Fattig befolkning ger kung födelsedagspresenter
63 procent av Swazilands invånare beräknas leva i fattigdom och var fjärde barn under fem år i landet lider av undernäring. Ändå uppmanas invånarna att överlämna gåvor när kung Mswati III firar sin 50-årsdag senare i april, rapporterar TT.
Kungens firande hade en officiell budget på motsvarande 14 miljoner kronor, men har hittills kostat nära 63 miljoner. Pengarna har bland annat lagts på en samling nya BMW-bilar för att transportera kungen och hans gäster.
Mswati III
Wikipedia (en)
Mswati III (born as Prince Makhosetive on 19 April 1968) is the King (Swazi language: Ngwenyama or Ingwenyama) of Swaziland and head of the Swazi Royal Family. He was born in Manzini, Swaziland, to King Sobhuza II and one of his younger wives, Ntombi Tfwala. He was Tfwala’s only child. He attended primary school at Masundvwini Primary School and secondary school at Lozitha Palace School. From 1983 to 1986, he attended Sherborne School in north-west Dorset, England. He was crowned as Mswati III, Ingwenyama and King of Swaziland, on 25 April 1986 at the age of 18, thus becoming the youngest ruling monarch in the world at that time. Together with his mother, Ntombi Tfwala, now Queen Mother (Ndlovukati), he rules the country as an absolute monarch. Mswati III is known for his practice of polygamy (although at least two wives are appointed by the state) and currently has 15 wives. Although he is respected and fairly popular in Swaziland, his policies and lavish lifestyle have led to local protests and international criticism.
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