HOW A SWAZI KING IS MADE

A lot of people in Swaziland believe that God chose King Mswati III to be king.

And because of this divine intervention, the king has special abilities and wisdom. For that reason, his word must be obeyed. Those who speak against the king, speak also against God.

Well that’s the theory. And it is very convenient for those close to the power of the king to allow this falsehood to gather ground in Swaziland. After all, some people might want to criticise a king, but who can dare criticise a God?

Of course King Mswati wasn’t chosen by God. A political group plotting within the ruling elite of Swaziland chose him.

I was reminded of this by the Nation magazine this month (July 2008), which for the second issue running has included extensive coverage of the documentary Without The King. As regular readers to the Nation (and this blog) know the documentary investigated the differences between the lavish lifestyles of the Royal Family and those of ordinary people in Swaziland.

Without the King and the Nation reveal how the present king came to the throne – and the manoeuvrings are positively Shakespearian.

Unlike in many societies that still have monarchs, in Swaziland the eldest son doesn’t simply become king once the reigning monarch dies. The king is chosen ‘by virtue of the rank and character of his mother in accordance with Swazi law and custom’. But the part of Swazi law and custom relating to the selection of a successor to a king is unknown to a majority of ordinary Swazi. It may include the mother to the heir.

The Nation reports, ‘In the documentary, King Mswati III shed some light on how he got to know that he would be the next King of Swaziland.

‘He said then he was about 12 ½ years of age and it was after the demise of his father, King Sobhuza II when the news were broke to him.

‘King Mswati III did not say anything about his mother who was then an ordinary wife to the late king. It was not until the then Supreme Council (Liqoqo) removed the then Queen Regent for the biological mother to the then Crown Prince that she was appointed to office.

‘The act drew reprisals for the Liqoqo members who ousted the then Queen Regent.

‘After the king was crowned, the Liqoqo members were charged with high treason arising from their decision to remove the Queen Regent Dzeliwe. Some were found guilty and sentenced to imprisonment terms as high as 15 years.

‘The king subsequently pardoned them.’

See also
BRAVE SWAZI ‘NATION’ TAKES ON KING