PETTINESS OF THE KING’S RED CARPET

News that spread internationally that in Swaziland only King Mswati III should be afforded the honour of a red carpet at special events reminds us of another time the King wanted to assert his superiority over his subjects.

That time, according to a cable from the US Embassy in Swaziland, the King made his advisors sweat in 40-degree heat in a basement to demonstrate his power over them.

The issue of the red carpet emerged when it was reported that the red carpet at the Business Woman of the Year Awards ceremony this year (2015) was rolled away. The same happened at the Swaziland Inter Municipal Games Association (SIGA). The Times of Swaziland, the only independent newspaper in the kingdom, reported that the Swazi Police had ordered SIGA to remove the red carpet. Barnabas Dlamini, the Swazi Prime Minister, was at the event to give a speech.

The Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN), a prodemocracy group banned in the kingdom, then reported the police ordered the ban on the instructions of King Mswati.

Later, the Swazi Observer, a newspaper in effect owned by King Mswati, reported the Swazi Police spokesperson Superintendent Khulani Mamba saying no police action was ordered. However, he said the red carpet might have been removed as is might be, ‘misconstrued in other quarters as equating himself to the Head of State [King]’.

He added, ‘A well-intended gesture may have unintended consequences and be read totally out of context.’

The Observer reported Mamba saying, ‘[N]o specific individual instructed the cops to remove the red carpet but was feeling of those who were waiting to welcome him that such good gesture may be lost in interpretation, hence the decision to remove it. 

“The Prime Minister had not ordered it, nor ordered its removal, but given his stature it was felt that such a gesture may be seen as setting him up against authorities.’

It is not surprising that the Prime Minister or any other of the King’s subjects would not want to upset him.

A cable from the US Embassy in Swaziland, made public by Wikileaks, gave a startling example of how the King behaves.

The US Embassy said King Mswati III was ‘not intellectually well developed’ and ‘is not a reader’. It also called him ‘imbalanced’.

The comments about the Swazi King came from Earl Irvine, the then US Ambassador to Swaziland, in February 2010. 

In a confidential cable to Washington released by Wikileaks, Irvine said King Mswati had a ‘lack of wisdom’.

Quoting an informant, Irvine wrote the king was ‘not a reader, and will not review documents left for him’.  [The informant] called the king ‘not intellectually well-developed,’ and contrasted the current sovereign’s scant educational background with Sobhuza II, who was educated at Lovedale College in South Africa alongside future leaders of South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC).  

‘Essentially a bastard outsider to the royal family, King Mswati III was plucked from relative obscurity when members of the royal family could not come to an agreement on a successor to King Sobhuza II,’ the cable said.

‘After Mswati III was selected to be the next king, a posthumous marriage of Sobhuza II to Ntombi [the Queen Mother] was quickly arranged, according to our interlocutor.’

Irvine wrote, ‘Unlike in his early years, the King now identifies and pushes specific projects, and will look to replace ministers or employees who are unable to provide progress on those projects.’

Irvine quoted his informant calling King Mswati ‘imbalanced’. He gave an anecdote to illustrate this.   ‘The King, [the informant] said, invited about forty officials and advisors to a basement in one of his palaces, where they all sat on the floor to attend to him.  King Mswati III turned up the heater, which warmed the floor first, until the temperature in the room reached about 40 degrees Celsius, and told inconsequential stories to those gathered while they sweated, merely to show them he was in power.’

See also 

US FRANK ASSESSMENT OF SWAZI KING

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/09/us-frank-assessment-of-swazi-king.html

US CABLE SAYS SWAZI KING ‘IMBALANCED’

The US Embassy in Swaziland said King Mswati III was ‘not intellectually well developed’ and ‘is not a reader’. It also called him ‘imbalanced’. 
 

The comments about the Swazi King came from Earl Irvine in February 2010, when he was the US Ambassador to Swaziland.

In a confidential cable to Washington released by Wikileaks, Irvine said King Mswati, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, had a ‘lack of wisdom’.

Quoting an informant, Irvine wrote the king was ‘not a reader, and would not review documents left for him. [The informant] called the king ‘not intellectually well-developed,’ and contrasted his poor educational background with his father Sobhuza II, who was educated at Lovedale College in South Africa alongside future leaders of South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC). 

