Sunday, April 18, 2010

SWAZI KING’S ROLLS ROYCE, THE TRUTH

As if you needed it, here’s confirmation that King Mswati III of Swaziland has got himself a new Rolls Royce car.

I wrote on Wednesday (14 April 2010) that reports were circulating in Swaziland that King Mswati, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, had spent E5 million (about 500,000 US dollars) on a new Roller, even though Swaziland was broke and cuts in health, education and every other government department were being made.

Now the Financial Mail, a newspaper in South Africa has confirmed the purchase.

The Financial Mail reports, ‘The free-spending ways of Africa’s last absolute monarch, King Mswati III, continue to amaze his subjects, two-thirds of whom live on food rations donated by UN agencies.

‘The king recently unveiled his latest toy — a Rolls-Royce Phantom worth R5m.

‘Christians attending the annual Easter services held at the Somhlolo National Stadium were surprised when they saw a white Rolls drive in, but then they saw the king’s flag mounted on the car.’

The Financial Mail also published a picture of the king and the Rolls Royce.

As far as I can see no news media in Swaziland have reported on the purchase. The king has told them they must not. So they won’t.

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