King asks poor Swazis to pay for 11 palaces for wives Rory Carroll in Johannesburg Tuesday January 13, 2004 The Guardian (UK) He did not get a private jet, but King Mswati III has found another way to drain Swaziland's treasury: a palace for each of his 11 wives. Sub-saharan Africa's last absolute monarch has reportedly asked his government for £8m to redecorate three royal palaces and build 11 new ones - a big sum for a tiny country reeling from drought, food shortages and HIV/Aids. Most of the wives share a single palace and occupy guest houses, but before...