EFFORTPOST The many dramas of Mswati the 3rd - the Clown Tyrant King of Swaziland.

Greetings Dramatards

I made a Longpost last week about a short history of Swaziland, as a prologue to Mswati the 3rd, and how the nation got to the point of absurdity that was the current state of affairs, and why the people of Swaziland would just not jump in upheaval and lynch Mswati with regards to the metric shitloads of consecutive clownshows we are a bout to discuss.

https://rdrama.net/post/299957/intro-of-swazilands-insane-history-marseyflageswatini

The TLDR from last Episode on Dragon Ball Marsey , was that back in the early 1900s Swaziland got consolidated alongside the entire South Africa as part of the British Commonwealth, after the Bongs decisively defeated the Boers in the Anglo-Boer war of 1899-1902. But where the rest of the South African provinces were combined into a Commonwealth Union, Swaziland and the other Micro State Lesotho, had instead been formed in Protectorates, with much greater autonomy, because both of these tiny nation states were very homogenous and ruled by tribal aristocracy which cooperated already to the maximum extent under the White colonial powers.

Fast forward 65 years, and Post-WW2 Bong empire is crumbling. In the post-WW2 new world order, most British colonies are greater money sinks, than they are resource generators, and compared to the Portuguese and French, the Bongs can't give Independence to their ex-colonies fast enough. But with the complexities of the Cold War, and Britain's anti-communist stance, Britain is unwilling to give the Royal Family, the House of Dlamini, the family of our protagonist Mswati, the reigns of power.

Their global aim is to help create additional Liberal Democracies around the Earth as Bulwarks against the rise of International Communism, and the growing influence of the Soviet Union. Additionally Britain faces increased domestic and International pressure, as the sensibilities of British locals have changed to be more liberal than 70 years prior, and thus Britain deems it pertinent that Swaziland hold free elections, rather than just handing over power the Swazi Royalty and Nobility.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imbokodvo_National_Movement

In an extraordinary set of events, the fricking people upon being given Democracy and a steadfast liberal Constitution by Bongland, IMMEDIATELY proceeds to eject Democracy and their Liberal Constitution out of existence! (Or at least over the course of two elections spanning over 5 years - by voting for the "Imbokodvo National Movement" aka the Royalty Party ,which degrees in VERY CLEAR TERMS that they would reinstitute Absolute Monarchy under the House of Dlamini!!!!!) The people of Swaziland literally LITERALLY voted for Feudalism!!!

Out of all the fricking nations in Southern Africa, obtaining their freedom from their white colonial overlords, Swaziland is a truly a unique case, in that they decisively ended up with measurably LESS equality than what they had under their colonial subjugators - because under the British Commonwealth Protectorate, Swaziland had English Common Law which gave universal equality and woman's suffrage But the tribal nature of the Swazi peeps meant they wanted to do away with european influence no matter the cost....

Which is how we got to the current nimrod King Mswati the 3rd, whom has ruled Swaziland for the past 40 years, with as must decadence and despotism as you can imagine!

MSWATI THE TYRANT CLOWN:

The myriad of Mswati's controversies are as varied and numerous as they are depraved. Few people outside Southern Africa even know about the guy's existence, but the very real impact his inglorious reign has had upon the living circumstances of his subjects are extreme. For many Swazi reformists and liberals (few as they are compared to the rest of their tribal wingcucked countrymen), it's a deadly serious situation, and the few brave souls daring to protest or bring attention upon the depravity of their small nation state's misrule, often face intimidation, long imprisonment, exile and death.

