A Party Fit for a King

The following is from Andrea Wilkinson’s travel blog.

A celebration took place in one of the world’s last remaining kingdoms last week.
And what a celebration it was!

After all, we’re talking about King Mwasti III’s 40th birthday as well as the 40th year of independence for Swaziland.

Of course, it may feel slightly bizarre to be talking in terms of independence when a lot of people living in Swaziland don’t even have the freedom to earn a fair living.

While King Mswati spent £4 million to celebrate his milestone – with President Mugabe as one of his VIP guests – hundreds of thousands of Swazi’s will endure another year of extreme poverty.

Being driven in one of the 20 brand spanking new BMW’s bought especially for the occasion, King Mswati arrived with his 13 wives who had just returned from a shopping trip in Dubai.

The country is divided in their thoughts towards this event. Some do place their trust in the King, believing that he has their best interests at heart. However, it is the majority who agree that the money spent on shopping trips, cars, marching bands and garden parties could have been better spent on addressing the country’s ever increasing HIV/AIDS.

After all, around 40% of Swaziland’s population have the disease, while only one in four people live to see their 40th birthday.

Quite ironic then that the King’s celebration was named the 40/40 event.

Swazi Trade Union leader Jan Stilole stated: “People feel strongly because this is a plundering of the country’s resources in the height of grinding poverty for most the Swazi masses. They feel that their money is being wasted with arrogance.”

And the sad truth is that as the king, his wives and friends all tuck into a lavish banquet, the majority of the country doesn’t even know where their next meal is coming from.