KING, 46, TAKES VIRGIN, 19, AS 14th WIFE

Swaziland’s King Mswati III has finally married the 19-year-old former beauty pageant contestant dubbed by foreign media as ‘Naughty Sindi’

The King, aged 46, chose the teenager as his wife from among thousands of young virgin girls who danced semi-naked in front of him at the kingdom’s annual Umhlanga or Reed Dance in 2013.

The Observer on Sunday (31 August 2014), a newspaper in effect owned by the King, reported that Sindiswa Dlamini had been seen in public at the opening of a trade fair and this indicated that she was now officially the King’s wife. It had been announced in September 2013 that Dlamini had been chosen to be the King’s 14^th wife.

Media in Swaziland predictably reported the event as if it were quite natural for a middle-aged man to wed a ‘virgin’ who was younger than many of his daughters.

But outside the kingdom, which King Mswati rules as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, the media have been more candid.

They reported Dlamini as the king’s 14th bride, although some counted her as wife number 15. The confusion was excusable since the number of wives the king has is considered a state secret in Swaziland and it is considered ‘un-Swazi’ to talk openly about King Mswati’s polygamy.

Media outside Swaziland reported that ‘Naughty Sindi’, as the Sunday Sun newspaper in South Africa described her, has had affairs with two of King Mswati’s sons, Prince Majaha and Prince Bandzile, who are both in their early twenties.

One unnamed source told the newspaper, ‘Sindi has dated both these boys. She’s a party girl used to having fun.’

Another informant told the Sunday Sun, ‘Sindi is no virgin. She drinks and smokes a lot and has tattoos on parts of her body I cannot mention.’

One source told the newspaper, ‘She is only doing it [marrying the king] because she comes from a poor background.’

The media in Swaziland never report about the King without his permission. This means people across the world are better informed than the King’s subjects, the Swazi people. Most media in the kingdom are under direct state control, opposition political parties are banned as ‘terrorist’ organisations and any political dissent is quickly crushed by police and the army.

PAPER BANNED TO SPARE KING’S BLUSHES

A South African Sunday newspaper was banned from Swaziland because it published an article that might embarrass King Mswati III.

Swazi Police confiscated from newspaper distributors all copies of the Sunday Sun tabloid within Swaziland when it was realised it carried a report about the 18-year-old beauty contest contestant who the King had chosen to be his 14^th wife.

The ban on the paper that is usually widely available in the kingdom happened on 22 September 2013, but was not widely reported at the time. It has come to light in a report on human rights in Swaziland recently published by the US State Department.

The State Department report did not reveal that the article in question gave details of the private life of Sindiswa Dlamini. The Sunday Sun report said the woman it nicknamed ‘Naughty Sindi’ previously had affairs with two of King Mswati’s sons, Prince Majaha and Prince Bandzile, who are both in their early twenties.

One unnamed source told the newspaper, ‘Sindi has dated both these boys. She’s a party girl used to having fun.’

Another informant told Sunday Sun, ‘Sindi is no virgin. She drinks and smokes a lot and has tattoos on parts of her body I cannot mention.’

One source told the newspaper, ‘She is only doing it [marrying the king] because she comes from a poor background.’

The media in Swaziland never report about the king without his permission. King Mswati rules Swaziland as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch. 

This was not the first time the media in Swaziland have refused to keep its readers informed about the Swazi Royal Family. In August 2010, the world’s media were excited by the case of Swaziland Justice Minister Ndumiso Mamba and King Mswati’s 12th wife, 22-year-old Inkhosikati Nothando LaDube. This was after pictures appeared of Mamba hiding in a bed before his arrest at Royal Villas, a hotel at Ezulwini just outside Mbabane, where he was said to have had regular adulterous meetings with LaDube.

The City Press in South Africa reported at the time that when police pounced, ‘in a desperate effort not to be found out Mamba cut into the base of the bed and slid in – but police ordered him out and Mamba, dressed in a brown suit, was soon taken ­into custody’. He was later forced to resign from the government and the Senate.

