Preparing to visit Swaziland
Cultural Information
1. Swazi are very warm and friendly people. All of the information below is an FYI. Please don’t be in fear of culture because for the most part Swazi don’t expect foreigners to follow all of their traditional rules.
2. It is considered disrespectful to look an older person in the eye when speaking to them/ being spoken to*
3. Women are considered immoral if they wear pants/ shorts when in public, especially at church ( for women) *
4. Always give/ receive things using the right hand. Some people use their left hand to wipe (after using the bathroom), so it is rude to use this hand when giving/ receiving things.
(Children’s Cup will make it a point to avoid putting you in such a situation)
It is expected that:
1. When you meet someone( you know) you greet them and chit chat a little (about the family etc) rather than just say ‘hey’ and walk away.
§ Relationships take priority over time in Swazi culture. It doesn’t matter if you are late or in a hurry, you must have some kind of conversation that goes beyond a greeting.
2. When you enter an office/ home, etc, you greet everyone (whether or not you know them).
§ Greeting is a way of acknowledging the people. If you do not greet them, you are pretty much ignoring them and being very rude.
3. Older people are given preference if there isn’t enough seating, etc
§ This is just a way of honoring age.
4. Men are superior to women
Women and children are regarded much lower than men in Swazi culture. Women will not usually address a group of men say in a church service/ meeting. The people working with Children’s Cup are mostly female and we have trained all of our male staff to treat women with respect. The Swazi culture is definitely male dominated. The role of women may seem shocking to some of you, please respect there way of life even if you disagree with it. The African staff feels that you need to earn the right/trust to speak into the lives of adult Swazis. Ben who has been in the country for over two years still has reservations about speaking in disagreement with the way they do things. It is important to make the distinction of what is biblical and what is our culture speaking. We as an overseas staff are working at speaking biblical truth in the country but we are still earning the right to be heard.
§ Older people are referred to as Mr./ Mrs. so and so and not by their first name
§ This is just a form of respect.
It is not unusual for:
1. a man to have more than one wife (the king has more than 10 wives)
§ Usually, a man will boast about having many wives because it is a sign of wealth. In order for a man to marry, he must pay the wife’s family dowry (usually in the form of cows). Having many wives is therefore a sign that one has many cows, which are a sign of wealth.
2. people to seek help from the Sangoma( witchdoctor) for health, family, work, and other issues
§ Traditional healers and witchdoctors are a big part of Swazi culture.(Unfortunately) When sick, unable to find a job, have children, etc, a lot of people will suspect witchcraft and will seek some form of witchcraft to ‘protect’ themselves. Ancestral worship is also very common. People believe the ancestors are watching over them and will do various things to appease them. Children's Cup is working hard to combat this as we work with the children at our Care points to understand God’s truth
3. It is usually difficult to tell young girls from young buys because young girls normally keep their hair short
4. Maintenance of long hair is an expensive inconvenience
5. Buddy System
No one should ever go anywhere alone.
One guy and one girl should never be alone.
Any number of girls (2 or more) should always have either a guy or a missionary with them. (This is because of the place that women have in society)
* More in the rural areas
*****It is absolutely unacceptable to say anything bad about the King. *****
Swaziland is a true monarchy and the whole nation still has lots of respect for the King. It is not a good idea to talk badly about the King in front of a Swazi. Just be careful when commenting on the political system because you can easily offend the people of this proud kingdom. Swaziland is a country with one foot in the present and one foot in the past. Traditional leadership (chiefs, runners, ect.) rule side by side with elected officials
Twelve Siswati Words
Siswati English
Sawubona (saw a bone a) Good Morning or Afternoon
Unjani? (oon johnie) How are you
Ngiyaphila (nee yah peel ya) I am well
Unjani wena (oon johnie wayna) And yourself
Ubuya kuphi? (oobooyah goopie) Where do you come from
Ngibuya e Melika (knee yah booya a May lee gah) I am from the United States of America
Ungubani ligama lakho? (oongoobahnee leegahmah lahgoh) What is your name?
Ligama lami ngingu Ben Rodgers (leegahmah lahmee neenoo __) My Name is Mr. Ben Rodgers
Yini ligama le kapani loyisebentelako What is the name of your Company?
Akabongwe Nkulunkulu (ahgahbongway koolukooloo) Praise the Lord
Jesu uya kutsandza (Jesu ooya goosan za a) Jesus loves you
The Incwala or kingship ceremony
The incwala, or first fruits ceremony, in which the king plays a dominant role, is the most sacred of all the Swazi rituals. It is held in December or January on a date chosen by astrologers in conjuction with the phases of the moon. The ritual begins with a journey by the “Bemanti” (people of the water) to the Indian Ocean to collect water and on their return to the royal kraal, the little Ncwala begins, preceeding the full moon. Youths then travel in groups to all parts of the kingdom to collect sacred branches of the “Lusekwane”schrub, a species of acasia. On the third day a bull is ritually slaughtered by the youths, instilling solidarity among them and a spirit of valour. The fourth day is the culmination of the Ncwala when the King, in full ceremonial dress, joins his warriors in the traditional dance. He then enters a special hut and after further rituals, eats the first fruits of the season. On the appearance of the King to his people, they may also eat these fruits with the blessing of the ancestors.