Irvine wrote, ‘Essentially a bastard outsider to the royal family, King Mswati III was plucked from relative obscurity when members of the royal family could not come to an agreement on a successor to King Sobhuza II. 

‘After Mswati III was selected to be the next king, a posthumous marriage of Sobhuza II to Ntombi [the Queen Mother] was quickly arranged, according to our interlocutor.’

Irvine wrote, ‘Unlike in his early years, the king now identifies and pushes specific projects, and will look to replace ministers or employees who are unable to provide progress on those projects.’

Irvine quoted his informant calling King Mswati ‘imbalanced’. He gave an anecdote to illustrate this. ‘The king, [the informant] said, invited about 40 officials and advisors to a basement in one of his palaces, where they all sat on the floor to attend to him. King Mswati III turned up the heater, which warmed the floor first, until the temperature in the room reached about 40 degrees Celsius, and told inconsequential stories to those gathered while they sweated, merely to show them he was in power.’

Irvine also reported that the king’s mother had a sexual affair with Lutfo Dlamini, Swaziland’s former Foreign Minister. 

And the Queen Mother Ntombi’s ‘associations with men’ had undermined the power she had to influence King Mswati’s decision-making.

Irvine called the cable he wrote to Washington ‘Witchcraft and More: A Portrait of Influences on King Mswati III’.

In the cable Irvine said, ‘traditional leaders, superstition, and members of the royal family’ were the major influences on the king. His ministers, however, ‘remain his servants’.

Irvine wrote, ‘The king’s wives’ opinions matter to the king, especially his third wife, LaMbikisa, who has an advanced degree and is the only wife to whom the king proposed.’

Irvine goes on, ‘King Mswati III believes in muti (traditional medicine used to cast spells or curses), and attempts to use muti to attack the king are taken seriously’.

He wrote, ‘In 1989 Prince Mfana Sibili was accused of high treason when he allegedly used muti to try to take away the king’s powers. When a foreign judge, brought in to hear the case, dismissed it after hearing the charges, a traditional court was installed to convict the prince.’ 

He said that ‘muti people’ hold great sway within the royal family, and that the king must eat and drink whatever they give him during traditional ceremonies, particularly when in seclusion. ‘If they are unhappy with the direction the king is taking the country, then the king has cause to worry.’ 

Irvine went on ‘Although Queen Mother Ntombi is considered by many observers to be a powerful figure within the royal family, [name of informant] indicated that her authority has been undermined by her “associations with men,” including the then Foreign Minister Lutfo Dlamini.

Irvine wrote, ‘Mswati III uses the investment company African Alliance to move his money around internationally.’

The informant indicated that ‘the king has become more decisive during his years in office, especially where his interests are at issue, and he views ministers and officials who tell him he cannot do something as cowards’.

Swazi Prime Minister Barnabas Dlamini is the king’s loyal ‘hangman,’ Irvine wrote, an assertion that suggests that the king placed absolute trust in Barnabas. 

‘Instead of looking to influence the king, the Prime Minister acts as the king's steadfast servant, a relationship that dates back to a suicide attempt by Barnabas in 1990 or 1991. 

‘According to [informants] in an unsuccessful attempt kept secret from the public, Barnabas tried to commit suicide after his involvement in a corruption scandal during his tenure as Minister of Finance became known. 

‘As part of making amends to the king, Barnabas reportedly prostrated himself before the king, giving himself over as the king’s servant.’

PRIVATE TRUTHS ABOUT KING MSWATI

Earl Irvine, who is leaving his post as US Ambassador to Swaziland, reported many home truths about King Mswati, while he was in office – but only in private.

Irvine, ever the diplomat made no adverse comments about the king in public, but in private he sent messages to his bosses in Washington painting a poor picture of him.  They eventually became public when a series of cables he wrote were published by Wikileaks.

Irvine reported views that King Mswati, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, was ‘not intellectually well developed’ and ‘is not a reader’. He also said the king was called ‘imbalanced’. 

