Authorities in Swaziland (eSwatini) want to censor future
public speeches by the US Ambassador Lisa Peterson after she criticised the
kingdom’s absolute monarch King Mswati III for his lavish
spending on luxury Rolls-Royce and BMW cars.
It was not the first time she had criticised the King.
She warned that donors who gave money to Swaziland for development would think twice
before contributing in the future.
An online newspaper the Swaziland News reported
that Ambassador Peterson is now under police surveillance.
Peterson had made comments while giving certificates to
young entrepreneurs at Nhlangano on Friday (8 November 2019). Earlier in the
week the King had taken delivery of at least 15 Rolls-Royce cars for his wives
and family and 79
luxury BMW cars worth US$6 million for ‘escort duties’. A fleet of BMW motorcycles
were also purchased.
The
African Press Agency (APA) quoted her saying, ‘As a development partner, I
have serious concerns about the leadership example currently coming out
of the palace.’
She added, ‘While the government continued using its
existing vehicle fleet, the palace sees fit to acquire more than a dozen
Rolls-Royce vehicles with a minimum price tag of $3.71 million. To
accompany this royal fleet, there is now an even larger fleet of official
escort vehicles, purchased with public funds.’
She said, ‘It is exceedingly difficult for
development partners to continue advocating for assistance to eSwatini
when such profligate spending or suspicious giving is taking place.’
An official transcript of the speech issued by the US Embassy in Swaziland, reported her saying, ‘Should the people of eSwatini really be comfortable with such disregard for the perilous fiscal state of the country, particularly with so many of His Majesty’s subjects living below the international poverty line? Should people really believe that a possible multi-million dollar gift came without any strings attached?’
An official transcript of the speech issued by the US Embassy in Swaziland, reported her saying, ‘Should the people of eSwatini really be comfortable with such disregard for the perilous fiscal state of the country, particularly with so many of His Majesty’s subjects living below the international poverty line? Should people really believe that a possible multi-million dollar gift came without any strings attached?’
Following her comments the former chief executive officer
in the King’s Office, now Shiselweni Regional Administrator, Vincent Mhlanga,
told the Eswatini Observer (formerly Swazi Observer), a newspaper
in effect owned by the King, that he was angered by the Ambassadors speech.
The Observer quoted him saying, ‘Going forward,
when she comes to the region for any activity or event, we need to first know
what she will say.’
The Swaziland News reported,
‘The Regional Administrator said it was unfortunate that he was not present
when the Ambassador made these sentiments, otherwise, he could have stopped her
from continuing with the speech.’
He said, ‘If I was present, I could have intervened
and told her that she was offside, it’s unfortunate that I was not there to
reign on her. We have learnt a lesson and now each time she comes in the region
she would have to declare what she has to offer. We can’t allow her to push any
political agenda in function we thought are to capacitate the youth, doing so
is dangerous.’
The Swaziland News also reported that
Ambassador Peterson was under police surveillance. It said plain clothes police
posing as journalists took photographs of the Ambassador during her visit to Nhlangano.
It reported eSwatini Police Spokesperson
Superintendent Phindile Vilakati said it was part of the Intelligence Unit
duties to gather information on what was happening in the kingdom.
It reported, ‘The Intelligence Officers who posed as
journalists were seen keeping an eye on the Ambassador and monitoring her
movements after delivered a speech highly critical of the Monarch. However, the
core message of her sentiments was censored in the eSwatini two newspapers.’
Vilakati told the Swaziland News, ‘We go to any
gathering and collect information, it’s not like we’re only targeting the
American Ambassador. We
have been doing this for a long time, collecting information for our files.’
The Swaziland News reported, ‘Information
gathered suggests that the police spies were not only monitoring the US envoy
but independent journalists, union leaders and members of the progressives. But
the interest of the police to the USA Ambassador intensified after she came
hard on King Mswati for the continuous expenditure particularly on the delivery
of BMWs and Rolls-Royce cars to the royalty.’
Ambassador Peterson has previously criticised the absolute
monarchy in Swaziland. In
an article published in November 2018 by both of Swaziland’s two national
daily newspapers she called for the decree that puts King Mswati in power as an
absolute monarch to be repealed. She also called for political parties to be
allowed to contest elections.
In 2016, after reports that three of the King’s wives
had taken an entourage of 100 people on a shopping trip to Toronto, Canada, Peterson
warned Swaziland that the kingdom might not receive further food aid from her
country because of the King’s ‘lavish spending’ on holidays.
News24
in South Africa reported at the time Peterson said the US had limited funds
for drought relief. She said, ‘When we hear of the lavish spending by the Swazi
royal family – especially while a third of their citizens need food aid – it
becomes difficult to encourage our government to make more emergency aid
available. You can’t expect international donors to give more money to the
citizens of Swaziland than their own leaders give them.’
South African media reported that the queens, their
bodyguards, protocol officials, family and other ‘support staff’ were on the
trip that was expected to last eight days. The City Press newspaper in Johannesburg
reported the vacation had irritated diplomats who were motivating for more
drought relief aid for the Kingdom, which was in the grips of its worst drought
in 18 years.
See also
King
of impoverished Swaziland takes delivery of 79 luxury BMW cars worth US$6
million
U.S.
Ambassador calls for repeal of decree that makes Swaziland an absolute monarchy
Swazi
Royals spend, spend, spend