The greatest and grandest tragedy of Swaziland is that in spite of Mswati's tyranny, stupidity and depravity, his people unironically worships him, and hold their royalty in the highest of regard. They are so tribally insular compared to even the other races of South Africa, that by large the overwhelming majority of Swazi people either approve of his monarchy, or tolerate it because their tribal customs are so deeply embedded within their very cores.

https://old.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/6biqgz/the_king_of_thailand_is_suing_facebook_to_keep/

The depravity and decadence of Mswati can be very closely compared to that of the King of Tailand, who's a class-A-clusterfrick compared to his predecessor, but it's illegal to criticize him.

https://www.reuters.com/article/world/illegal-thoughts-how-some-exiled-critics-of-thai-king-are-fuelling-a-revolt-idUSKBN2610B8/

There is quite literally nothing under the sun Mswati can do to lose the support of his subjects, short of actively destroying his very nation, and thus his people tolerate his despotic decadence, even if it includes them actively being impoverished by his avarice and policies.

In no particular order here are the many Dramas of Mswati the 3rd!

[1] ARRESTS OF PRO-DEMOCRACY PROTESTORS THROUGHOUT HIS 40 YEAR REIGN:

Now just because Swaziland royalty enjoys the placid support of most of its citizens, that doesn't mean all of the Swazi are complacent. Out of the 1.25 million Swazis alive, there have been more than adequate belligerents to Mswati's reign. Especially since the quality of life of Swazis can be even lower than even of that of the poorest rural South Africa, and often IS in fact directly influenced by Mswati's and the Royal family's excessive spending of the national treasury.

And the average living statistics of the average Swazi is already pretty dire, so you'll come to appreciate why they get angry at the king's decadence.

"Over 70 per cent of Swazis live on less than a dollar a day and 25 per cent are infected with HIV or AIDS – the highest rate in the world [EPA]"

https://www.geo-ref.net/en/swz.htm

https://mg.co.za/africa/2021-06-29-eswatini-police-arrest-pro-democracy-protesters/

====(from 2021 article)

Residents in at least four of eSwatini's 59 constituencies held demonstrations over the weekend against the rule of King Mswati III, the last absolute monarch in Africa. The protesters were unfazed by bullets, batons and tear gas used by security forces to enforce the ban on the continuing pro-democracy protests.

Several protesters were injured in the police action. A father rescuing his child, who had collapsed after inhaling tear gas, was allegedly shot in the back on Friday 25 June when the police attacked residents of Msunduza township as they were marching to deliver a petition to the member of parliament from Mbabane East.

Over a dozen others were allegedly arrested from the Siphofaneni constituency in the Lubombo region. The residents there had mobilised for a similar march on Saturday, demanding democratic reforms, including the right to elect a prime minister. The prime minister is currently appointed by the king, along with other ministers in the Cabinet.

Communist leader tortured:

Mcolisi Ngcamphalala, the deputy general secretary of the Communist Party of Swaziland (CPS), was stopped on his way to the march at a roadblock set up by the police. On identifying him, two police officers in plain clothes reportedly seized him and forced him out of the car, ostensibly because he had taken pictures.

"I was kicked all over the body, held by my genitals and bundled into a police van to Siphofaneni police station," Ngcamphalala said. He was allegedly tortured for two hours while being interrogated at the station about the role of the CPS in the protest movement, among other other things.

Struggle for democracy:

In Swaziland, members of parliament are directly appointed by the king for two-thirds of the seats in the upper house and about 12% of those in the lower house. For the remaining seats, only those approved by the chiefs, who exercise power on behalf of the monarch in their respective chiefdoms, can contest the elections as individuals and not as representatives of political parties. Political parties have been banned by the monarchy since 1973.

The application of the law, which automatically criminalises individuals for holding membership of banned parties, has been relaxed since the 2000s in order to avoid criticism from Western powers because Mswati greatly values relations with these countries. However, parties have no space in parliamentary politics in the country.

In such a toothless parliament, which can be dissolved at the will of the king, Simelane has emerged as one of the very few pro-democracy voices. He did not hesitate to meet his constituents when they marched to deliver the petition. However, attempts by the police to stop the protesters escalated the situation into a riot.