At the time the City Press was also restricted from selling in Swaziland. It was reported at the time in African media that Swaziland security forces were instructed to buy all copies of the newspaper that were on sale in the kingdom.

The Times of Swaziland, the only independent daily newspaper in the kingdom, reported at the time that a man was arrested in Manzini as he tried to get a photocopy of a report in City Press, but did not tell its readers what the report contained.

The newspaper did report that a plain clothed police officer had apparently overheard him requesting that a story contained in the City Press be photocopied. The man was alleged to be a member of the Swaziland Youth Congress (SWAYOCO), the youth wing of the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO). Both organisations are banned in Swaziland and both have been branded ‘terrorist entities’ by the state.

He was taken to a police station and interrogated by officers from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID). His house was also raided so police could get the original City Press newspaper.

CENSORSHIP OVER KING’S LATEST BRIDE

Media in Swaziland are once again censoring themselves when reporting about King Mswati III.

The latest case involves his new fiancée, the 18-year-old beauty queen contestant Sindiswa Dlamini.

News broke at a Reed Dance in the southern provincial capital, Nhlangano, in Swaziland last week that the 45-year-old king had chosen her as his new bride from among tens of thousands of bare-breasted ‘virgins’ who paraded before him at annual Reed Dance celebrations.

Media in Swaziland predictably reported the event as if it were quite natural for a middle-aged man to wed a ‘virgin’ who was younger than many of his daughters.

But outside the kingdom, which King Mswati rules as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, the media have been more candid.

They reported Dlamini as the king’s 14th bride, although some counted her as wife number 15. The confusion was excusable since the number of wives the king has is considered a state secret in Swaziland and it is considered ‘un-Swazi’ to talk openly about King Mswati’s polygamy.

Media outside Swaziland are reporting that ‘Naughty Sindi’, as the Sunday Sun newspaper in South Africa describes her, has had affairs with two of King Mswati’s sons, Prince Majaha and Prince Bandzile, who are both in their early twenties.

One unnamed source told the newspaper, ‘Sindi has dated both these boys. She’s a party girl used to having fun.’

Another informant told Sunday Sun, ‘Sindi is no virgin. She drinks and smokes a lot and has tattoos on parts of her body I cannot mention.’

One source told the newspaper, ‘She is only doing it [marrying the king] because she comes from a poor background.’

The media in Swaziland never report about the king without his permission. This means people across the world are better informed than the king’s subjects, the Swazi people.

This is not the first time the media in Swaziland have refused to keep its readers informed about the Swazi Royal Family. In August 2010, the world’s media were excited by the case of Swaziland Justice Minister Ndumiso Mamba and King Mswati’s 12th wife, 22-year-old Inkhosikati Nothando LaDube. This was after pictures appeared of Mamba hiding in a bed before his arrest at Royal Villas, a hotel at Ezulwini just outside Mbabane, where he was said to have had regular adulterous meetings with LaDube.

The City Press in South Africa reported at the time that when police pounced, ‘in a desperate effort not to be found out Mamba cut into the base of the bed and slid in – but police ordered him out and Mamba, dressed in a brown suit, was soon taken ­into custody’. He was later forced to resign from the government and the Senate.

The aftermath of the scandal ran for at least two months: all unreported by media in Swaziland.

Most of the broadcast media in Swaziland that carries news and current affairs reporting are government controlled and are banned directly from adversely reporting about the royal family.

There are two newspaper groups in Swaziland. One, the Swazi Observer is in effect owned by the king, and the other, the Times of Swaziland censors itself heavily when reporting about the monarchy.

In April 2007, King Mswati personally threatened the Times with closure after the Times Sunday published a minor criticism of him sourced from Afrol, an international news agency. The king said he would close the paper down unless people responsible for the publication at the paper were sacked and the newspaper published an abject apology to the king. These things were done.

ARTISTS’ BOYCOTT INTENSIFIES

Times of Swaziland

30 May 2011

SOURCE

SA artists’ boycott on SD intensifies

MBABANE- The two South African artists who pulled out of the Bush Fire Festival have since disclosed the reasons why they snubbed the event.