He wrote a confidential cable to Washington in February 2010 in which he quoted an informant saying, the king is ‘not a reader, and will not review documents left for him. [The informant] called the king “not intellectually well-developed,” and contrasted the current sovereign's scant educational background with Sobhuza II, who was educated at Lovedale College in South Africa alongside future leaders of South Africa's African National Congress (ANC).

Irvine quoted his informant calling King Mswati ‘imbalanced’. He gave an anecdote to illustrate this. ‘The king, [the informant] said, invited about forty officials and advisors to a basement in one of his palaces, where they all sat on the floor to attend to him. King Mswati III turned up the heater, which warmed the floor first, until the temperature in the room reached about 40 degrees Celsius, and told inconsequential stories to those gathered while they sweated, merely to show them he was in power.’

In a separate cable to Washington Irvine wrote about what he called ‘Witchcraft and More: A Portrait of Influences on King Mswati III’.

In the cable marked ‘confidential’, Irvine said ‘traditional leaders, superstition, and members of the royal family’ are the major influences on the king. His ministers, however, ‘remain his servants’.

Irvine wrote, ‘The king's wives’ opinions matter to the king, especially his third wife, LaMbikisa, who has an advanced degree and is the only wife to whom the king proposed.’

Irvine goes on, ‘King Mswati III believes in muti (traditional medicine used to cast spells or curses), and attempts to use muti to attack the king are taken seriously’.

He wrote that ‘muti people’ hold great sway within the royal family, and that the king must eat and drink whatever they give him during traditional ceremonies, particularly when in seclusion. ‘If they are unhappy with the direction the king is taking the country, then the king has cause to worry.’

He added, ‘According to [informant], Prime Minister Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini is the king's “loyal hangman,” a relationship that dates to the prime minister's alleged attempted suicide in 1990 or 1991.’

Irvine also wrote about King Mswati’s dubious business deals. In October 2009 he wrote, ‘Royal politics and King Mswati's business interests appear to have caused the ouster of Mobile Telephone Network (MTN) CEO Tebogo Mogapi and halted parastatal Swaziland Post and Telecommunications Corporation (SPTC) from selling the MTN shares it owns to raise money for a Next Generation Networks (NGN)cell phone project. 

‘Industry and press observers privately indicated that the king, who already owns many MTN shares, had wanted to purchase the MTN shares himself at a cheaper price than the buyer, MTN, was offering SPTC.’

See also

US SAYS SWAZI KING ‘IMBALANCED’

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/09/us-says-swazi-king-imbalanced.html

US FRANK ASSESSMENT OF SWAZI KING

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/09/us-frank-assessment-of-swazi-king.html

US DECRIES KING ON MTN DEAL

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/08/us-decries-swazi-king-on-mtn-deal.html

‘TIMES’ CENSORS SELF OVER KING

The Times of Swaziland censored itself when it reported today (12 September 2011) on a US Embassy cable that said King Mswati III is ‘advised by dishonest and uneducated people’.

The newspaper, the only independent daily in the kingdom, was reporting on a cable sent by Earl Irvine, US Ambassador to Swaziland, in December 2009 and recently leaked by whistleblowing website, Wikileaks.

The cable reports Irvine saying he was told by Prince David, a half brother of King Mswati, who is also a former Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, that because of the dishonest and uneducated people around him the king received bad advice.

But what the Times didn’t report was the criticism Prince David made about King Mswati, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, himself.

Prince David in effect called the king a liar and said that the international community shouldn’t trust him.

The cable from Irvine says, ‘Prince David emphasized that what the King says to foreign leaders cannot be relied upon, because he always deflects and temporizes to bring pressure off himself.’

It seems the Times felt able to report on the criticism of the king’s advisors, but it did not want to tell its readers about the criticism of the king himself.

The Times also failed to report on other cables from the US Embassy and also published by Wikileaks. One quotes Irvine saying King Mswati was ‘not intellectually well developed’ and ‘not a reader’ and was ‘imbalanced’.

The Times also did not report on a separate cable, also written by Irvine, that said the king relied on advice from his wives and that he believes in muti (traditional medicine used to cast spells or curses) and witchcraft.

To read the full ‘Prince David’ Wikileaks cable, click here.

