Swaziland: Political Parties Material

Constitutions, manifestos, reports, pamphlets, leaflets and membership cards, 1961-1973, issued by the Democratic Party of Swaziland, the Imbokodvo National Movement, the Ngwane National Liberatory Congress and the Swaziland Progressive Party. The materials here deal with the constitutional processes leading to independence as well as the brief period of electoral politics before the constitution was abolished in 1973.

Swaziland held its first legislative council elections in 1964 and became independent in 1968.

Alphabetically by party, then in rough chronological order

Open to all for research purposes; access is free for anyone in higher education.

Institute of Commonwealth Studies

Records at item level on library catalogue (SASCAT)

Description compiled by Daniel Millum, Political Archives Project Officer at the Institutes of Commonwealth and Latin American Studies.

Copies can usually be obtained - apply to library staff.

The Commonwealth Political Parties Materials collection was begun in 1960-61, with special emphasis being placed then, as now, on "primary material such as party constitutions, policy statements, convention reports and election manifestos." (ICS, Twelfth Annual Report 1960-1961). Since then, the main method of gathering material has been to appeal directly to political parties throughout the Commonwealth, though contributions from Institute members and staff following visits to relevant countries have been significant. More recently material has been collected by means of downloading documents from the websites of the major parties.

No further accruals are expected at present.

See also Political Party, Trades Unions and Pressure Group Materials for other Commonwealth countries and related material in the library's main classified sequence, all held at the ICS.