In the
week that it was revealed that Swaziland had paid E90 million (US$6.4m) as a
deposit on a private jet for King Mswati III it was announced that 500,000
Swazi people – nearly half the population – would need food aid by December,
but the kingdom cannot afford to pay for it.
Swaziland
has been under a national emergency since February
2016 because
of drought. The kingdom, ruled by King Mswati, the last absolute monarch in
sub-Saharan Africa, appealed to the international community for financial aid.
Meanwhile, the King who has a reputation for his personal lavish lifestyle
spent millions hosting the Southern African Development Community summit in August.
The King is chair of SADC this year.
On Friday
(16 September 2016), media in Swaziland reported the kingdom’s National
Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) Chief Executive Officer Russell Dlamini
saying an estimated 500,000 people would need food assistance by December 2016.
Dlamini
said that donor agencies had promised aid, but only about a quarter of it had
been received.
The Swazi Observer newspaper reported that
Dlamini said more than E97 million had been pledged, but only E24 million had
been received.
The Times of Swaziland reported Dlamini saying all food aid would cease
by April 2017 unless something was done.
Newspapers
also reported that members of the Swazi parliament were questioning what had
happened to the E90 million that had been paid as deposit for the King’s
private jet. No jet has jet been delivered. The jet is expected to cost a total
of E207
million.
The media
in Swaziland which often censor themselves when reporting about the King made
no connection between the E90 million being spent so far on the jet and the
nearly similar amount needed for food aid.
See also
MONEY FOR KING’S JET, BUT NOT DROUGHT
SWAZI KING’S DROUGHT BLUNDER
SWAZILAND DROUGHT – TRUTH REVEALED
KING BUYS
JET, UN FUNDS DROUGHT RELIEF
http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2016/04/king-buys-jet-un-funds-drought-relief.html
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