Kingdom of Swaziland

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12 more people to advise the King - Times of Swaziland

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Swaziland's King Mswati III was among the first day speakers at UN Millennium Development Goals September 20th 2010 in New York.

Picture - Reuters via Daylife

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King Mswati III and the King Mohammed VI of Morocco in New-York yesterday
ImageBam - Fast, Free Image Hosting and Photo Sharing

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Polygamist King Mswati of Swaziland fires justice minister after affair with 1 of 14 wives | Mail Online

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HM the King Mswati III has opened the first embassy of his kingdom to Abu Dhabi on October 18th, 2010. The King was accompanied by HM the Queen Mother. - WAM

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Swazi King Marries....Again

allAfrica.com: Uganda: Swaziland's King Mswati Iii Weds Again

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The grave of the prince was digged on the local witchdoctor's request - Swazi Observer
A 29-years old man who was offered E15 000 by a witchdoctor to dig a Royal grave at Mdzimba Mountain and retrieve body parts of a prince buried there, was yesterday sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.
The sentence was passed by High Court Judge Jacobus Annandale.

Times of Swaziland article

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The official budget for the royal family is a closely guarded secret. But opponents criticise the monarch for spending lavishly on a fleet of top-line BMWs and palaces for his 13 wives.
Despite the meltdown, the king is planning lavish celebrations for the 25th anniversary of his reign this year. The government has not disclosed how much the party will cost, but the official price tag for the king's 40th birthday party in 2008 was more than 12 million dollars. - AFP

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Lieutenant Prince Sicalo, the first-born son of the King Mswati III, is now safely home. The Prince who jetted out of trouble-riddled Libya on Friday, arrived in Swaziland on Saturday night.
Prince Sicalo has been in Libya for a number of years undergoing ‘specialist’ military training with the Gaddafi's regime.- Full article

Prince Sicalo is the eldest son of Queen LaMatsebula (the ritual wife). A Swazi king's first two wives (ritual wives) are chosen for him by the national councillors. According to Swazi customs the children of the ritual wives are 'the children of gods' and can not inherit the throne.
Prince Sicalo (in the uniform) during the Swaziland's Arbor day.

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Good, I'm making a research for the university for African Monarchies. This will help me.

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Swaziland: Eviction case could pull the rug from under absolute monarchy » peoplesworld

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HM the Queen Mother of Swaziland intends to establish a bank to alleviate poverty among the women. - Full article

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Swaziland billed as next domino to fall - Times Live

Swazi youths will today take to the streets of the kingdom in an attempt to ignite an uprising that will topple absolute ruler King Mswati III and his government.

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Dorchester on high alert as divisive Swazi King checks in - Independent
London's Dorchester hotel is preparing to receive a much noisier crowd than is normal this evening: human rights protesters objecting to Swaziland's king arriving in London.

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Anger over Mswati's plans for royal wedding - Source

Next week, Mswati will be among VIP spectators at Westminster Abbey for a slightly more austere version hosted by the British royal family.
But his invitation has angered his countrymen, who accuse the UK of "legitimising" their autocratic monarch who rules over one of the poorest countries in the world.

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AFP: Swaziland king cancels silver jubilee amid economic crisis
Africa's last monarch King Mswati III of Swaziland has cancelled plans for a lavish "silver jubilee" as his kingdom tries to claw its way out of a financial crisis, the government said Monday."The silver jubilee has been postponed indefinitely," Home Affairs Minister Chief Mgwagwa Gamedze said in a statement sent to AFP.
Mswati had been expected to host posh celebrations in September to mark the 25th anniversary of his rule, with 1.2 million euros ($1.7 million) set aside for the party.

More protests target Swazi absolute monarch | News by Country | Reuters
Activists marched to the U.S. and South African embassies in Swaziland on Wednesday demanding the freezing of overseas bank accounts of dignitaries, the latest twist in a long political crisis in Africa's last absolute monarchy.

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In strong statement, Catholic bishops call for democratic reform in Swaziland - Brandon Sun
Catholic bishops are urging reforms in Swaziland, calling sub-Saharan Africa's last absolute monarchy a police state that is "tearing itself apart."
The statement issued Thursday after a Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference visit to Swaziland said the king should lift a state of emergency that has been in place for nearly four decades, reinstate "the full range of human rights" and open talks on democratization.
Swaziland's prime minister has said his country will resist outside pressure.
Swaziland's King Mswati III lives lavishly in a country of 1 million beset by high levels of poverty, unemployment and AIDS. Mswati is accused of repressing human rights and harassing and jailing pro-democracy activists.

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HRH the Prince Mfanasibili was asked by Swazi News to comment on a ‘Top Secret’ document that was allegedly found in the possession of South African Communist Party member Amos Mbedzi, alleging that some members of the royal family were behind the formation of PUDEMO.
The document states that the rationale for this was a disagreement on the succession to King Sobhuza II.
Recounting the events after the death of King Sobhuza II, Prince Mfanasibili said Labadzala had communicated to the Liqoqo that the next King would be Makhosetive and the Queen Mother would be the current Indlovukazi, Her Majesty Queen Ntombi. [...] - Source

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The world's 14th Richest Monarch wants a bailout from SA? iLIVE - Times LIVE
The Swazi monarch, King Mswati, wants to borrow afew million from the South African government to prop up his nearly bankrupt state. This has to be the biggest bit of chutzpah in Africa this year.

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BBC News - Swaziland judge suspended for 'insulting king'
Chief Justice Michael Ramodibedi told the BBC that Judge Masuku is accused of using the expression "forked-tongued" in a ruling referring to the king.