Mswati III

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Mswati III
Ngwenyama
King Mswati III 2024.jpg
Mswati III in 2024
King of Eswatini
Reign25 April 1986 – present
Coronation 25 April 1986
Predecessor Sobhuza II
BornMakhosetive
(1968-04-19) 19 April 1968 (age 56)
Raleigh Fitkin Memorial Hospital, Manzini, Protectorate of Swaziland
Spouse
16 wives concurrently
  • Nomsah Matsebula (first)
    Sindi Motsa (second)
    Sibonelo Mngometulu (third)
    LaNgangaza (Carol Dlamini) (fourth, since 1987)
    Putsoana Hwala (fifth)
    Delisa Magwaza (sixth, since 1993, b. 1973)
    LaGija (Angela Dlamini) (seventh, since 1998, b. 1979)
    Senteni Masango (eighth)
    Nontsetselo Magongo (ninth, since 2002, b. 1985)
    Zena Mahlangu (tenth, since 2002)
    Noliqhwa Ayanda Ntentesa (eleventh, since 2005, b. 1981)
    Nothando Dube (twelfth, since 2005)
    Phindile Nkambule (thirteenth, since 2007, b. 1990)
    Sindiswa Dlamini (fourteenth, since 2012, b. 1995)
    Siphelele Mashwama (fifteenth, since 2019, b. 1998)
    Nomcebo Zuma (sixteenth, since 2024, b. 2003)
Issue 45 children
House Dlamini
Father Sobhuza II
Mother Ntfombi Tfwala
Religion Christianity [1]
Signature His Majesty King Mswati III Signature.jpg

Mswati III (born Makhosetive; 19 April 1968) [2] is the Ngwenyama (King) of Eswatini and head of the Swazi royal family. He heads an absolute monarchy, as he has veto power over all branches of government and is constitutionally immune from prosecution. [3] [4]

Contents

He was born in Manzini in the Protectorate of Swaziland to King Sobhuza II and one of his younger wives, Ntfombi Tfwala. [5] He was crowned as Mswati III, Ingwenyama and King of Swaziland, on 25 April 1986 at the age of 18, thus becoming the youngest ruling monarch in the world at that time.

With unrestricted political power and able to rule by decree, Mswati III (together with his mother, Ntfombi Tfwala, now Queen Mother [ Ndlovukati ]) is the last remaining absolute monarch in Africa and one of the only 12 remaining absolute national or subnational monarchs in the world. [6] Under the constitution, the king is the commander-in-chief of the defence force and commissioner-in-chief of police and correctional services and Mswati III exercises ultimate authority over all branches of the national government and effectively controls local governance through his influence over traditional chiefs. [7] [8]

Under his reign, political dissent and civic and labor activism are subject to harsh punishment under sedition and other laws. [9] Political parties have been banned in Eswatini since 1973 when King Sobhuza II declared a state of emergency that has continued ever since. [10] Pro-democracy protests from 2021 onwards have been violently dispersed and political activists have been arrested, subjected to torture and other ill-treatment, and their homes have been raided by security forces. [11] [12] The government exercises total control over the broadcast media, including the only privately owned TV channel, which belongs to the royal family. Almost all media outlets are controlled, directly or indirectly, by Mswati III.

Mswati III lives an opulent and lavish lifestyle which stands in sharp contrast to the lives of most Emaswazi people. [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] In 2022, an estimated 32% of the population lived below the $2.15/day international poverty line (measured by price-purchasing parity (PPP) in 2017) while 55% of the population was under the lower-middle-income country poverty line of $3.65/day. [19] Mswati III is known for his practice of polygamy (although at least two wives are appointed by the state) and currently has 16 wives. [20] [21] Formerly named Swaziland, in 2018 Mswati III renamed the country Eswatini (formally the Kingdom of Eswatini) by decree. [22] [23]

Early life

Mswati III was born on 19 April 1968 at Raleigh Fitkin Memorial Hospital, Manzini, the son of Sobhuza II (who had 70 wives during his reign of 82 years), [24] and the only child of Ntfombi Tfwala, also known as Inkhosikati LaTfwala, one of Sobhuza's younger wives. He was born four months before Swaziland attained independence from the United Kingdom. When he and his mother were discharged from the hospital, they went to live at one of Sobhuza's residences, Etjeni, near the Masundwini royal residence. His birth name was Makhosetive (lit. "Kings of Nations", in reference to the heads of state who visited Eswatini that year for the independence celebrations), and his half-siblings included Mantfombi, a future queen of the South African Zulus.