Caiphus Semenya was reported in the Sunday Sun to have said, "Every country has its own dynamics, but Swazi people should be able to enjoy what we have here in Mzansi. We support the call to boycott the cultural festival. We also support the Swaziland Solidarity Network in their quest to bring democracy."

DJ Black Coffee was quoted to have said, "We can’t be happy when Swazi people are suffering. We support the call to boycott the festival and I am not going."

Following such claims, it seems like the cultural boycott by South African musicians and deejays is intensifying as more of them are now refusing to come and perform in the country. Meanwhile, the latest star to turn down an invite to perform in the country is SAMA award winner and kwaito star Professor.

As reported by the Entertainment Desk last week, the young man of ‘Imotentjontimali’ fame was supposed to perform at the Mavuso Trade Centre during the MTN Mobile Money collaboration with Sprite show this coming Saturday.

Professor is said to have received a memo last week being told not to perform in the country. Information gathered by this newspaper is that the organisers of the event have tried to engage other South African musicians but they all refused.

The issue started in April during the Prince Lindani Foundation Concert which featured US rapper Jadakiss.

The show was not well attended as most of the popular South African stars pulled out bowing to pressure from the ANC Youth League and the Swaziland Solidarity Network. Those who pulled out include Metro FM spinner T-Bo Touch and Afrotain-ment’s popular deejay Tira

Kwaito artist L’Vovo did the same when he turned down an invite to perform at the grand closing of the Premier League of Swaziland.

The Solidarity Network also asked artists who were in the Bush Fire Festival line-up to-do the same and two of them (DJ Black Coffee and legendary guitarist Caiphus Semenya) did just that.

According to the South African Sunday Sun newspaper, the Creative Workers Union of South Africa (CWUSA) will continue to urge artists to pull out of shows in Swaziland.

When drawn for comment, Stanley Dlamini, the CEO of the Swaziland National Council of Arts and Culture said the board will meet very soon to discuss the issue and find a way forward.

"At first we couldn’t do anything about it because there was nothing official communicated to us but we have seen that it is becoming a trend so we have to work on it. The board will meet with the Foreign Affairs department to find a way forward," Dlamini said.

Suspended Chairman of the Swaziland National Council of Arts and Culture Board Bongani Mamba said, "The boycott by SA artist is a reality that must be addressed and not shunned. Unfortunately it is political and can best be handled by both governments. The effects of the boycott are not only an imagination but are felt. SA is our neighbour and we rely entirely on them for our development. While our local artists will enjoy the stage so far, the truth is, they have not reached the level where we can easily say we are independent. Another thing is that we have a few groups that have reached the professional level," he said.

SEX SCANDAL NEWSPAPER ‘BANNED’

The City Press newspaper that broke the story about the Swaziland Royal Family sex scandal has been banned from the kingdom – but only ‘unofficially’.

The City Press is a South African Sunday newspaper, but it is on sale in Swaziland. For the past two weeks it ran stories about an (alleged) adulterous relationship between (now former) Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Ndumiso Mamba, and King Mswati III’s 12^th wife, Nothando Dube (also known as Inkhosikati LaDube).

Now, reports in the African media say Swaziland security forces were apparently instructed to buy all copies of the City Press that were on sale in the kingdom.

African Eye reports, ‘“There were reports that people could not get the paper last weekend in Swaziland, and our sources...also called on Tuesday asking if we know that we have been banned,’ said City Press executive editor Japhet Ncube on Wednesday. “Our lawyers are looking into this issue and steps will probably be taken if it's true, otherwise there is no official report on this.”'

Spokesperson for the Swaziland chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA Swaziland), Michael Motsa, said there was no law the Swaziland authorities could use to ban City Press or any other paper.

‘“Yes, there are rumours that City Press has been banned from circulation in the kingdom, but I don't think there is any truth to that. If it is true, we will condemn this and call for the unbanning of the paper based on the fact that there is no legislation calling for banning of newspapers that report negatively about the royal family,” said Motsa on Wednesday.’ (11 August 2010).

While the royal sex scandal has not been covered in the Swaziland media, South African Sunday newspapers City Press, Sunday Sun and the Sunday Independent have reported on it.