It is a paradox that goes to the heart of the kingdom’s cultural and religious identity. In Eswatini, the Bible translated into siSwati, the national language, does not belong to the country. Its copyright is held by the Bible Society of South Africa, a situation that limits the Bible Society of Eswatini’s freedom to print the Scriptures itself.
The disclosure came from Sicelo Dlamini, board chairman of the Bible Society of Eswatini, during a seminar on Bible translation held at the organisation’s offices in Mahlanya, the Times of Eswatini reports. He explained that although the kingdom has its own Bible Society, the siSwati Bible currently in use was translated in South Africa, where its copyright remains.
The history of the text helps explain the situation. SiSwati is not spoken only in Eswatini: it is also one of South Africa’s official languages, particularly in Mpumalanga province. It was therefore the South African Bible Society that led the project. It published a first book, the Gospel according to Mark, in 1976, before releasing the first complete Bible in 1996, the work of translators H. Eschen, T. Zwane and A. Simelane. This easy-to-read version has since been used on both sides of the border.
The problem goes beyond the legal question, however. Sicelo Dlamini also raised concerns about certain references in the current translation that do not reflect Eswatini’s own circumstances. His remark is a reminder that the same language can carry different sensitivities, usages and nuances depending on the country where it is spoken.
There is no rush, though. According to its chairman, the Bible Society of Eswatini first wants to understand the processes and requirements of Bible translation before considering greater independence. The Mahlanya seminar is part of that effort: the knowledge gained is meant to help the country consider how it could take charge of translating, publishing and managing its own Bible.
The stakes are far from trivial. SiSwati was long sidelined: before independence in 1968, it was rarely taught in written form, and pupils often read Zulu literature instead. It was only in 1976 that the government set up a siSwati language board to oversee its spelling and literary development. In a deeply Christian country, owning its own Bible would therefore also be a statement of linguistic sovereignty.
It remains to be seen how the Bible Society of South Africa will respond to this push for independence. A rights transfer agreement, closer cooperation or a new translation led by Swazi experts all seem possible routes. But each will take time, expertise and resources.