The Kingdom of Swaziland, a landlocked country in Southern Africa, is bordered by South Africa and Mozambique. After the Second Boer War in 1902, the British took control of Swaziland and it became a British Protectorate. It may be a blessing in disguise as if it remained "independent", it might have been subsumed into the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (or South Africa Republic, a Boer-ruled country that existed in the late 18th century) which would have resulted in the kingdom being incorporated into the present-day South Africa. The kingdom then gained its independence in 1968 (the year the current king was born) and remained to be the only absolute monarchy in Africa.

The head of state, King Mswati III, ascended to the throne in 1986 and had ruled the country since then. Struggles between pro-democracy activists and supporters of the monarchy have resulted in the suppression of opposition political groups and dissidents. Although Swaziland's economy is dominated by agriculture and subsistence farming, there is also a large number of Swazis working in South Africa's mining, sugar or timber industries. Growth has been hampered by the after-effects of HIV/AIDS; Swaziland tops the world in terms of having the highest percentage (at least 30%) of its population infected with HIV. A scary perspective indeed.

I went to Manzini early next morning (E8/S$1.23 for the Kombi ride). Was feeling rather paranoid as this was truly the first time I was on my own in Africa but it became better as time passes. Although it was the largest city in Swaziland, navigation was not tough. I was surprised many shops were operated by the Mainland Chinese (note that Swaziland is one of the remaining countries that recongises Taiwan) and Indians. Based on my conversations with the locals, these were not ethnic Asians and had been here for less than 5 years (was told that no Asians were allowed under Sobhuza II - the father of the current king). Other than the usual churches, new mosques were built as the Muslim population (from Pakistan) grew due to the influx of Asian migrants.

Due to time constraints, I had to get back to Joburg via a Kombi because the next Baz Bus would only available 2 days later. I became really terrified after hearing scary stories about tourists being mugged in the Park Station precinct (i.e. this is where the Kombis would stop in Joburg) but a Spaniard (whom I met in the Kombi station in Manzini) suggested me to alight at the Eastgate Mall (located in the Bruma area of Joburg) instead. I felt more comfortable following his advice that nothing should go wrong if I am more confident yet remain vigilant at all times. Conversations with a fellow traveller had never ever been more useful than this.

After spending half a day walking around (rather) aimlessly in Manzini, I went back, took a long nap and had a swim again. The rest of evening was uneventful; cooked myself a nice dinner and drank more Castle. I was clearly enjoying my time in Swaziland, no matter how little it was.