A video of King Mswati III’s arrival in Abu Dhabi is drawing gasps online, with his entourage of 15 wives and 100 servants, while a deal to accept Trump’s deportees is making some subjects question his absolute rule, but who is he?
Africa’s last absolute monarch rolls deep, banning teens from sex and even changing his country’s name, but his lavish ways are now drawing unwelcome attention in places where his word isn’t law.
A clip of King Mswati’s arrival in style in Abu Dhabi has gone viral this year, shining a spotlight on his lifestyle and his wacky decisions since becoming the world’s youngest ruling monarch at 18 in 1986.
US deportees now touching down in his country under a controversial deal with Trump’s administration can expect a far cooler welcome.
Five “uniquely barbaric” prisoners from Cambodia, Cuba, Jamaica, Vietnam and Yemen were deported in July and a further 10 deportees landed on Monday (October 6).
Their arrival raises questions about how much the king’s policies work for his people as much as himself.
The startling tales of King Mswati ’s reign to date include a five-year sex ban in 2001 for teen girls to slow the spread of HIV.
In the event, the girls got to abandon the tassels that symbolised their purity a year early. He, though, had already taken a 17-year-old as his 13th wife, a mere two months into the ban.
Imposing the chastity rite – or umcwasho – was just a taste of the great power he wields in Eswatini.
And older readers can’t be blamed for not recognising that name. King Mswati ruled Swaziland until 2018. He then got fed up of having his kingdom confused with Switzerland so changed its name on his birthday.
As a comment left on the viral video points out, however, his regal ways are a mere echo of the limitless power of his ancestors.
“Swaziland’s king arrived in Abu Dhabi with 15 wives and 100 servants. His father, King Sobhuza II, had 125 wives.”
Unlike his ancestors, though, his iron rule sparks interest far beyond the confines of his kingdom.
The abduction of an 18-year-old schoolgirl, destined to became his 10th wife, even reached the High Court of Swaziland. The outraged mother’s protests won backing from global organisations including Amnesty International.
“The king and his agents have violated the internationally recognized human rights of women and girls,” the organisation thundered.
What’s more, Zena Soraya Mahlangu was a twin, so technically ineligible to marry the king.
But opposition was pointless. The Attorney General intervened and the marriage went ahead anyway.
The king stands further accused of overseeing a despotic regime of torture, blatant discrimination, and even extrajudicial killings.
His government has restricted freedom of speech, assembly, and association, and has harassed activists and journalists.
He shocked the world in 2000 by calling a parliamentary discussion on whether HIV positive people should be “sterilized and branded”.
His lavish lifestyle, meanwhile, reportedly includes a collection of luxury cars, such as a $500,000 DaimlerChrysler Maybach 62. His subjects are no longer permitted to photograph the vehicles after they attracted too much attention.
His bespoke watch collection is allegedly valued in the millions.
But King Mswati’s wealth and power, sadly, provide a stark contrast with how his subjects live.
Eswatini is ranked among the world’s most unequal nations, with 70% of its people below the poverty line. The country’s growth also lags its neighbours.
A group of local NGOs has now challenged the recent deportation deal. The agreement, some claim, reflects how the king’s personal interests trump those of his people.
But since crushing protests in 2021-23, while keeping tight control of the police and army, the king remains unlikely to face any real challenge to his absolute rule.
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