====(end article from 2021)

At least once every 2-4 years there appears to be a Swazi protest against the Absolute monarchy, either due to the breaking of news of the latest bad policy or waste of taxpayer money.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-11210849

====(BBC article from 2010)

Police in Swaziland have arrested about 50 people ahead of protests against sub-Saharan Africa's last absolute monarchy, activists say.

Most of those detained were later freed and hundreds of people marched through Manzini, Swaziland's commercial centre.

Several South Africans trade unionists were prevented from taking part in the march and deported.

King Mswati III and his 13 wives are accused of living in luxury while most Swazis are poor.

"The arbitrary arrest of these political activists, lawyers, trade unionists and journ*lists is nothing short of police harassment and intimidation," the group said in a statement.

====(end quote)

The Mail-And-Guardian, one of my favorite online publications (they are good journ*lists generally), has a literal archive for just Swaziland protests, stretching from when the paper started, and began archiving on the Internet.

https://mg.co.za/tag/swaziland-protests/

https://mg.co.za/article/2011-04-14-protests-in-swaziland-amid-government-crackdown/

====(from 2011 M&G article)

On Tuesday, police also fired tear gas and water cannons, beat protesters with batons and arrested activists to break up the protest, according to organisers.

At least 100 people were detained, including top labour and civil society leaders, unions said.

"The state has responded with extreme brutality and people feel unsafe. Many of our people are in police cells," said Vincent Dlamini, general secretary of the National Association of Public Servants and Allied Workers Union.

Two protest leaders were detained on Wednesday, with one held under house arrest, according to Sipho Kunene, leader of the Swaziland Federation of Labour.

Police patrolled Manzini on Wednesday, arresting people in groups, including four teachers who were speaking to an AFP journ*list in a cafe.

"We are not used to seeing so many soldiers. People are afraid of walking to town. I am afraid this is going to affect business," said one Manzini resident, speaking on condition of anonymity.

==== ARAB SPRINGS IN 2011:

Prime Minister Barnabas Dlamini, a staunch royalist, has banned the protest which began as a Facebook campaign modelled on uprisings in North Africa.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_Spring [kaamrev: the Swazis were trying to replicate the Arab Springs uprising and protests against their totalitarian states, as Internet and online websites like Facebook had begone to proliferate amongst even the Swazis whom were connected.]

Police began setting up roadblocks late last week and have raided the homes of activists.

The king has not spoken publicly about the protests but sent his top advisers to meet with union leaders last week in a failed bid to convince them to drop the protest plan.

With 13 wives and a fortune estimated at $100-million, Mswati is ranked by Forbes magazine as among the 15 richest monarchs in the world.

Life expectancy is the lowest in the world, at 32,5 years.

====(end 2011 M&G article)

These arrests, and lack of absolute freedom of speech and the inability to criticize the Royalty, as well as form political parties, have sparked protests, riots and uprisings all the way back since 1980. Here is article from 2010, same story.

https://www.iol.co.za/news/africa/swazi-protests-peaceful-despite-arrests-52973

====(from iol article)

"About 2 000 activists - including students, workers and members of banned political parties - met in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga's capital, after Swaziland banned all union meetings and political rallies in the kingdom."

[Oh yes, the protestors whom are often, quite literally chased out of the country by the police of Swaziland would often congregate in nearby South Africa, to hold their protest towards the King and royalty, and the ANC government would refuse to do anything about it cuz, the Swazis and ANC hated each other!!! ]

"Last week, the government refused to acknowledge the demands, dismissing them as the work of "cowards" and foreign groups such as South Africa's ruling African National Congress and the Congress of South African Trade Unions." Lol

====(end article)

Anyways you guys get the idea, despite Mswati being a clown, his despotic government is quite seriously oppressive in its own incompetent way, and only few concessions have been made by protests over the past decades.

Unfortunately there aren't a lot of Safrican articles criticizing the Swazi clampdown of protestors pre-Democratization of Safrica in 1993-1994, because the Union/Apartheid government in turn clamped down on any media/journ*lism going against the Apartheid order, and Swaziland was one of the few neutral states actually working with the White regime, and opposing the activity of the ANC underground. But be aware that Mswatsi and the Dlamini family have been totalitarian since 1980.