As a young prince, Makhosetive attended Masundwini Primary School and later Lozitha Palace School. He sat for the Swaziland Primary Certificate examination in December 1982 at Phondo Royal Residence and received First Class with merit in Mathematics and English. He developed a great interest in the royal guard, becoming the first young cadet to join the Umbutfo Swaziland Defence Force (USDF).

When King Sobhuza II died on 21 August 1982, the Great Council of State (the Liqoqo) selected the 14-year-old prince Makhosetive to be the next king. [25] For the next four years, two wives of Sobhuza II, Queen Dzeliwe Shongwe (1982–1983) and Queen Ntfombi Tfwala (1983–1986), served as regent while he continued his education in the United Kingdom, attending Sherborne School (International College), before he was called back to ascend to the throne.

Reign period

Mswati and Sibonelo Mngometulu with US President Barack Obama on 5 August 2014 President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama greet His Majesty King Mswati III, Kingdom of Swaziland, and Her Royal Highness Queen Inkhosikati La Mbikiza.jpg
Mswati and Sibonelo Mngometulu with US President Barack Obama on 5 August 2014
Mswati and Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in Eswatini on 17 April 2018 04.17 Zong Tong Jie Shou Zeng Xun Bing Qian Shu Lian He Gong Bao (40634824045).jpg
Mswati and Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in Eswatini on 17 April 2018
Mswati with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on 21 October 2019 Shinzo Abe and King Mswati III at the Enthronement of Naruhito (1).jpg
Mswati with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on 21 October 2019

Mswati was introduced as crown prince in September 1983 and was crowned king on 25 April 1986, aged 18 years and 6 days, thus making him one of the youngest reigning monarchs of the late 20th century, [26] [27] The king and his mother, whose title is Indlovukati ("Great She-Elephant"), rule jointly.

Today King Mswati III is Africa's last absolute monarch in the sense that he has the power to choose the prime minister, other top government posts and top traditional posts. Despite his role in appointing such positions, Mswati is still required to get special advice from the queen mother and council when choosing positions such as prime minister; similarly, in matters of cabinet appointments, Mswati is advised by the prime minister. Mswati ruled by decree, but he chose to restore the nation's Parliament, which had been dissolved by his father in order to ensure concentration of power remained with the king. Parliamentarians are appointed either by Mswati himself (two-thirds of the senators and ten deputies) or elected by traditional chiefs close to power. Close to the evangelical churches, he banned divorce and the wearing of miniskirts. [28]

In 2006, Mswati promulgated a new constitution that allows freedom of speech and assembly. However, Amnesty International criticizes that such freedoms are restricted in practice. [26]

In an attempt to mitigate the HIV and AIDS pandemic in 2001, the king used his traditional powers to invoke a time-honoured chastity rite ( umcwasho ) under the patronage of a princess, which encouraged all Swazi maidens to abstain from sexual relations for five years. This was last done under Sobhuza II in 1971. [29] This rite banned sexual relations for Swazis under 18 years of age from 9 September 2001 to 19 August 2005, but just two months after imposing the ban, he violated this decree when a 17-year-old liphovela (royal fiancée) was chosen, [30] who became his 13th wife. As per custom, he was fined a cow by members of her regiment, which he duly paid.

