ABSTRACT
The tempo of peasant life is set by the rhythm of seasonal changes, the periods of heat and cold, the time of rain and dryness, for on those depend the growing and ripening of crops, the condition of the herds, and the work of the people. Within the peasant society the major social unit is the umuti (homestead), under the control of an umnumzana (headman). The homestead of the king is organized on principles similar in many respects to those that govern the homesteads of other important polygynists. The organization of the homestead of commoner and king depends to a great extent on the rights to land. People cannot build and cultivate where they like; nor has every Swazi an equal claim to the soil. Swazi land tenure is determined by the hierarchical political structure. Thus there is a definite correlation between the movement of homesteads, the laws of land tenure, and the political structure.
