Mswati III

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Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox royalty Mswati III (born Makhosetive Dlamini; 19 April 1968)<ref>Genealogy:SWAZILAND Template:Webarchive, World of Royalty</ref> is the Ngwenyama (King) of Eswatini and head of the Swazi royal family. He heads an absolute monarchy, as he has veto power over all branches of government and is constitutionally immune from prosecution.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":3">Template:Cite web</ref>

Mswati was born in Manzini in the Protectorate of Swaziland to King Sobhuza II and one of his younger wives, Ntfombi Tfwala.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was crowned as Mswati III, Ingwenyama and King of Swaziland, on 25 April 1986 at the age of 18, becoming the youngest ruling monarch in the world at that time.

With unrestricted political power and able to rule by decree, Mswati III (together with his mother, Queen Ntfombi) is the last remaining absolute monarch in Africa and one of the only twelve remaining absolute national or subnational monarchs in the world.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Under the constitution, the king is the commander-in-chief of the defence force and commissioner-in-chief of police and correctional services, and Mswati exercises ultimate authority over all branches of the national government and effectively controls local governance through his influence over traditional chiefs.<ref name="auto">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Under Mswati's reign, political dissent and civic and labor activism are subject to harsh punishment under laws against sedition and other laws.<ref name="auto"/> Political parties have been banned in Eswatini since 1973 when Mswati's father declared a state of emergency that remained in force until 2005, when the constitution came into effect.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Pro-democracy protests from 2021 onwards have been violently dispersed and political activists have been arrested.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The government exercises total control over the broadcast media, including the only privately owned TV channel, which belongs to the royal family. Almost all media outlets are controlled, directly or indirectly, by Mswati III.

Mswati lives an opulent and lavish lifestyle which stands in sharp contrast to the lives of most Emaswazi people.<ref name="pmo" /><ref name="R100" /><ref name=":2" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2022, an estimated 32% of the population lived below the US$2.15/day international poverty line (measured by price-purchasing parity (PPP) in 2017) while 55% of the population was under the lower-middle-income country poverty line of $3.65/day.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:As of Mswati had eleven wives.<ref name=kupemba>Template:Cite web</ref> Formerly named Swaziland, in 2018 Mswati III renamed the country Eswatini (formally the Kingdom of Eswatini) by decree.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Early life

Mswati III was born on 19 April 1968 at Raleigh Fitkin Memorial Hospital, Manzini, the son of Sobhuza II (who had 70 wives during his reign of 82 years).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

When King Sobhuza II died on 21 August 1982, the Great Council of State (the Liqoqo) selected the 14-year-old prince Makhosetive to be the next king.<ref>Simelane, Hamilton Sipho. (2005). "Swaziland: Reign of Mswati III," in Encyclopedia of African History, p. 1528.</ref>

Reign

Mswati and Sibonelo Mngometulu with US President Barack Obama on 5 August 2014

Mswati was introduced as crown prince in September 1983 and was crowned king on 25 April 1986, aged 18 years and 6 days, thus making him one of the youngest reigning monarchs of the late 20th century,<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Today, King Mswati III is Africa's last absolute monarch in the sense that he has the power to choose the prime minister, other top government posts and top traditional posts. Despite his role in appointing such positions, Mswati is still required to get special advice from the queen mother and council when choosing positions such as prime minister; similarly, in matters of cabinet appointments, Mswati is advised by the prime minister. Mswati ruled by decree, but he chose to restore the nation's Parliament, which had been dissolved by his father in order to ensure concentration of power remained with the king. Parliamentarians are appointed either by Mswati himself (two-thirds of the senators and ten deputies) or elected by traditional chiefs close to power. Close to the evangelical churches, he banned divorce and the wearing of miniskirts.<ref name="Africa's last absolute monarchy">Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2006, Mswati promulgated a new constitution that allows freedom of speech and assembly. However, Amnesty International criticizes that such freedoms are restricted in practice.<ref name=":0" />

In an attempt to mitigate the HIV and AIDS pandemic in 2001, the king used his traditional powers to invoke a time-honoured chastity rite (umcwasho) under the patronage of a princess, which encouraged all Swazi maidens to abstain from sexual relations for five years. This was last done under Sobhuza II in 1971.<ref name="Kuipers">Template:Cite web</ref> This rite banned sexual relations for Swazis under 18 years of age from 9 September 2001 to 19 August 2005, but just two months after imposing the ban, he violated this decree when a 17-year-old liphovela (royal fiancée) was chosen,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> who became his 13th wife.

Mswati and Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in Eswatini on 17 April 2018

Mswati has visited Taiwan seventeen times as of June 2018, and has pledged to continue recognizing Taiwan instead of the People's Republic of China.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On 19 April 2018, Mswati changed the name of the country from Swaziland to Eswatini to mark the year of its 50th anniversary of independence.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The name change coincided with his 50th birthday. Eswatini is the ancient, original name for the country, chosen as a departure from its colonial past.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Eswatini is predominantly rural and is one of the poorest countries in the world (63% of its population lives below the poverty line). An economic circle of 15,000 businessmen and politicians controls most of the country's wealth. This circle includes South African investors who have come to Eswatini to find labour at one-third the cost and a group of white businessmen who are heirs to the British settlers.<ref name="Africa's last absolute monarchy" />

