On Thursday, Swaziland’s King Mswati III, Africa’s last absolute monarch, renamed the country as the the Kingdom of eSwatini. According to a report on Reuters, the King on the occasion of his 50th birthday and at the Golden Jubilee celebration of Swazi independence changed the name to eSwatini, which means '“land of the Swazis”.

Reportedly, the King has referred to the “Kingdom of eSwatini” several times in recent years - in an address to the UN General Assembly in 2017 and at African Union and other international conferences. The country did not change its name when it gained independence in 1968 after being a British protectorate for more than 60 years. As per OkayAfrica, the King has been quoted as saying, "African countries on getting independence reverted to their ancient names before they were colonized,so from now on the country will be officially be known as the Kingdom of eSwatini."

Post the news, there were mixed reactions on social media, which some lauded the monarch's move, there were others that highlighted on how important issues in the country needs to be addressed immediately.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 20, 2018 09:02 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).