King Mswati III, Swaziland’s absolute monarch, is
being dragged through the courts in a case where he is personally being sued
for US$1.5 million damages for his alleged part in the downfall of a mining
operation in his Swaziland. The case which will be played out in the British
Virgin Islands will be the first time the King has personally been sued. In
Swaziland it is not possible to bring any kind of legal action against the
monarch.
This is one of the
continuing stories from the past three months that has been reported by Swazi
Media Commentary and is included in Swaziland: Striving for Freedom, Vol 19. This
compilation covering the months June to September 2015 brings together posts
that originally appeared on the Swazi Media Commentary website. It is available
free of charge from the scribd
dot com website.
A major tragedy took place in August when a number
of children (the exact figure is disputed) were killed in a road accident while
being transported to the King’s Reed Dance where they were expected to dance
half-naked in front of him. The accident highlighted the way that the King’s
poverty-stricken subjects are often treated like cattle while the King lives a
lavish lifestyle. On that note, the King’s private jet continues to bring him
grief as he tries to fight a court order compelling him to pay alleged unpaid
debts.
The quarter ended on an optimistic note when it was
reported that the Commonwealth had brokered a deal in which the King agreed to
meet representatives of the kingdom’s civil society in which were dubbed by outsiders
as ‘democracy talks’.
Swazi Media Commentary website has no physical base
and is completely independent of any political faction and receives no income
from any individual or organisation. People who contribute ideas or write for
it do so as volunteers and receive no payment.
Swaziland Striving for Freedom, Vol 19, June to September 2015
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