The History of SNTC

The Swaziland National Trust Commission was established by Act No. 9 of 1972, with later amendments, made effective from 27 July 1973.

Obituary - Ralph Girdwood

Cultural Heritage

The Museum, National Monuments and Archaeology departments are responsible for the protection of Swaziland's cultural heritage.

Natural Heritage

The Wildlife/Parks Department is responsible for the conservation of Swaziland's natural heritage. The is department is responsible for conserving the country's natural ecosystems, its plant and animal life, and promoting the wise utilisation of these resources. Its objectives are:

• to establish and maintain national parks, nature reserves and other protected areas
• to create and promote environmental awareness within the general public
• to promote conservation activities outside protected areas, and to advise, promote and facilititate community managed activities that improve the quality of life while reducing undesirable impacts on the environment
• to promote and provide advice on ecological research and monitoring.

In order to achieve these objectives, there are four sections under this department, namely Parks/Biodiversity Management, Environmental Education, Community Outreach and Ecology/Research.

The programmes operated by this department, although focussed mainly on existing protected areas, also extend to elsewhere in the country as the SNTC has the responsibility for the protection of Swaziland's biodiversity.