[2] THE 2012 SOVERIEGN MONARCH DRAMA:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/queen-elizabeth-II/9274690/King-of-Bahrain-lunches-with-Queen-as-human-rights-storm-rages.html

https://archive.ph/rghJl

Now way back in 2012, Dizzy Lizzie from Bongland went to have the bright idea to host the 2012 Sovereign Monarchs Lunch in Buckingham Palace , which celebrated the last remaining Monarchs of the world. I recall this attracted a massive amount of criticism at the time, since many of the Sovereign leaders were extremely barbaric and ruthless in the rule over their subject.

While Bongland's Lizzie was well loved by most Bongs, this was only so because she was a figurehead who spent her time doing charity works for the poor and kissing babies and shit. In most of the rest of the world, the Monarchs have very tangible absolute power over their subjects, and like much of history, most monarchs are bad incompetent leaders.

For the English people themselves, the biggest magnet for criticism, was the King of Bahrain at the time, whom was in the news cycle at the time for the usual brutal dictator shit which United Nationcels b-word about every year.

====(from Telegraph article)

The Middle East ruler is one of a number of foreign monarchs criticised for their human rights records or extravagant lifestyles who have been invited to dine with the British Royal Family.

Buckingham Palace has released a guest list for the Sovereign Monarchs lunch being held at Windsor Castle today - the biggest gathering of foreign royals in the UK since the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's wedding last year.

The Labour MP said many would regret Foreign Secretary William Hague's decision to approve the inclusion of the Middle East ruler.

But the Foreign Office has stressed it is supporting Bahrain in its attempts to improve its human rights.

====(end quote)

But that wasn't the only regime ruler or Monarch criticized, or which brought heat towards this really badly though out publicity stunt of the British Royal family!

For Southern Africans, it was our boi Mswati the 3rd, drawing lightning Many safrican activists decried the Bong royal family legitimizing international relationships with despots, and enabling their continued reign, especially so soon, after the very violent 2011 Swazi protests, which had itself tried to emulate the Arab Springs.

The Arab Springs protest which had been targeted against the rule of SOME OF THE QUESTS ON THE QUEST LIST!!!

====(from Telegraph article)

Guests from controversial regimes include Swaziland's King Mswati III, Sheikh Nasser Mohamed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah of Kuwait and Prince Mohammed Bin Nawaf Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia.

Mr MacShane said: ''Arab nations must let their citizens vote in free elections and let them speak without fear of arrest, torture or death. ''For too long we have turned a blind eye to the repression carried out under the rule of royals in Arabia.

''The FCO should protect the British Queen rather than expose her to having to dine with a despot.''

The popular uprisings that toppled a succession of Arab dictators across the Middle East last year failed to ignite significant protests in the Arab Peninsula.

But in Bahrain there were major demonstrations with protesters calling for a greater say in government, these were violently put down by Saudi forces called in by the regime.

Swaziland's King Mswati III, is accused of having a lavish lifestyle while his people starve.

Protests were held outside the African ruler's exclusive London hotel earlier this week where he is said to be staying with an entourage of more than 30 people.

====(end quote)

https://www.dw.com/en/queens-jubilee-lunch-met-with-controversy/a-15958158

[3] FISCAL INDICIPLINE:

"Eswatini has been described as having been gripped by years of fiscal indiscipline, government corruption, and lavish lifestyles of the royal family. The nation has also been described as being on the brink of economic disaster due to these factors."

Basically the joint rule of King Mswati the 3rd, has been constantly plagued with EPIC degrees of financial mismanagement. Imagine the crackiest trailer-trash redneck poorcels whom had inherited a fortune or won the lottery and squanders that money via the most crass lowbrow manner feasible within the span of just 5 years, as they buy luxury cars, fabulous mansions and worthless material crap, because they have never been conditioned to save money or properly manage possessions.