Mswati has visited Taiwan seventeen times as of June 2018, and has promised to continue recognizing Taiwan instead of the People's Republic of China. [31]

Eswatini is predominantly rural and is one of the poorest countries in the world (63% of its population lives below the poverty line). An economic circle of 15,000 businessmen takes most of the country's wealth. This circle includes South African investors who have come to Eswatini to find labour at one-third the cost and a group of white businessmen who are heirs to the British settlers. [28]

In January 2021, Mswati contracted COVID-19, and he later thanked Taiwan for providing antiviral medication that helped with his recovery. Mswati did not disclose that he had been hospitalized until after his recovery. [32] [33]

In June 2021, the 2021 Eswatini protests broke out against authoritarianism and the suppression of opposition. The Communist Party of Swaziland alleged he had fled to South Africa on the night of 28–29 June, whereas the Swaziland Solidarity Network claimed he fled to Mozambique. Both of these claims were denied by acting prime minister Themba Nhlanganiso Masuku. [33] [34]

Wives and succession

Some of his wives meeting Akie Abe, wife of then-Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe, in 2013 Meeting with the Queens of the Kingdom of Swaziland by Mrs. Akie Abe July 26, 2013.jpg
Some of his wives meeting Akie Abe, wife of then-Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe, in 2013

The king currently has 16 wives and 45 children. An Eswatini king's first two wives are chosen for him by the national councillors. There are complex rules on succession. Traditionally the king is chosen through his mother as represented in the Swazi saying Inkhosi, yinkhosi ngenina, meaning "a king is king through his mother". [35] According to tradition, he can marry his fiancées only after they have become pregnant, proving they can bear heirs. Until then, they are termed liphovela, or "concubines".

Controversies

Mswati's reign has brought some changes in the government and political transformation. However, critics such as the People's United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) [36] believe that these changes are solely aimed at strengthening and perpetuating the traditional order. [37] His attendance at the May 2012 Sovereign Monarchs lunch, to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, caused some controversy, given criticisms of his regime's human rights record. [38]

Eswatini has been described as having been gripped by years of fiscal indiscipline, government corruption, and lavish lifestyles of the royal family. The nation has also been described as being on the brink of economic disaster due to these factors.

Mswati's reign has been criticized for its several alleged human rights violations. His regime has been accused of using torture and excessive force to control the masses as well as blatant discrimination against various dissenting groups. His regime has been accused of extrajudicial killings by his forces, along with arbitrary arrests, detentions, and unwarranted searches and seizures of homes and property. His government has restricted freedom of speech, assembly and association, and has harassed activists and journalists. The government has reportedly targeted the LGBT community, labour leaders, and activists against child labour, among other groups. The courts took little or no action to punish Mswati's actions or the officials who committed the abuses. [39]

Mswati has been accused of kidnapping women he desires to marry. [40] [41] In addition, in 2000 he allegedly called for a parliamentary meeting to debate if HIV-positive people should be "sterilized and branded". [42]

Wealth

King Mswati at the Reed Dance 2006 King Mswati III, 2006.jpg
King Mswati at the Reed Dance 2006

Mswati has been criticized for his lavish lifestyle, especially by the media; in one report he was accused of living a luxurious lifestyle while the people of his country starve. [43] [44] In the 2014 national budget, parliament allocated $61 million (US) for the King's annual household budget, [45] while 63% of Swazis live on less than $1.25 per day. [46] Mswati banned photography of his automobiles after he was criticized for purchasing luxury cars, such as a $500,000 DaimlerChrysler Maybach 62. [47] According to the Forbes 2009 list of the World's 15 Richest Royals, King Mswati is worth a reported $200 million. [15] In January 2004 the Times of Swaziland reported that the king asked his government to spend about $15-million to redecorate three main palaces and build others for each of his 11 wives. [14] The Prime Minister's Office issued a press statement saying the article in the Times of Swaziland was "reckless and untrue" and that the proposal was for the construction of 5 State Houses, not Palaces, and the cost was only €19.9 million. [13] Later that year the go-ahead was given to build five new buildings at a cost of more than $4-million out of public funds. [48] In August 2008, hundreds of Swazi women marched through the capital to protest the cost of a shopping spree taken abroad by nine of the King's thirteen wives. [49] The demonstration was organised by Positive Living, a non-governmental organisation for Swazi women with AIDS, and protesters submitted a petition to the finance minister arguing that the money should have been differently spent. [49]

Mswati owns a collection of bespoke watches worth millions of dollars. [4]

Mswati has a personal stake in a large portion of Eswatini's economy which is a factor in its below-average economic growth for a Sub-Saharan nation. As an absolute monarch, he holds the power to dissolve parties, and can veto any legislation parliament passes. [42]

LaMahlangu controversy

According to accusations by Amnesty International, Zena Mahlangu, an 18-year-old high school student, disappeared from her school in October 2002. Her mother, Lindiwe Dlamini, learned that her daughter had been taken by two men, Qethuka Sgombeni Dlamini and Tulujani Sikhondze, and she reported the matter to the police. Some time later, she was told that her daughter was at Ludzidzini Royal Village and was being prepared to be the next wife of the king. [50] She demanded that her daughter be returned to her custody, and threatened to sue.

