The Parliament building is modest in scale but significant in context. Eswatini operates under an absolute monarchy — political parties are banned — and Parliament functions within limits set by the king. The building can be viewed from outside; access inside requires advance arrangement. It is worth stopping at as a reminder of how differently power is organized here compared with most of the surrounding region.
Parliament of Eswatini
Modest legislature in an absolute monarchy's royal seat
A story
Eswatini's Parliament sits in Lobamba rather than the administrative capital Mbabane because Lobamba is the seat of the royal house — and in this absolute monarchy, the proximity of the legislature to the king is not coincidental. The Parliament building was constructed after independence in 1968 and its location underlines where real authority in the kingdom lies.