Hhohho ( ss ) is a region of Eswatini , located in the north western part of the country. Hhohho was named after the capital of King Mswati II , who expanded the Swazi territory to the north and west, taking in the districts of Barberton , Nelspruit , Carolina and Piet Retief . These areas were later acquired by what was the Province of Transvaal and today they form part of the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa . It has an area of 3,625.17 km², a population of 320,651 (2017), and is divided into 14 tinkhundla . The administrative center is the national capital of Mbabane . It borders Lubombo Region on the southeast and Manzini Region in the southwest.
23-647: Bulembu is a small town located in northwestern Hhohho , Eswatini , 10 km west of the town of Piggs Peak and close to the border with South Africa . Located above the Komati Valley in Eswatini's Highveld, Bulembu is named after the siSwati word for a spider's web. The town of Bulembu is privately owned by a not-for-profit, Bulembu Ministries Eswatini. The Bulembu Foundation is based in Vancouver , Canada . Between 1939 and 2001, Bulembu operated as
46-501: A chrysotile (white asbestos) mine. Originally named Havelock Mine , the mine was part of the UK's Turner & Newall Asbestos Group. The mine encountered heavy losses in the late 1980s and subsequently went bankrupt in 1991. The company was liquidated and the assets purchased in 1991 by HVL Asbestos Swd. Ltd. who changed the name of the mine to Bulembu Mine. HVL Asbestos ran the mine until it went into liquidation in 2001. Upon liquidation
69-437: A number of sustainable enterprises in 2008 to 2009, such as a eucalyptus and pine plantation for timber and charcoal, honey, bottled water, bakery, dairy, mill and tourism. By November 2009 there were 108 orphans under Bulembu Ministry Swaziland's care. Instead of living in an institutional orphanage each child lives in a home with a caregiver and a group of five other children. Approximately 70% of Bulembu's orphan care program
92-577: Is also located in Mbabane, and focuses on various technical trades. Recent tertiary institutions in the region are the Eswatini Christian University and a campus of Limkokwing University . 26°00′S 31°30′E / 26.000°S 31.500°E / -26.000; 31.500 Piggs Peak Piggs Peak is a town in northwestern Eswatini . It was founded around gold prospecting in 1884, but its main industry
115-481: Is funded through child sponsorship . Sponsors send funds each month to provide support for the sponsored children. 25°57′S 31°08′E / 25.950°S 31.133°E / -25.950; 31.133 Hhohho The name Hhohho was the name of the royal capital of Mswati II , a 19th-century king of Eswatini. After the Anglo-Boer war , Eswatini came under British administration. A partition of
138-500: Is home to the oldest known iron-ore mine in the world. Commercial scale mining took place in the mine until 1977. The Hhohho region is governed by the regional administrator, who is appointed by the king. The present regional administrator is HRH Princess Tsandzile. The seat of the regional administration is in the regional capital, Mbabane. Mbabane is also the administrative capital of Eswatini. The legal system in Hhohho follows that of
161-486: Is located in Mbabane, as are the headquarters of Standard Bank, Nedbank, Swazi Bank, First National Bank and Eswatini Building Society. The other financial service organisations located in Mbabane include African Alliance, Select Management Services, and the Eswatini Revenue Authority, among many others. The forestry industry is one of the most important sectors of the Hhohho economy. The area around
184-549: Is now forestry . The Phophonyane Falls lie near the town. Piggs Peak Casino takes its name from the area. In 2001 the 115m high wall of the Maguga Dam was completed in the Komati River 12 km south of town at 25°56′51.41″S 30°4′52.74″E / 25.9476139°S 30.0813167°E / -25.9476139; 30.0813167 . Piggs Peak is named after an early resident, William Pigg , who discovered
207-656: Is one of the most famous cultural events in Eswatini. Mantenga Falls and cultural village, also in the Zulwini valley, are magnets for Swazi cultural tourists. Further north of the region lies the Maguga dam and lodge, and further north is the Phophonyane Falls. Hhohho is also home to the Malolotja nature reserve, a place renowned for its hiking trails. Hhohho is home to the royal capital of Eswatini at Lobamba. Here
230-649: Is privately owned. Tourism is one of the largest sectors of the Hhohho economy. The Ezulwini valley is Eswatini's most famous tourist area with many hotels and restaurants. In Lobamba, the royal and legislative capital of Eswatini, various tourist attractions exist. These include the National Museum, the King Sobhuza II Memorial, and the Eswatini National Archives. The umhlanga festival, held at Ludzidzini Royal Kraal,
253-466: Is the most economically advanced region of Eswatini. Being home to the capital of the country, and hosting a significant fraction of the Manzini-Mbabane corridor, it has Eswatini's biggest urbanized population. The economy of the region is dominated by services, tourism, and forestry. The capital, Mbabane, is home to the headquarters of many of Eswatini's corporations. The central bank of Eswatini
