Desperately poor people in
Swaziland have been camping outside one of King Mswati III’s offices over many
months to ‘beg’ the King for work, according
to local media.
They said they would rather
die than return to poverty, the Times of
Swaziland reported
on Friday (29 July 2016).
The newspaper, the only independent
daily in the kingdom where King Mswati rules as sub-Saharan Africa’s last
absolute monarch, reported, ‘Many months have gone by as the group of
unemployed citizens from different parts of the country camped daily outside
the King’s Office at Nkhanini, hoping to be called in.’
In Swaziland nearly seven
in ten of the 1.3 million population live in abject poverty with incomes less
than US$2 per day.
The Times reported, ‘However, on numerous occasions, the undeterred
group would be told that there were currently no vacancies but would continue
to sit and hope for a different answer.’
The newspaper reported the
jobseekers spoke ‘on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation’.
They
said they ‘would rather die outside the gates of Nkhanini than to return to
poverty’.
The Times reported, ‘They said they were sending a plea to Their
Majesties to find it befitting to issue a Royal Command for them to be given
jobs as they were currently ravaged by poverty.’
It added, ‘They said they
were determined to go to Their Majesties to beg for the jobs.’
They had heard rumours that
there were vacancies for jobs such as cleaning staff, groundsmen and other
general duties, which did not require special skills in order to carry out.
It is difficult to get
accurate figures on unemployment in Swaziland, but the CIA
World Fact Book put the rate at 40 percent in 2014.
While poverty continues to
grip Swaziland it was revealed by an international news agency this week that
King Mswati’s annual budget had been increased to US$69.8 million in the
current financial year. The Anadolu
Agency quoted official figures
from the Government of the Kingdom of
Swaziland’s estimates for the years from April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2019
report. It said the royal budget was US$55.3 million in the last financial
year, but this year it has been increased by US$13.9 million.
King Mswati has a reputation
outside of Swaziland as a lavish spender. He has at least 13 palaces, a fleet
of top-of-the-range- Mercedes and BMW cars. He is about to take delivery of a 375-seater
private jet worth about US$14 million paid for by his Government.
In March 2016, it was revealed the
King’s share of the just-reopened Lufafa Gold Mine at
Hhelehhele in the Hhohho region of Swaziland could be worth up to US$149
million.
See also
HUGE RISE IN SWAZI KING’S BUDGET
KING GETS
NEW JET AS PEOPLE STARVE
SWAZIS AMONG
HUNGRIEST IN THE WORLD
KING PARTIES, HIS SUBJECTS GO HUNGRY
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