Among the criteria for a liphovela (future bride) is that the girl must not be a twin; Zena Mahlangu was half of a brother-sister twin set, and therefore not eligible. [51] The matter went to the High Court, but Swaziland's Attorney-General Phesheya Dlamini intervened. [40] She has since had two children, and formally became the king's wife in 2010. [52]

Amnesty International said:

The king and his agents have violated the internationally recognized human rights of women and girls, including their right not to be arbitrarily detained and the right not to be subjected to forced marriage.

Country name change

On 19 April 2018, King Mswati III changed the name of the country from Swaziland to Eswatini to mark its 50th anniversary of independence. [53] The name change coincided with the king's birthday. The actual anniversary took place on 6 September, though in the same year. Eswatini is the ancient, original name for the country, chosen as a departure from its colonial past. [54]

Honours

Royal standard of Mswati III Royal Standard of Swaziland.svg
Royal standard of Mswati III

National

Foreign

See also

Related Research Articles

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Eswatini, formally the Kingdom of Eswatini and also known by its former official name Swaziland and formerly the Kingdom of Swaziland, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered by Mozambique to its northeast and South Africa to its north, west, south, and southeast. At no more than 200 km (120 mi) north to south and 130 km (81 mi) east to west, Eswatini is one of the smallest countries in Africa; despite this, its climate and topography are diverse, ranging from a cool and mountainous highveld to a hot and dry lowveld.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of Eswatini</span>

Eswatini is an absolute monarchy with constitutional provisions and Swazi law and Custom. The head of state is the king or Ngwenyama, currently King Mswati III, who ascended to the throne in 1986 after the death of his father King Sobhuza II in 1982 and a period of regency. According to the constitution of Eswatini, the king and Ingwenyama is a symbol of unity and the eternity of the Swazi nation. By tradition, the king reigns along with his mother or a ritual substitute, the Ndlovukati. The former was viewed as the administrative head of state and the latter as a spiritual and national head of state, with real power counterbalancing that of the king, but during the long reign of Sobhuza II the role of the Ndlovukati became more symbolic. The king appoints the prime minister from the legislature and also appoints a minority of legislators to both chambers of Libandla (parliament), with help from an advisory council. The king is allowed by the constitution to appoint some members to parliament for special interests. These special interests are citizens who might have been left out by the electorate during the course of elections or did not enter as candidates. This is done to balance views in parliament. Special interests could be people of gender, race, disability, business community, civic society, scholars, chiefs and so on. The Senate consists of 30 members, of which some are appointed by the king on recommendation of the advisory council and others elected by the lower house. The House of Assembly has 65 seats, of which 55 are occupied by elected representatives from the 55 constituencies around the country, and 10 are appointed by the king on recommendation of the advisory council. The attorney general is the ex-officio member. Elections are held every five years.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swazi people</span> Bantu ethnic group of Southern Africa

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Sobhuza I was king of Eswatini, from 1815 to 1850. Born around the year 1788, his father was King Ndvungunye, and his mother was Somnjalose Simelane. He was called Somhlolo, meaning "Mysterious man", upon his birth because his father, Ndvungunye, was struck by lightning. When Sobhuza was king, Lojiba Simelane, instead of his mother, Somnjalose was Queen Mother because Somnjalose was an inhlanti or support bride to Lojiba. Somhlolo is a greatly revered king of Eswatini. He had his first royal capital or kraal at Zombodze in the Shiselweni region, but moved it north to new Zombodze in central Eswatini. Swazis celebrate Somhlolo Day every September 6 as their Independence Day and the national stadium is named Somhlolo National Stadium. Sobhuza was succeeded by his son Mswati II and his wife Tsandzile Ndwandwe as Queen Mother after a short regency by Queen Lojiba Simelane. Sobhuza by the time of his death had conquered a country claimed to reach to modern day Barberton in the north, Carolina in the west, Pongola River in the south and Lubombo Mountains in the east.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">House of Dlamini</span> Reigning dynasty in Eswatini

