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Mbabane

Executive capital city of Eswatini

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Athena Lao from Bulgaria · CC BY 2.0

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It has an estimated population of 94,874 (2010). It is located on the Mbabane River and its tributary the Polinjane River in the Mdzimba Mountains. It is located in the Hhohho Region, of which it is also the capital. The average elevation of the city is 1,243 meters. It lies on the MR3 road.

History

The town grew after the nation's administrative centre was moved from Bremersdorp (now called Manzini) in January 1902. It derives its name from a chief, Mbabane Kunene, who lived in the area when some British settlers arrived.

Mbabane was founded in 1887 by Mickey Wells, on the spot where the Transvaal-to-Mozambique route crossed the Mbabane river. Great Britain declared it as the capital of the new Protectorate of Swaziland in 1902. During this time, Mbabane consisted of a few shops, churches and schools founded by white settlers. The black Swazi Africans were not allowed to live in the town and had to reside in nearby rural districts. By the 1930s, Mbabane had electricity, running water, telephone connection and a hospital.

Prior to WW2, most Swazis lived in rural districts and worked outside Eswatini, so there was little growth in the town. After the war, the creation of trade schools in the city, the arrival of the Goba railway connecting Maputo to the mines in South Africa and Lesotho, and foreign investment within Eswatini (particularly in the sugar industry) all contributed to the city's growth. Mbabane became the central hub for development in Hhohho.

In the years following independence, governmental buildings such as the British Consulate were built in Mbabane. Growth has occurred with the tourism industry in Eswatini, of which Mbabane has become the centre. Mbabane today is home to hotels and recreational sites such as clubs and golf courses tending to tourists.

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