But instead imagine that each time they run out of money, they get to tax the shit out of their constituents instead.....

https://www.swazilandnews.co.za/fundza.php?nguyiphi=488

Our frickboi and family will continue to buy luxury cars over the decades, and will demonstrate poor impulse control even when there are international disasters affecting the nation's economy like fricking COVID

====(from swazilandnews)

MBABANE: King Mswati who rules eSwatini as an absolute Monarch is now appealing for more donations from the international community to mitigate the escalating COVID-19, few months after splashing about R1 Billion buying Rolls Royce and a fleet of BMWs to be used by his family.

On or around May 2020, King Mswati, through Prime Minister Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini appealed to the United Nations for financial support saying the COVID-19 crisis came at the time when the country was fighting HIV, malaria and TB.

But it later emerged that even though the King was appealing for donations, over R500 Million donated by various companies, UN agencies and other international partners to the National Disaster Management Agency(NDMA) under the Deputy Prime Minister's Office was marred by allegations of corruption, as a result, the citizens are struggling to get food parcels and COVID-19 grants.

Our investigation has uncovered that other COVID 19 protective equipment donated by various companies and agencies meant for hospitals are diverted by the Ministers to be used at the palaces while government struggles to fund the fight against the virus from public coffers.

As a result political parties and trade union leaders came hard on the government demanding evidence that the R24 Billion budget announced by Finance Minister Neal Rijkenberg was used to fight the COVID-19.

=====

However, the Deputy Prime Minister failed to respond to our questions this week when asked to explain why the country was surviving with donations after the King splashed about R1 Billion on expensive vehicles to be used by the royal family.

On or November 2019, Chief Mgwagwa Gamedze, the Chief Executive Officer(CEO) in the King's Office told this Swaziland News that the King bought the vehicles from his own pocket. He said the money came through the royal budget approved by Parliament and supplemented through the sale of old cars belonging to royalty, however, no public auction was ever conducted by royalty for the sale of the vehicles.

Eugene Dube, a respected eSwatini journ*list who interviewed the King's Office CEO when the vehicles arrived in the country warned the United Nations and international community at large to refrain from funding King Mswati's government saying the regime does not embrace transparency and accountability hence the funding ends up benefiting only the royal family.

====(end quote)

https://allafrica.com/stories/201310142652.html

"A Swazi newspaper has told its readers that King Mswati III's net personal wealth is estimated at US$200 million (E2 billion), breaking protocol that the personal life of the monarch is never discussed.

The estimate first came from the Forbes magazine in 2007, repeated in 2009 and has been widely reported all over the world and used extensively by critics of the king who say he squanders money on himself while seven in ten of his 1.3 million subjects live in abject poverty on less than US$2 per day."

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2007/09/story-swazi-media-missed.html

====(from Swaziblogspot on Forbes 2007 article)

Here's a news report the Swazi media seem to have missed. On Friday (31 August 2007) Forbes.com reported that Swaziland King Mswati III was the richest monarch in all of sub-Saharan Africa. Forbes estimates his net worth to be 200 million US dollars (one billion four hundred thousand Swazi emalangeni).

What Forbes did not report was that about 70 per cent of the Swazi population of 1.1 million people live in poverty with an income less than one US dollar (seven emalengeni) per day. More than half the population is presently receiving food aid from overseas' donors following the failure of crops in the kingdom due to drought. In July UN agencies appealed for 18 million US dollars to help Swaziland, but so far only 3.1 million has been forthcoming, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

====(end blogspot quote)

https://www.forbes.com/2009/06/17/monarchs-wealth-scandal-business-billionaires-richest-royals.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13963463

====(from 11 July 2011 BCC article) [This is what led to Swaziland emulating the Arab Springs riots]

Swaziland's King Mswati III ascended to the throne 25 years ago but he has little to celebrate during his silver jubilee.

An absolute monarch who rules over 1.2 million people, his government is in financial ruin, running out of cash for salaries, health care and fuel.

