SWAZILAND RAILWAY

Birth of Railway in Swaziland In 1879 the discovery of gold in Swaziland brought a horde of prospectors to King Mbandzeni's kraal at Embekelweni in search of concession of every kind from His Majesty. There were requests for land and mineral rights, to which were added petitions for concessions to build railways and even run refreshment bars on them. Credit goes to Alexander McCorkindale for first pursuing the idea of a railway in Swaziland in 1865. In fact, when the railway was eventually built 99 years later , it was suggested it be named the McCorkindale Railway but this was turned down and it was given the name it bears today of Swaziland Railway.