The Swaziland Government’s claim that King Mswati III’s newly-arrived jet was given to him by ‘development partners’ may be wide of the mark.
Instead, news is emerging that the McDonnell Douglas DC-9
twin-engine jet was donated by Salgaocar, an Indian-based private company that
has recently acquired mining rights in Swaziland after going into partnership
with the King.
Salgaocar describes itself on its website as ‘a leading
multi-conglomerate in India [that] is engaged mainly in mining and export of iron
ore to the different countries of the world.’ It is thought to have given the
king a corporate jet that the company no longer needed.
This news contradicts what Barnabas Dlamini, the Swazi
Prime Minister, said earlier this week that the jet was given to the king by ‘sponsors’
of Swaziland who were ‘development partners’.
Salgaocar started mining for iron ore this year after it received
a seven-year licence from the Swaziland Government to extract iron ore from
dump piles left at a closed mine at Ngwenya.
According to MetalBulletin, an industry journal, the Swaziland Government owns a 50 per cent
stake in Salgaocar Swaziland, the subsidiary set up to do the work in the
kingdom.
But, in Swaziland, where King Mswati is sub-Saharan
Africa’s last absolute monarch, the King takes the place of the government in
business dealings and will receive the income from the venture himself and use the
money as he pleases.
The value of Salgaocar’s contract is not known.
Meanwhile, the company is keen to promote its charitable
work in Swaziland. Last month it was reported that Salgaocar would spend up to E5
million (US$645,000) this year to supply clean drinking water, education, and medical
help in Swaziland.
No official announcement has been made about who donated
the jet. Percy Simelane, the Swazi Government’s official spokesperson, said the
donors wanted to remain anonymous.
The Government seems to be embarrassed about the amount
of publicity surrounding the purchase and has banned people from photographing
the jet. One person who took pictures of the plane in order to get its identity
number and trace its owners was forced by police and army to delete the
pictures.
See also
THOUSAND DENIALS ON JET PURCHASE
DISBELIEF OVER SWAZI KING’S NEW JET
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