Eswatini National Trust Commission
News and Events
Nature Reserves now on Google Earth street view.
October 2013
The major roads within the nature reserves were photographed by Google for the Google Earth street view in May this year, and this is now live.
Related pages:
Malolotja Nature Reserve
Mlawula Nature Reserve
Mantenga Nature Reserve
Malolotja Nature Reserve has been nominated to be the 8th wonder of the world - Read more
June 2013
Malolotja Nature Reserve and Phophonyane Nature Reserve have been listed on Virtual Tourist, a Trip Adviser company, as a potential 8th Wonder of the World. They are up against attractions such as the Golden Gate Bridge, Hells Canyon and even Hollywood! Visitors to the site are able to vote for which natural wonder they want to take the 8th place, and can even vote numerous times (once a day).
Swaziland Birds Database available online.
January 2013
The Swaziland Bird Checklist information has been updated into a database format with individual pages for each species. Special thanks to Phil Perry for providing a number of photos for this purpose. Printable checklists for Swaziland as well as for specific areas are available.
Swaziland Birds Database
Swaziland's Butterflies and Swaziland's Dragonflies and Damselflies Checklists
June 2012
Provisional checklists of Swaziland's Butterflies and Swaziland's Dragonflies and Damselflies, including photos, species information and distribution maps, have been added to the website.
Related pages:
Swaziland Butterfly Checklist
Swaziland's Odonata Checklist
Weekly Feature
In an eight day ceremony, girls cut reeds and present them to the queen mother and then dance. It is done in late August or early September. Many of the young women who have not yet had children gather together. The girls who may be teenagers or in their early twenties, wear the very colourful traditional costume of the unmarried maiden. They walk long distances to collect reeds and bring them to the Queen Mother. Younger girls do participate, but they are not required to undertake the long march, instead collecting the reeds from rivers close to the royal residence. The final days are visually stunning, with thousands of girls returning to the kraal. A seemingly never-ending line of bare-breasted girls walk several deep, moving through the veld like a giant, brightly marked snake. Refreshed after a night’s sleep they arrive in the royal enclosure the following morning, dancing, singing and ululating, to deliver their bundles of reeds to the Queen Mother. The King is there and often chooses a potential wife from those present. The dancing varies so that each maiden dances before the King. The reeds are used to rebuild the windbreak in front of the Queen Mother’s residence and they symbolise the loyalty of the maidens. Visitors are welcome to observe this ceremony and photography is permitted; this is not a sacred power ceremony like the Incwala, but a celebration.
Related pages:
The Umhlanga
Swazi Culture