See also

US SAYS SWAZI KING ‘IMBALANCED’

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/09/us-says-swazi-king-imbalanced.html

US FRANK ASSESSMENT OF SWAZI KING

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/09/us-frank-assessment-of-swazi-king.html

US SAYS SWAZI KING ‘IMBALANCED’

The US Embassy in Swaziland says King Mswati III is ‘not intellectually well developed’ and ‘is not a reader’. It also calls him ‘imbalanced’.

The comments about the Swazi king came from Earl Irvine, the US Ambassador to Swaziland, in February 2010.

In a confidential cable to Washington released by Wikileaks, Irvine says King Mswati, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, has a ‘lack of wisdom’.

Quoting an informant, Irvine writes the king is ‘not a reader, and will not review documents left for him. [The informant] called the king “not intellectually well-developed,” and contrasted the current sovereign's scant educational background with Sobhuza II, who was educated at Lovedale College in South Africa alongside future leaders of South Africa's African National Congress (ANC).

‘Essentially a bastard outsider to the royal family, King Mswati III was plucked from relative obscurity when members of the royal family could not come to an agreement on a successor to King Sobhuza II.

‘After Mswati III was selected to be the next king, a posthumous marriage of Sobhuza II to Ntombi [the Queen Mother] was quickly arranged, according to our interlocutor.’

Irvine writes, ‘Unlike in his early years, the king now identifies and pushes specific projects, and will look to replace ministers or employees who are unable to provide progress on those projects.’

Irvine quotes his informant calling King Mswati ‘imbalanced’. He gives an anecdote to illustrate this. ‘The king, [the informant] said, invited about forty officials and advisors to a basement in one of his palaces, where they all sat on the floor to attend to him. King Mswati III turned up the heater, which warmed the floor first, until the temperature in the room reached about 40 degrees Celsius, and told inconsequential stories to those gathered while they sweated, merely to show them he was in power.’

To read the full Wikileaks cable, click here. http://wikileaks.org/cable/2010/02/10MBABANE58.html

See also

US FRANK ASSESSMENT OF SWAZI KING

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/09/us-frank-assessment-of-swazi-king.html

US DECRIES SWAZI KING ON MTN DEAL

The American Embassy in Swaziland has accused King Mswati III of interfering in the sale of shares of cellphone company MTN – so he could buy them himself at a cheaper rate.

The King, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, caused the ousting of Tebogo Mogapi, the MTN chief executive officer (CEO) in Swaziland, the embassy says.

Wikileaks has released a cable from the American Embassy in Swaziland to the State Department in Washington dated 9 October 2009. The cable marked ‘sensitive’ also claims that Mogapi did not have his work permit renewed (thereby meaning he had to give up his job and leave the kingdom) because he opposed the Swaziland Government’s ‘efforts to use the MTN network for surveillance on political dissidents’.

The cable written by the US Ambassador to Swaziland, Earl Irvine, says, ‘Royal politics and King Mswati's business interests appear to have caused the ouster of Mobile Telephone Network (MTN) CEO Tebogo Mogapi and halted parastatal Swaziland Post and Telecommunications Corporation (SPTC) from selling the MTN shares it owns to raise money for a Next Generation Networks (NGN)cell phone project.

‘Industry and press observers privately indicated that the king, who already owns many MTN shares, had wanted to purchase the MTN shares himself at a cheaper price than the buyer, MTN, was offering SPTC.

‘Government officials later prevented the sale, and recently did not renew the work permit for CEO Mogapi, a South African citizen, apparently in retaliation for his role in the transaction, as well as the CEO's reported decision to oppose government efforts to use the MTN network for electronic surveillance on political dissidents.’

The cable goes on, ‘The government's halt of parastatal SPTC's sale of MTN shares demonstrates the impact the king's and other influential individuals' private business interests can have on business transactions in Swaziland.

‘Government officials would likely prefer a more malleable Swazi CEO at MTN who would cooperate more fully with royal and government wishes.’

To read the full cable click here.

See also

SWAZI SECRET ARMS DEAL FOR IRAN

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/02/swazi-secret-arms-deal-for-iran.html