The Cabinet of Swaziland / Eswatini gave King Mswati
III a ‘luxurious lounge suite trimmed with gold’ as a gift for his 50th
birthday.
The absolute monarch also received cheques worth at
least E5 million (US$400,000).
The King’s subjects had been encouraged to deliver gifts
to him at Lozitha, one of his 13 palaces, on Monday (4 June 2018).
They were to mark his 50th birthday that
fell on 19 Aril 2018. On that day he wore a watch
worth US$1.6 million and a suit weighing
6 kg studded with diamonds. Days earlier he had taken delivery of
his second private jet. This one, an Airbus A340, cost US$13.2 to purchase but
with VIP upgrades
was estimated to have cost US$30 million.
Meanwhile, seven in ten of the 1.1 million population
live in abject poverty with incomes less than the equivalent of US$2 per day.
Both of Swaziland’s daily newspapers reported the
presentations. The Swazi Observer, a
newspaper in effect owned by the King, dominated its front page with a picture
of the lounge suite presented by the Cabinet. In Swaziland political parties
are banned from taking part in elections and the Prime Minister and the Cabinet
are hand-picked by the King.
The newspaper did not disclose the cost of the suite
‘trimmed with gold’, nor did it say if it had been bought out of public funds
or from personal donations by Cabinet members.
The Observer
also published two pages of pictures of presentations to the King. It reported
that MTN Swaziland (until recently the monopoly supplier of cell phone services
in the kingdom) presented him with a cheque for E1.1 million; Macmillan
Education Publishers (which supplies many schools in Swaziland) gave E394,000
and Build It gave E205,000.
The Observer
estimated the King received cheques worth at least E5 million in total towards
his birthday celebration which also marked the 50th anniversary of
Swaziland’s independence from Great Britain.
The Times
of Swaziland reported people
‘from all
age groups, the youngest being a six-year-old, while the eldest was 75 years
old’ went to the palace to ‘shower’ the King with gifts.
It reported, ‘In random interviews the nation shared the same sentiments
that presenting the King with gifts was the sign to show loyalty and
appreciation for the Monarch.’
It added the majority of companies and individuals opted to gifts of
cattle, ‘while others preferred valuable items, including sofas, Air fridges
and bicycles. There were also items of sentimental value such as portraits
and photographs.’
See also
SWAZI
KING AND QUEENS OF BLING
KING
WEARS WATCH WORTH US$1.6-million
KING
WEARS SUIT BEADED WITH DIAMONDS
SWAZI
ROYALS SPEND, SPEND, SPEND
https://swazimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2018/05/swazi-royals-spend-spend-spend.html
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