The political dimension of
Swaziland’s annual Reed Dance was at the fore this week as thousands of
supposed-virgins were taught songs in praise of the kingdom’s autocratic
monarch, King Mswati III.
The Swazi Observer, a newspaper in effect owned by the King who rules
as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, and is about to become Chair of
SADC, reported on Wednesday (24 August 2016) that they sang songs
congratulating him on his new appointment.
In past years the maidens
had been taught to sing songs denouncing political parties.
Swaziland is the only
country within the 15-member Southern African Development Community where
political parties are banned from taking part in elections. King Mswati chooses
the government of his kingdom and none of the Swazi Senate are elected by the
people.
The Reed Dance or Umhlanga is an annual event in which
tens of thousands of bare-breasted ‘maidens’, some as young as ten, dance for
the pleasure of the King. It is widely reported within Swaziland that the
dancers are ‘virgins’.
Newspapers in Swaziland
reported that 98,000 maidens had registered to take part in this year’s
ceremony.
The Reed Dance, billed as
Swaziland’s foremost cultural day, proved to be anything but in 2013 when
120,000 half-naked maidens reportedly sang a song praising the Kings then-recent
pronouncement about his continued rule over his kingdom.
They praised the King for announcing that
henceforth Swaziland would be a ‘Monarchical Democracy’. This was a new name
for the already existing ‘Tinkhundla’ system that puts all power in the hands
of the King.
The King said he had been
told in a vision to make this change.
The song included these
words (loosely translated from the original), ‘Your Majesty Swaziland is well
governed through the Tinkhundla System of Democracy and will be victorious
through it.’
The Times of Swaziland, the only independent daily newspaper in the
kingdom, reported at the time, ‘Royal Swaziland Police Superintendent Wendy
Hleta who was the Master (sic) of
Ceremonies together with Former Indvuna YeMbali Nothando Ntshangase noted that
the maidens were seemingly pleased with the message conveyed by the new
composition.’
The sinister nature of the Reed Dance was exposed in 2012 when about 500 children were
ordered to sing a song vilifying political parties. This was part of a
clampdown on dissent in the kingdom.
The children were taught a
song to sing at the dance which had lyrics that when translated into English
said political parties ‘set people against each other’ and said that if
political parties were allowed to exist in the kingdom the King’s people ‘could
start fighting each other’.
Political parties are
banned in Swaziland, but there is increasing pressure from pro-democrats for
this to change. Some traditional authorities also believe that support for the
present system that puts them in control is on the wane. In Swaziland
pro-democracy demonstrations have been attacked by police and state security
forces.
See also
CULTURAL REED DANCE TURNS POLITICAL
SWAZIS FORCED TO DANCE FOR KING