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sikhanyiso Dlamini</span> Minister of Information, Communication and Technology

Princess Sikhanyiso Dlamini is a Swazi princess and politician. She is the eldest daughter of King Mswati III of Eswatini, and is the country's former Minister of Information and Communication Technology.

In Eswatini, no king can appoint his successor. Instead, on the demise of a king, the Liqoqo, an independent traditional council, decides which of his wives shall be "great wife" and Indlovukazi, 'She-Elephant'. The son of the chosen Indlovukazi will automatically become the next king.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sibonelo Mngometulu</span> Eswatini royal consort

Sibonelo Mngometulu, known as Inkhosikati LaMbikiza, is the third and senior wife of King Mswati III of Eswatini. Sibonelo married Mswati III in 1986, becoming the first wife he personally chose to marry, following two ceremonious marriages. She is the mother of Princess Sikhanyiso Dlamini and Prince Lindani Dlamini.

A series of protests in Eswatini against the absolute monarchy and for democratisation began in late June 2021. Starting as a peaceful protest on 20 June, they escalated after 25 June into violence and looting over the weekend when the government took a hardline stance against the demonstrations and prohibited the delivery of petitions. Lower-level unrest and protests continued until summer 2023.

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  39. ↑ "Swaziland" (PDF). United States Department of State.
  40. 1 2 "Swaziland's Royal Bridal Mess - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. 4 November 2002. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  41. ↑ Grunwald, Michael (6 November 2002). "Changing What It Means to Be Swazi". Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  42. 1 2 Davis, Rebecca (10 May 2013). "King Mswati to WEF: Swazi people don't want change". Daily Maverick.
  43. ↑ "King of Bahrain lunches with Queen as human rights storm rages". The Daily Telegraph. 18 May 2012. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
  44. ↑ King Mswati is Bankrupting Swaziland: Mornachy not for Africa! Archived 17 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine , Ole Africa
  45. ↑ King of impoverished Swaziland increases household budget to $61m, Agence France-Presse in Mbabane, 15 May 2014, The Guardian
  46. ↑ UNDP Archived 5 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine , About Swaziland
  47. ↑ Now only Mswati owns a Maybach! Archived 27 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine , City Press, 25 January 2009
  48. ↑ "Swazi king gets go ahead for wives' palaces". Independent Online . 25 July 2004. Archived from the original on 30 April 2009. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  49. 1 2 "Swazi anger at royal wives' trip". BBC News. 21 August 2008. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  50. ↑ Amnesty International: "Swaziland: Human rights at risk in a climate of political and legal uncertainty,"Index No. AFR 55/004/2004. 29 July 2004.
  51. ↑ Wayua, Muli. "A king, his culture, his wives," Daily Nation (Nairobi, Kenya). 7 December 2002.
  52. ↑ "allAfrica.com: Uganda: Swaziland's King Mswati Iii Weds Again". 27 November 2010.
  53. ↑ "Member States | United Nations". www.un.org.
  54. ↑ "King Renames Swaziland to its 'Ancient', Pre-Colonial Name". allAfrica.com. 20 April 2018.
  55. ↑ "Decorations of Swaziland".
  56. ↑ Team, Internet. "President Tsai meets King Mswati III of Swaziland, attends state banquet". Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in the Kingdom of Eswatini 駐史瓦帝尼王國大使館.
  57. ↑ "Page 17188 | Issue 52712, 11 November 1991 | London Gazette | The Gazette". www.thegazette.co.uk.
  58. ↑ 1995 National Orders Awards Archived 22 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  59. ↑ "Info.gov.za" (PDF).

Bibliography

Regnal titles
Preceded byas Ndlovukati King of Eswatini
1986–present		Incumbent
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