Description : Lobamba is a city in Eswatini, and is one of the two capitals (along with Mbabane), serving as the legislative, traditional, spiritual, seat of government of the Parliament of Eswatini, and Residence of the Ntfombi, the Queen Mother. Mswati III lives about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) away at the Lozitha Palace. The King and Queen Mother participate in annual December and January Incwala ceremonies and August and September Reed Dancees at the Royal Kraal. Two areas have been called Lobamba, the first now called "Old Lobamba" was established in 1750 in southern Eswatini. The subject of this article is a settlement that was created by Sobhuza II in the northwest section of the country. In 1903, following the Boer Wars, the British government took control of Eswatini and it was then ruled by a regent. In 1921 King Sobhuza II became leader of Eswatini, which was still under the British government's control. Eswatini became independent of the British government on September 6, 1968, which was announced at a cattle byre in Lobamba by Prince Makhosini. He was the country's first prime minister and the great-grandson of Sobhuza I. With its independence, Eswatini was a member in its own right of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), British Commonwealth, and the United Nations. It was made a constitutional monarchy under Sobhuza II, who lived in the royal residence, or kraal, in Lobamba.
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