Background
Bekimpi Dlamini was born on November 26, 1924, son of Chief Mnisi Dlamini in the Hhohho district, 22 miles north-east of Mbabane.
Bekimpi Dlamini was born on November 26, 1924, son of Chief Mnisi Dlamini in the Hhohho district, 22 miles north-east of Mbabane.
Educated at Enkaba Primary School, Mbabane Central School, and then in South Africa at Ermelo Secondary School, 80 miles west of Mbabane in the Transvaal.
From 1941 to 1945 he served with the British 8th Army in the North African and Italian campaigns, rising to the rank of sergeant when he was only 20 years of age. On demobilisation he took a job at Havelock mines and stayed 12 years. After one year underground on survey work he was made an assistant storekeeper.
His political career began with his appointment as an Induna for Enkaba Nkhundla, one of five chiefs. He led the delegation from the Swazi National Council to London in 1963 for the constitutional conference with the British government and subsequently became a member of the Legislative Council after it was opened to election in 1964. He spent five months in England in 1966 studying public administration.
In the 1967 elections he won a seat in the Mlumati constituency and was appointed Assistant Minister of Local Administration. After winning his seat in elections in May 1972 he was transferred as Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister’s office.
A chief’s son, with a strong sense of duty to his people. A man of great inner reserves, accustomed to responsibility during war service and at the Havelock mines, he has shown himself a dedicated leader of delegations in his political career.