Posted on 08/20/2009 4:42:57 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
King Mswati III of Swaziland, Africa’s last absolute monarch and ruler of some of the poorest people in the world, has sent his favourite wives on a multimillion-pound shopping jaunt through Europe, the Middle East and Asia, provoking fierce criticism of his profligacy.
Britain has been drawn into the row because of the millions of pounds in aid reportedly given to the kingdom, with campaigners accusing Whitehall of double standards. “They shout about Zimbabwe, but keep quiet about what is happening in Swaziland, even though they are one of its biggest aid donors. They are wasting British taxpayers’ money on this tyrant,” Lucky Lukhele, of the Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN), told The Times.
The landlocked kingdom of Swaziland is home to about 1.2 million people, more than two thirds of whom live in abject poverty on less than 50 pence a day. More than a quarter of the adult population has HIV — the highest ratio in the world.
The king enjoys a personal fortune of about £145 million, as the beneficiary of two funds created by his father, Sobhuza II, in trust for the nation. He also receives money from the national budget for his family’s upkeep. Last year this totalled £12 million — more than was set aside for education.
Reports from the kingdom said that the king had dispatched at least five of his 13 wives and dozens of retainers to France, Italy, Dubai and Taiwan on a secret tour last week, using £4 million from the state budget. In Swaziland it is a criminal offence to criticise the king’s private life. The Government declined to comment.
Swaziland is heavily dependent on handouts from the international community. According to SSN, Britain pays the lion’s share of an estimated £65 million in annual European Union
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
Apparently it’s good to be king.
See related story about the Obamas taking 400 rooms at Big Sky Resort:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2320631/posts
I don’t understand why Britain sends so much as one Pound to Swaziland. It’s not like the Crown Treasury is flush with money.
Should we feel sorry for them if they kiss the hand of a despotic ruler?
No, we should feel pity that they don’t have the guts to toss his a$$ to the crocodiles and start a constitutional republic. I hear that The Heritage Foundation has some free, pocket sized instruction manuals.
Shades of “Coming to America.”
Africa — the White Man’s burden. I would still like to know what the result was of the many billions of $$$ that Bush sent to Africa to fight AIDS. Did it work or was it another failure? Whose pockets did the money disappear in? Why was I never given a full report showing the result of our generosity of sending (wasting) US tax dollars?
America, WTF are you doing?
I'll give you the report, but you might not like it. When Bush sent that money to Africa, 96% of blacks in the U.S. voted Democrat. Now, just 5 years later, 99% of U.S. blacks vote Democrat (Note: the other 1% couldn't make it to the polls).
As for what was achieved in Africa with this money, just don't even ask.
Someone needs to Photoshop Obama’s head on that guy.
Swaziland = a country where 42.6 per cent of the adult population are infected with HIV/ AIDS - the highest rate in the world.
The king, who has 14 wives and at least 27 children, encourages teenage promiscuity and polygamy.
yitbos
I hate to sound cruel and insensitive, but that’s one country we will not have to support for much longer. Someone once told me that many African nations will f**k themselves into extinction.
It's always good to be king. Just ask Robert Mugabe.
But don't ask his victims.
ZIMBABWE!!! YET ANOTHER LIBERAL PEOPLES' PARADISE (and why the heck have we not relocated UN HQ there?????).
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