"My wife works at the university. Last month they got paid late. And they don't know what will happen when it's pay day again," Sikelela Dlamini, the co-ordinator of the opposition Swaziland United Democratic Front (SUDF), told the BBC.

"In the health sector, it's worse. Some people got only half their salaries. There is no money - only panic," he says.

The crisis has been caused by profligate spending - on the royal family of 13 wives, as well as unbudgeted wage increases - and a sharp decline in income because of the global economic crisis and new trade rules in the region, analysts say.

Patient care is at risk, in a country with one of the world's highest rates of HIV/Aids infection.

According to a report in the privately owned Times of Swaziland newspaper, MP Joseph Madonsela told parliament recently that state hospitals would run out of anti-retroviral drugs within two months.

=====

Mr Dlamini says the government - which did not respond to BBC requests for an an interview - is facing a cash-flow crisis on other fronts as well.

"You will see cars parked. There is no fuel; no money," he says.

An analyst with South Africa's Institute for International Affairs, Catherine Grant-Makokera, points out that companies which supply the government with goods and services are not being paid either.

"Even printers haven't been paid," she says.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF), which sent a team to Swaziland in May to assess the situation, says Swaziland faces a "serious liquidity crisis", and needs to curb expenditure.

=====

The IMF also cited a 4.5% unbudgeted wage increase for civil servants and politicians last year, as well as overspending on "goods and services - notably defence", as other reasons for the financial hole.

"Swaziland is not going to fight a war anytime soon so why this expenditure? It is typical of a dictatorship," he says.

=====

"The king has 13 wives, many children and many more servants. They take a huge chunk of the budget," Mr Dlamini says.

Ms Grant-Makokera believes the monarch may have hindered the government's efforts to resolve the financial crisis.

"But there now seems to be an acknowledgement [by the king] of the need to make adjustments. He has cancelled his silver jubilee celebrations," Ms Grant-Makokera says.

Swaziland has also asked South Africa for a reported bailout of about $1.4m after the African Development Bank turned down its plea for help.

====(end quote)

[4] CONTROVERSY OF THE KING'S MANY WIFES AND KIDNAPPING OF WOMEN FOR HIS HAREM:

Our boi Mswati the 3rd obtained the crown in 1986 at the age of 18, and in that time has obtained 15 wives!

And every year many Swazi women vie for his attention during the "annual Umhlanga or Reed Dance ceremony participated by about 40,000 maidens." Since most Swazi peeps are brokenshit poor, marriage to the King and other viable Dlamini nobles is their ticket out of poverty.

https://ourplanetinmylens.com/umhlanga-reed-dance-festival-eswatini/

But not every single Swazi woman is keen on being the fleshlight of this disgusting lardbucket

Thus EVEN with literally 40 000 women vying for his attention yearly, our degenerate King will still go out of his way to kidnap women who doesn't reciprocate his attention!!! Many accusations have been laid that the King kidnaps Swazi women he takes a fancy to, but had told him to frick off.

They can hold these women captive by threatening their family or by holding their status in Swazi society hostage - thus though it is not the tradidional idea of kidnapping, many women have indeed been held "hostage" against their free will by the Royal family.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/swazilands-royal-bridal-mess/

====(from cbsnews article)

A mother's lawsuit to prevent King Mswati III from marrying her daughter has infuriated the royal family and put it on a collision course with Swaziland's judiciary.

"This is a national crisis," said Jan Sithole, secretary-general of the Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions.

But the royal family sees it as a simple case of an impertinent woman with no respect for tradition in a nation where the king is above the law.

"We have traditional forums where such issues should be addressed and we are surprised this woman decided to go to court," said Malamlela Magagula, a royal adviser. "The (king) wondered whether (the) mother was really a Swazi citizen or not."

