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Africa's Last Absolute Monarch - Culture - Nairaland

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Africa's Last Absolute Monarch by Iyaniwura123: 3:26am On Jan 11, 2013
Born Makhosetive (meaning King of Nations) Dlamini in 1968, His Majesty, Ngwenyama (King) MSWATI III of Swaziland is one of the most interesting monarchs on earth. The son of King Sobhuza II who ruled longer than any other king in the world, King Mswati III is one of the last absolute monarchs on the planet with incredible powers and authority over the nation. However, according to the culture of Swaziland, he may not choose his own heir. He schooled in England. 

He is an only child and rules the nation with his mother, the Queen Mother, who is also called the Indlovukazi meaning the Great She-Elephant which makes her a Joint Head of State with her son. In Swaziland, the Queen Mother is the spiritual head of state. 

But, there is one thing about the Swazi King that draws millions of tourists to his tiny country. It is called the Umhlanga or the Reed Dance. At Ezulwini, also called the Valley of Heaven and the base of the Swazi Royal House, thousands of naked or topless ladies virgins parade themselves and dance before His Majesty, the King of Swaziland. 

Out of these, he picks a new virgin every year and adds to his collection of wives -he has 14 already (three of which have been kicked out for adultery, click link below for full gist on that). Well, don't shout yet, his father had 70 wives. The virgins parade themselves undressed because tradition says that is a sign of purity and only unmarried and childless ladies are allowed to participate in the annual Reed Dance. Apart from allowing the King to chose a new wife, one other purpose of the Reed Dance is to preserve the chastity of young Swazi girls (they need it) and is said to be used to fight HIV/AIDS as it promotes abstinence (me am yet to understand how that works sha). In 2005, he violated the Swazi chastity rite that says all maidens under 18 should abstain from sex, a rite that he had imposed just two months earlier. He married a 17-year-old girl as his 13th wife. He was fined a cow by the girl's family.

During the festival, tens of thousands of Swazi girls (also called 'national flowers') from different villages across the nation attend, and they can number from 20,000 and up to 100,000 in number -out of all of them, the King will select just one to become the new Queen. The King has been doing so since 1999 and the festival lasts for weeks.

Currently, he has 14 wives and 23 children. The first two wives of the Swazi King are chosen for him by the national council and the culture also state that the King can only marry his fiancees after they have become pregnant to show that they are fertile and can produce an heir to the throne. 

Although the King has a private jet, strings of palaces (each wife actually has her own palace, amazing isn't it?), collection of exotic cars (especially BMWs and even a Maybach limousine that cost him 250,000 Pounds Sterling!), his country is one of the very poorest on earth. HIV/AIDS has ravaged the nation and it has the lowest life expectancy in the world, at just 31.88 years! HIV/AIDS infection in Swaziland is the highest in the world with 50% of those in their 20s infected with the virus! The World Health Organization says that in 2002, 64% of all the deaths in the country were due to HIV/AIDS, and in 2004, almost 40% of its pregnant women were infected with HIV. Also, there is drought, unemployment and hunger all over this beautiful African kingdom. 

Extremely rich leaders. Desperately poor citizens. Is Africa not just wonderful? 

Get details on the all the pictures and more here: http://iyaniwura.com/africas-last-absolute-monarch/

THANKS FOR YOUR TIME. 
•••Iyani­wura™

1 Like

Re: Africa's Last Absolute Monarch by PAGAN9JA(m): 6:58am On Jan 11, 2013
nice regalia! cool
Re: Africa's Last Absolute Monarch by Nobody: 12:59pm On Jan 11, 2013
Very interesting stuff.
But still im glad we dont have kings where i am from tongue

*waiting*
Re: Africa's Last Absolute Monarch by Nobody: 1:17pm On Jan 11, 2013
smh and kmt. Bring on the revolution!!!! angry
Re: Africa's Last Absolute Monarch by Afam4eva(m): 6:33pm On Jan 11, 2013
*Kails*:
Very interesting stuff.
But still im glad we dont have kings where i am from tongue

*waiting*
I'll like to visit Jamaica one day to see how differently things are done from Africa.

2 Likes

Re: Africa's Last Absolute Monarch by TableLeg(m): 6:40pm On Jan 11, 2013
Stupid monarch.... Rot in hell Mswati!

1 Like

Re: Africa's Last Absolute Monarch by TableLeg(m): 11:06pm On Jan 11, 2013
Mswati omo ale .... God punish you!
Re: Africa's Last Absolute Monarch by kristikat(f): 11:15pm On Jan 11, 2013
Although the King has a private jet, strings of palaces (each wife actually has her own palace, amazing isn't it?), collection of exotic cars (especially BMWs and even a Maybach limousine that cost him 250,000 Pounds Sterling!), his country is one of the very poorest on earth. HIV/AIDS has ravaged the nation and it has the lowest life expectancy in the world, at just 31.88 years! HIV/AIDS infection in Swaziland is the highest in the world with 50% of those in their 20s infected with the virus! The World Health Organization says that in 2002, 64% of all the deaths in the country were due to HIV/AIDS, and in 2004, almost 40% of its pregnant women were infected with HIV. Also, there is drought, unemployment and hunger all over this beautiful African kingdom.

uhhhm now why don't the king give some money to his people?
it does not look like him or his mother is a good ruler,
when all they care about is themselves and their own welfare.
obviously they don't give a sheeet about their kingdom or the PEOPLE IN IT, or the people they are given to rule over,
their only kingdom seems to be their own interests and money.
very sad!

1 Like

Re: Africa's Last Absolute Monarch by kristikat(f): 11:17pm On Jan 11, 2013
Table Leg :
Stupid monarch.... Rot in hell Mswati!

this monarch is not very different from the western monarchy....
seems like this guy is part of the illuminati,
worshiping babylon,
da money god.............
he likes the queen of ENGLAND,
because she gives him gold.
Re: Africa's Last Absolute Monarch by Nobody: 6:10am On Jan 12, 2013
afam4eva:
I'll like to visit Jamaica one day to see how differently things are done from Africa.

you should visit.
i've never been to africa so i can't
say for sure..i imagine it's different though.
seeing as how we're a bit more western in terms of culture.

1 Like

Re: Africa's Last Absolute Monarch by Nobody: 6:12am On Jan 12, 2013
Table Leg :
Stupid monarch.... Rot in hell Mswati!

Table Leg :
Mswati omo ale .... God punish you!

kristikat:

this monarch is not very different from the western monarchy....
seems like this guy is part of the illuminati,
worshiping babylon,
da money god.............
he likes the queen of ENGLAND,
because she gives him gold.

grin grin

wow! he'd get no love in naija!! grin

1 Like

Re: Africa's Last Absolute Monarch by kristikat(f): 3:31am On Jan 13, 2013
*Kails*:


you should visit.
i've never been to africa so i can't
say for sure..i imagine it's different though.
seeing as how we're a bit more western in terms of culture.

I think when everything is about money,
even cheating your own people out of it,
then it is the same concept everywhere,
western, eastern, southern, it is all the same,
when power hungry people rule over the less fortunate,
and don't intend to help them up and would rather keep everything for themselves.
Re: Africa's Last Absolute Monarch by Nobody: 4:59am On Jan 13, 2013
^^um. true but that's not what we are talking about.
we are talking about culture. lol

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