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#1732794387633276-465: The 10,000 residents of Bulembu soon deserted the town in search for employment elsewhere and the town became a ghost town with little more than 50 people remaining there. This was during the time that Eswatini was (as it continues to be) ravaged by the HIV/AIDS virus. There was a 900% increase in infection in one decade with the infection rate sitting at 3.9% in 1992 to 38.6% in 2002. Today over 40% of
299-611: The centre of Eswatini. Sotho clans such as the Gama, Mnisi and Magagula, and Nguni clans such as the Maseko, were incorporated into the Swazi state. The royal capital of Sobhuza was built in what forms the Ezulwini valley (valley of heaven). This land was chosen for its impenetrability by invaders, and for its fertility, and good rivers. Under the rule of King Mswati II , the royal capital of
322-495: The country into districts followed and Hhohho was the name chosen for the northernmost district. The region of Eswatini which is today Hhohho was inhabited in earlier times by the Khoisan people. Later, Bantu settlers of Nguni and Sotho origin established settlements in the area. The land was later conquered by King Sobhuza I in the early 19th century as he relocated his capital from Zombodze in present-day Shiselweni, to Zombodze in
345-575: The early 19th century was the dominant industry with mines located in Ngwenya, Bulembu, Piggs Peak and other areas. Ngwenya mine is notable for its status as the oldest known iron ore mine in the world. Some mining activity still continues in this mine under the Indian mining company Salgaocar. The other mines in the region are no longer operational. The Bulembu mining town which was the main centre for asbestos mining has now diversified into other sectors, and
368-440: The hills to the west by the prospector, William Pigg , after whom the town is named. Pigg's Peak represents one of the largest iron ore reserves in Eswatini and in the world having estimated reserves of 700 million tonnes of ore grading 35% iron metal. Other mining activity took place in the neighbouring town of Bulembu , where later on, asbestos was mined. The town of Ngwenya on the western border of Eswatini with South Africa,
391-530: The king was constructed north of the country and was called Hhohho. This is the eponym of the Hhohho region. This briefly shifted the political centre of Eswatini northwards, first to minimise the danger of invasion by Zulu forces from the south, and later to expand and conquer lands in the north. Indeed, Mswati's armies expanded the territory of Eswatini. More royal outposts were constructed in towns that are now in South Africa's Mpumalanga province. The loss of
414-616: The main cultural events of the country are held. These are the Incwala ceremony and the Umhlanga ceremony. Hhohho is also home to art galleries such as the Indingilizi Gallery in Mbabane. Performance arts can be seen at the theater club, also in Mbabane. A campus of the national University of Eswatini is located in Mbabane, and specializes in health and environmental sciences. The Eswatini College of Technology (SCOT),
437-400: The meaning of whose name is believed to originate from a “small and bitter highveld plant” that grew in the area, is named after Chief Mbabane Kunene. In the northwest of Eswatini, gold was discovered, drawing a large number of miners and settlers in the area. Gold deposits were first recorded around Piggs Peak mine during modern times in 1872 and in 1884 a gold-bearing reef was discovered in
460-408: The population is infected and the result is a nationwide orphan crisis. The assets were purchased by Bulembu Development Corporation who sold the town and its 1,700-hectare property in 2006 to a not-for-profit, Bulembu Ministries Swaziland. Bulembu was purchased with the plan to rejuvenate the town as a self-sustaining entity with enterprises and care for orphans. Bulembu Ministries Swaziland created
483-474: The territory occurred after Mswati's reign had ended, and was spurred by the concession hunters, and settlers in the territory that became the Transvaal Republic. During Eswatini's status as a British protectorate (1903–68), the borders of Hhohho were officially drawn, with its capital – and that of the country – being Mbabane. The British resident commissioner had his offices in the town. The city,
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#1732794387633506-413: The towns of Piggs Peak and Bulembu is home to many planted forests and sawmills. The wood is exported for processing in South Africa. The remaining agricultural sector remains very small. Most rural dwellers continue to cultivate rain-fed crops on Swazi Nation Land , and keep small amounts of livestock. Mining in Hhohho declined significantly during the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st. Mining in
529-419: The whole country. There are magistrate courts which administer Roman-Dutch law. Hhohho is subdivided to 14 tinkhundla (or constituencies). These are local administration centres, and also parliamentary constituencies. Each inkhundla is headed by an indvuna yenkhundla or governor with the help of bucopho . The tinkhundla are further divided into imiphakatsi (or chiefdoms). The present tinkhundla are: Hhohho
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