The burning of the king’s bedding and household items follows, thus cleansing everything in readiness for the New Year. Certain parts of the Ncwala may not be witness by outside people and it is advisable not to take photographs within the proximity of the royal cattle byre.
The Umhlanga or Reed Dance
The Reed Dance or Umhlanga is the year’s most colourful event, taking place at the end of the dry winters. In an eight-day ceremony, thousands of girls cut reeds, present them to the Queen Mother and put on a dazzling performance of dance and song. The reeds are used in the building of windbreaks in all the royal villages. It is not uncommon for the king to choose a new bride from the participants.
Attendance is not compulsory, but strong traditional values ensure that the number of participants, who must only be childless and unmarried, remains high. It is customary to take part in the Umhlanga an odd number of times, once, three, five even nine times for early starters. In the old days, only virgins were allowed to take part. Tradition has made way for the changing times, with more liberal attitudes towards early sexual activity, but the very young age of many participants guarantees that most are still pure.
For weeks, in the various Umphakatsi (chiefs’ homesteads), groups of young girls have been rehearsing their special songs and dance steps, coached (and scolded) by the grandmothers and older sisters. Finally the radio announces the official call from the palace for maidens, of all ages and from all over the country, to congregate at Ngabezweni royal residence. They come by foot or by bus, car, or singing with excitement packed on the backs of big government trucks. After registration, they are dispatched by the Queen Mother into two groups, the young and the old, to go and cut reeds in various locations some kilometers away.
In this season the marshes are drier than normal, allowing the girls to go deep into places where the tallest reeds grow. With their long knives they cut the finest plants, pull off the leaves and tie them into bundles. The next day they shoulder their reeds and march joyfully back to the royal village of Ludzidzini. After a day of rest, the girls don their dancing outfits and flock to the Queen Mother’s quarters to drop their bundles of reeds. They then walk to an arena where they give a three-hour performance of singing and dancing in front of the crowds. One of the favourite songs is about the gwalagwala (purple-crested loerie) the national bird that provides the brilliant red feathers seen in the hair of the princesses. On the second day they all do it again with the king in attendance.
Parallels can be drawn between the maidens’ Umhlanga and the boys fetching lusekwane during the incwala. Walking long distances requires endurance and team effort; it unites people towards a common goal. Carrying the biggest possible bundle of reeds or lusekwane branch is an individual act of devotion to the royal family. Dancing in front of a big crowd is a display of one’s skills and beauty whereas catching the bull shows both courage and strength. The two ceremonies can be viewed as a rite of passage although they may be repeated by an individual over several years.
Summary:
- The orphaned and vulnerable children we work with have a total dearth of love. Giving a child a hug, a smile, a kind word(in Siswati) or your time is important...it is better than giving them a free handout. Also understand that you are only going to be in Swaziland a short time. Its hard because sometimes we want to think that our efforts will save them…its more about being an example of Christ, lifting their spirits, and ultimately learning from them. A major part of going on a short term trip is that it forces you to re-evaluate your own life. The trip will take you out of your normal environment and ultimately open your eyes to a whole different country, culture and way of life. This helps you to get outside of yourself so you can reflect and let God speak truth into your life. It is important to process what you’ve seen, let it impact you and then bring it back with you to your home. That said, you can have a huge impact on these children and projects in the week/2 weeks you are in Africa. At Children’s Cup we believe that Jesus is the hope for these kids. We believe that he can work in a mighty way through y’all. I’d ask you as a team to come up with specific ways that you can make eternal impacts while you are abroad. It can range from leaving a building behind, to building a stove, to training bible club leaders, to having a focus on speaking encouragement into the lives of these kids. We believe that God works through big things and small things for his glory. I just ask you to think about…as I’m sitting across from 200 kids who don’t have parents, don’t speak my language, are really poor, and will be a world away from me in 2 weeks….what do I say, what can I do to show them Christ’s love. Ask this question, “ How can I make a difference in these children’s lives, how can I help them have opportunity, how can I help give them a chance in life.”
- We don’t know how this trip will impact you but we know that God can do amazing things in a moment…how much more amazing things can he do through you and to you on this short term trip.
If you would like more information on Children’s Cup please visit our website at:
A good site for info on Swaziland is:
