwick            (s.a.)

12 May 1964 -  5 Sep 1968  Francis Alfred Lloyd               (b. 1916 - d. 2006)

                             (from 12 Jun 1965, Sir Francis Alfred Lloyd)            

List of officeholders

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Term of office
Took office Left office Time in office
Presidents of the Executive Council (1857–1866)
1 Marthinus Wessel Pretorius
(1819–1901)
6 January 1857 15 September 1860 3 years, 253 days
Johannes Hermanus Grobler
(1813–1892)
Acting
15 September 1860 6 December 1860
(ousted)
82 days
Civil War (1861–1864)
Stephanus Schoeman
(1810–1890)
Acting
[a]
6 December 1860 17 April 1862 1 year, 132 days
2 Willem Cornelis Janse van Rensburg
(1818–1865)
18 April 1862 23 October 1863 1 year, 188 days
23 October 1863 10 May 1864 200 days
(1) Marthinus Wessel Pretorius
(1819–1901)
10 May 1864 22 October 1866 2 years, 165 days
State Presidents (1866–1902)
1 Marthinus Wessel Pretorius
(1819–1901)
22 October 1866[b] 20 November 1871 5 years, 29 days
Daniel Jacobus Erasmus
(1830–1913)
Acting
21 November 1871 1 July 1872 223 days
2 Thomas François Burgers
(1834–1881)
1 July 1872 12 April 1877 4 years, 285 days
First Boer War (12 April 1877 – 8 August 1881)
First British annexation (Transvaal Colony)
[c]


Triumvirate:
  • Paul Kruger
    (1825–1904)
  • Marthinus Wessel Pretorius
    (1819–1901)
  • Piet Joubert
    (1834–1900)
13 December 1880 9 May 1883 2 years, 147 days
3 Paul Kruger
(1825–1904)
9 May 1883 31 May 1902[d] 19 years, 22 days
Second Boer War (11 October 1899 – 31 May 1902)
Schalk Willem Burger
(1852–1918)
Acting for absent Kruger
10 September 1900 31 May 1902 1 year, 263 days
Post abolished with the Treaty of Vereeniging
Second British annexation (Transvaal Colony)


Transvaal Colony

Governors of the Transvaal

Tenure Portrait Incumbent Notes
First annexation
Administrators
12 April 1877 to 4 March 1879 Sir Theophilus Shepstone
4 March 1879 to 8 August 1881 Owen Lanyon From 6 April 1880, Sir William Owen Lanyon; acting for Wolseley 29 September 1879 – 27 April 1880
Governor
29 September 1879 to 27 April 1880 Garnet Wolseley, 1st Viscount Wolseley
Second annexation
Administrator
4 January 1901 to 23 June 1902 Alfred Milner, 1st Viscount Milner Simultaneously served as the Administrator of Orange River Colony
Governors
21 June 1902 to 1 April 1905 Alfred Milner, 1st Viscount Milner Simultaneously served as the governor of Orange River Colony
2 April 1905 to 31 May 1910 William Palmer, 2nd Earl of Selborne

Lieutenant-governors of the Transvaal

Tenure Portrait Incumbent Notes
Second annexation
Lieutenant-Governors
29 September 1902 to 4 December 1905 Sir Arthur Lawley Appointed Governor of Madras
23 March 1906 to January 1907 Sir Richard Solomon Acting for Selborne 4 December 1905 to 2 October 1906

Prime Minister of the Transvaal

Tenure Portrait Incumbent Party Notes
4 March 1907 to 31 May 1910 Louis Botha HV Afterwards served as the first prime minister of South Africa, from 1910 to 1919

Presidents

# Presidents

(Birth–Death)

Tenure Political affiliation
Took office Left office
1 Makhosini Dlamini

(1914–1978)

16 May 1967 31 March 1976 Imbokodvo National Movement

(until 1973.)

Independent
2 Maphevu Dlamini

(1922–1979)

31 March 1976 25 October 1979

(died in office.)

Independent
3 Ben Nsibandze

(1931–2021)

25 October 1979 23 November 1979 Independent
4 Mabandla Dlamini

(1930–)

23 November 1979 25 March 1983 Independent
5 Bhekimpi Dlamini

(1924–1999)

25 March 1983 6 October 1986 Independent
6 Sotsha Dlamini

(1940–2017)

6 October 1986 12 July 1989 Independent
7 Obed Dlamini

(1937–2017)

12 July 1989 25 October 1993 Independent
8 Andreas Fakudze

(19?–2013)

25 October 1993 4 November 1993 Independent
9 Jameson Mbilini Dlamini

(1921–2008)

4 November 1993 8 May 1996 Independent
10 Sishayi Nxumalo

(1936–2000)

8 May 1996 26 July 1996 Independent
11 Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini

(1942–2018)

26 July 1996 29 September 2003 Independent
12 Paul Shabangu

(c. 1943–)

29 September 2003 26 November 2003 Independent
13 Themba Dlamini

(1950–)

26 November 2003 18 September 2008 Independent
14 Bheki Dlamini 18 September 2008 23 October 2008 Independent
(11) Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini

(1942–2018)

23 October 2008 5 September 2018 Independent
15 Vincent Mhlanga 5 September 2018 29 October 2018 Independent
16 Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini

(1968–2020)

29 October 2018 13 December 2020 Independent
17 Themba N. Masuku

(1950–)

13 December 2020 16 July 2021 Independent
18 Cleopas Dlamini

(1952–)

16 July 2021 28 September 2023 Independent
19 Mgwagwa Gamedze 28 September 2023 4 November 2023 Independent
20 Russell Dlamini 4 November 2023 Incumbent Independent

References

Other websites


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