====(end quote)

This is a great example to showcase how usually servile the average Swazi is towards the Dlamini Royal family. The Dlaminis could not even understand why she was opposing the and called into question if the mother was in fact Swazi

====(article continued)

The conflict began after Mswati's aides picked three women he spotted at the annual reed dance festival and took them to secret locations to become his newest wives.

Though many consider it an honor to have a child chosen to be a royal bride, Lindiwe Dlamini was horrified that her 18-year-old daughter Zena Zoraya Mahlangu was taken and decided to sue.

Trade unionists, opposition groups, civic officials, lawyers and ordinary Swazis condemned the royal family's actions.

"Their conduct blatantly undermines the independence of the judiciary and directly interferes with the smooth administration of justice and the rule of law," the Law Society of Swaziland said.

Rights activists have condemned the king's policy of taking brides without asking the women's permission or talking to their families.

"Such a practice, Your Majesty, is degrading, dehumanizing and traumatic to the dignity and person of women folk," Vulindlela Msibi, president of the Human Rights Association of Swaziland, wrote in a letter to Mswati.

====(end cbs article)

[5] THE INSTITUTION AND LIFTING OF UNDER-18 S*X CONTROVERSY:

Back in 2001 the Swazi King instituted a ban for under-18 s*x to try and combat the horrific rates of HIV infections within the country. Ban was unpopular because older Swazi men wanted to s*x supple under-16 girls

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/aug/20/aids

====(from guardian article)

The announcement in the kingdom's papers yesterday coincided with the release of government statistics revealing nearly a third of Swazi 15- to 19-year-olds carry the virus that causes Aids, the scourge King Mswati III had hoped to combat with his appeals to girls to remain virgins.

Alarmed at the high rate of HIV infection, Mswati in 2001 reinstated for five years the "unchwasho" rite, banning sexual relations for unmarried girls younger than 18.

Swazi girls were instructed to wear a tasselled scarf as a symbolic badge of virginity.

If an unchwasho girl was approached by a man, she was expected to throw her tassels at his homestead, forcing his family to pay a penalty of a cow.

====(end quote)

BUT THEN THE CHEEKY FRICKER UNDID THE BAN, BECAUSE HE WANTED TO GET HIS PEEPEE WET WITH A 17 YEAR OLD!

[6] ARTICLE FROM 2005 DESCRIBING KING'S 13TH WIFE, AND THE LIFTING OF THE UNDERAGE S*X BAN:

https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4283932.stm

========(from article)

King Mswati of Swaziland has chosen a teenager to be his 13th wife. Phindile Nkambule, 17, was revealed to the public when she took part in a traditional Reed Dance ceremony, in which girls perform before the king.

The announcement comes just weeks after Mswati III ended an official ban on s*x for women under 18. The ban was aimed at curbing the spread of HIV/Aids.

She is reported to have caught the king's eye during the main annual Reed Dance in late August, when tens of thousands of bare-breasted girls took part in a traditional rite of Spring.

Ms Nkambule is younger than the king's first daughter, Princess Sikhanyiso, who turned 18 this month. She will now wear royal loin cloths when she appears in public and has dropped out of school in order to be groomed as the monarch's wife.

Unpopular ban:

Days earlier, the king had rescinded a ban on sexual relations for girls younger than 18. The ban was started by the king in 2001 to fight Aids in a country where some 40% of the population is HIV positive. But the move had been unpopular with Swazi youths and its implementation had sparked controversy.

Just two months after imposing the ban, the king fined himself a cow for breaking it by taking a 17-year-old girl as his ninth wife. The Swazi monarch married his 12th wife, aged 18, in June.

Some Swazis are critical of King Mswati - an absolute monarch whose lavish lifestyle and many wives contrast with the poverty of many of his subjects.

====(end BBC article)

A lot of peeps got extremely angry at Mswati for this incredible display of hypocrisy. As he literally rescinded a 4 year old national law, in obvious result of his attraction towards an underage girl!

This caused such an uproar that the usually servile Swazi women, even went to protest in a unique manner.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/aug/20/aids

====(from gaurdian article)

When the king chose a 17-year-old as his ninth wife in 2001, about 300 young women marched to a royal residence, laying down their tassels in protest.

