Dualism’s dilemmas: citizenship and migration in contemporary eSwatini

ABSTRACT

One of the main characteristics of ‘Swatiness’ has been embracing lived dualisms in all aspects of life, including the much-debated cultural dualism of traditionalism and modernity which, although not unique to eSwatini, is more emphasised in this small southern African kingdom. This article discusses examples from research on eSwatini citizens living in South Africa and foreign-born residents of eSwatini, to show how exclusionary singular forms of bureaucratic identification via national identity cards are endangering the flexibility and creativity which are distinctive of Swati socio-cultural life. These bureaucratic forms run counter the inclusive, relational and negotiated dimensions of older conceptions and practices of citizenship and belonging.

KEYWORDS:

• Identity
• citizenship
• migration
• dualism
• eSwatini
• South Africa

Acknowledgements

Fellow anthropologist friend and mentor Casey Golomski, I do not have the words to adequately express my gratitude to you. Mlungisi Dlamini you challenged me and the ideas I presented to you. In doing so you pushed me to stand for these ideas and to do the work of picking the argument apart and focusing on the finer details. To my supervisors at the University of Witwatersrand, Nolwazi Mkhwanazi and Hylton White, thank you for providing the support and opportunities to grow and develop over the years. Vito Laterza, thank you for your time over the years, you have provided much insight. To you Nhlanhla Dlamini and the rest of the editorial team, thank you, I am honoured to be a part of this publication.

I wish to acknowledge the support of the Mandela University Research Development office. I would also like to acknowledge the National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1 Make is the siSwati equivalent of Mrs. in English, and is used to address married women. The country of birth is not stated for anonymity. I met and interviewed Make Dlamini as part of my 2012 ethnographic research on bantfu bentsaba (Dlamini 2012), men and women who are in charge of handling the mortuary rites for the Swati royal family. They collect the body from the mortuary and take it to the homestead, where the body is laid out for those who wish to view the body, and prepare the body for burial. They are in charge of the burial and of placing the body in a specific mountain cave which is the burial site for some members of the royal family Eswatini.

 

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Gabby Sipho Dlamini

Gabby S. Dlamini is a Lecturer at Nelson Mandela University, Department of Sociology, Anthropology in Gqeberha, South Africa. She has a PhD in Social Anthropology. Her current research in digital anthropology focuses on social media and the online creation of material and immaterial value. Her Master's thesis, “Living Quietly,” was on Swazi middle-class migrants in South Africa, and prior to this, her honours thesis was on bantfu bentsaba, who perform royal funeral rites in Swaziland. These research studies frame her broader interests on belonging, relationships, and representation of offline and online human communities in southern Africa.