In January 2021, Mswati contracted COVID-19, and he later thanked Taiwan for providing antiviral medication that helped with his recovery. Mswati did not disclose that he had been hospitalized until after his recovery.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="swazilandnews.co.za">Template:Cite web</ref>

In June 2021, the 2021 Eswatini protests broke out against authoritarianism and the suppression of opposition. The Communist Party of Swaziland alleged he had fled to South Africa on the night of 28–29 June, whereas the Swaziland Solidarity Network claimed he fled to Mozambique. Both of these claims were denied by acting prime minister Themba Nhlanganiso Masuku.<ref name="swazilandnews.co.za"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Family and succession

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Some of Mswati's wives with Akie Abe, wife of then-Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe, in 2013

Template:As of the king had eleven wives in polygamous marriage and was thought to have twenty children.<ref name=kupemba/> The first two wives are chosen for him by the national councillors. There are complex rules on succession. Traditionally the king is chosen through his mother as represented in the Swazi saying Inkhosi, yinkhosi ngenina, meaning "a king is king through his mother".<ref name=Kgsh1>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Controversies

Mswati's reign has brought some changes in the government and political transformation. However, critics such as the People's United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO)<ref name="PUDEMO">Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref> believe that these changes are solely aimed at strengthening and perpetuating the traditional order.<ref name="ISS">Template:Cite web</ref> His attendance at the May 2012 Sovereign Monarchs lunch, to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, caused some controversy, given criticisms of his regime's human rights record.<ref name="Telegraph 2012-05-18">Template:Cite news</ref>

Mswati's reign has been criticized for its several alleged human rights violations. His regime has been accused of using torture and excessive force to control the masses as well as blatant discrimination against various dissenting groups. His regime has been accused of extrajudicial killings by his forces, along with arbitrary arrests, detentions, and unwarranted searches and seizures of homes and property. His government has restricted freedom of speech, assembly and association, and has harassed activists and journalists. The government has reportedly targeted the LGBT community, labour leaders, and activists against child labour, among other groups. The courts took little or no action to punish Mswati's actions or the officials who committed the abuses.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Mswati has been accused of kidnapping women he desires to marry.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In addition, in 2000 he allegedly called for a parliamentary meeting to debate if HIV-positive people should be "sterilized and branded".<ref name=mav/>

Wealth

King Mswati at the Reed Dance 2006

Mswati has been criticized for his lavish lifestyle, especially by the media; in one report he was accused of living a luxurious lifestyle while the people of his country starve.<ref name=tel18may>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>King Mswati is Bankrupting Swaziland: Mornachy not for Africa! Template:Webarchive, Ole Africa</ref> In the 2014 national budget, parliament allocated US$61 million for the King's annual household budget,<ref>King of impoverished Swaziland increases household budget to $61m, Agence France-Presse in Mbabane, 15 May 2014, The Guardian</ref> while 63% of Swazis live on less than US$1.25 per day.<ref>UNDP Template:Webarchive, About Swaziland</ref> Mswati banned photography of his automobiles after he was criticized for purchasing luxury cars, such as a $500,000 DaimlerChrysler Maybach 62.<ref>Now only Mswati owns a Maybach! Template:Webarchive, City Press, 25 January 2009</ref> According to the Forbes 2009 list of the World's 15 Richest Royals, King Mswati is worth a reported US$200 million.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite news</ref> In January 2004 the Times of Swaziland reported that the king asked his government to spend about $15-million to redecorate three main palaces and build others for each of his thirteen wives.<ref name="R100">Template:Cite news Template:Deadlink</ref> The Prime Minister's Office issued a press statement saying the article in the Times of Swaziland was "reckless and untrue" and that the proposal was for the construction of 5 State Houses, not Palaces, and the cost was only €19.9 million.<ref name="pmo">Template:Cite web</ref> Later that year the go-ahead was given to build five new buildings at a cost of more than US$4 million out of public funds.<ref name="goahead">Template:Cite news</ref> In August 2008, hundreds of Swazi women marched through the capital to protest the cost of a shopping spree taken abroad by nine of the King's thirteen wives.<ref name="Swazi anger at royal wives' trip">Template:Cite news</ref> The demonstration was organised by Positive Living, a non-governmental organisation for Swazi women with AIDS, and protesters submitted a petition to the finance minister arguing that the money should have been differently spent.<ref name="Swazi anger at royal wives' trip"/>

Mswati owns a collection of bespoke watches worth millions of US dollars.<ref name=":3" />

Mswati has a personal stake in a large portion of Eswatini's economy which is a factor in its below-average economic growth for a Sub-Saharan nation. As an absolute monarch, he holds the power to dissolve parties, and can veto any legislation parliament passes.<ref name="mav">Template:Cite web</ref>

LaMahlangu controversy

According to accusations by Amnesty International, Zena Mahlangu, 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.<ref>Amnesty International: "Swaziland: Human rights at risk in a climate of political and legal uncertainty,"Index No. AFR 55/004/2004. 29 July 2004.</ref>

Among the criteria for a liphovela (future bride) is that the girl must not be a twin; Zena Mahlangu was half of a brother-sister twin set, and therefore not eligible.<ref name="wayua2002">Wayua, Muli. "A king, his culture, his wives," Daily Nation (Nairobi, Kenya). 7 December 2002.</ref> The matter went to the High Court, but Swaziland's Attorney-General Phesheya Dlamini intervened.<ref name=":1" />

Honours

Royal standard of Mswati III

National

Foreign

See also

References

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Bibliography

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