The king's aides argued the ban was designed to discourage casual relationships, not marriage. But Mswati surrendered the cow, which was roasted and eaten by the young women.

====(end quote)

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/swazilands-royal-bridal-mess/

====(from cbs article)

Many Swazis have been annoyed with Mswati since last year, when the king banned girls under 18 from having s*x — a decree he said was intended to halt the spread of HIV.

A few weeks after declaring the ban, Mswati took a 17-year-old girl as his ninth wife. Eventually, he paid a fine of one cow.

Masuku and other opposition leaders complain that Mswati has made himself the final arbiter of Swazi traditions.

"People must passively and submissively accept everything he does as Swazi law and custom," Masuku said. "Anything he likes is Swazi custom. Anything he dislikes is not Swazi custom."

====(end quote)

[6] LaMahlangu controversy:

https://web.archive.org/web/20041013054919/http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAFR550042004?open=&of=ENG-SWZ

An actual case of REAL kidnapping took place way back in 2002, when "an 18-year-old high school student, disappeared from her school in October 2002. Her mother, Lindiwe Dlamini, learned that her daughter had been taken by two men, Qethuka Sgombeni Dlamini and Tulujani Sikhondze, and she reported the matter to the police. Some time later, she was told that her daughter was at Ludzidzini Royal Village and was being prepared to be the next wife of the king."

"The matter went to the High Court, but Swaziland's Attorney-General Phesheya Dlamini intervened. She has since had two children, and formally became the king's wife in 2010."

[7] WHEN KING Mswati WANTED TO NEUTER AIDS INFECTED:

A bit of drama before my time, but the W.E.F. was under fire when it had invited Mswati back in 2002, to a forum.

https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2013-05-10-king-mswati-to-wef-swazi-people-dont-want-change/

"Exactly why the World Economic Forum on Africa invited King Mswati III of Swaziland to sit on a panel is a slight mystery. Throughout the WEF, the values of transparency, accountability, good governance and anti-corruption have been highlighted over and over again as essential to Africa's growth. These values are the antithesis of what King Mswati's rule has meant to Swaziland. But he insisted on Thursday that the Swazi people are very happy with their feudal status quo."

https://prezi.com/8qany1lsfzo1/king-mswati-iii-king-of-swaziland/?fallback=1

In 2000, he called during a parliamentary debate for all HIV-positive people to be "sterilized and branded".

https://mediareviewnet.com/2019/11/king-mswati-iii-of-eswatini-africas-only-remaining-despotic-tyrant/

Which as you can imagine caused controversy, since depending on the accuracies of the study being carried out, between 22-40% of Swazis are HIV positive

https://www.ru.ac.za/perspective/2013archive/kingmswatitowefswazipeopledontwantchange.html

Medical people had to go to the king and explain to him that's not just how the virus spreads! For those of you who do not know how aids is spread.

You can get aids via s*x, blood transfusions/contaminations, or literally be born with it, if your mother had AIDS, as the child was connected via the navel tube and blood. So the idea of eugenics for virus victims wasn't as completely batshit.

However, once medical personnel explained the many other ways in which AIDS could be transferred via contact or s*x, the talks about sterilization fell through pretty quick.

HOWEVER, it is a common held belief/conspiracy that our dipshit King Mswati had discovered that he HIMSELF had contracted AIDS from the many liaisons and sexcapades over the years

And THAT'S why the talks fell though! Not because of the uproar of the 25% people infected pushing back!

[8] FINALE: Mswati's SWAG COLLECTION OF WATCHES (for @BWC)

Here's a literal blog for Special watch hobbyists documenting the many and varied extravagant watches which Mswati has worn in public and special occasions throughout the years

https://iflwatches.com/blogs/celebrities/luxury-watch-collection-of-king-mswati-iii

For all your watch autism

That's all, GOOD night!

!africans