Swazi king buys 10 luxury cars for his wives

Mbabane - Swazi King Mswati III has purchased 10 new BMWs for the royal household - two months after buying a super-expensive sedan for himself while his subjects continue living in abject poverty, a newspaper reported on Sunday.

Africa's last absolute monarch spent some five million emalangeni (R5-million) on BMWs for his wives, the Mbabane-based Times Sunday reported.

"It is true that new cars have been purchased for emakhosikati (queens) to his majesty... This is basically an upgrade of the ones they have been using," the chief executive officer of the king's office, Roy Fanourakis, told the newspaper.

This comes after it emerged in December that Mswati had bought himself a $500 000 (about R3-million) Daimler Chrysler flagship Maybach 62 as his debt-ridden country continues battling Aids and crippling poverty.

The car features a television receiver, dvd player, 21-speaker surround sound system, refrigerator, cordless telephone, heated steering wheel, interior pollen and dust filter, golf bag and sterling silver champagne flutes.

The 36-year-old King Mswati is no stranger to controversy and frequently hits the headlines with stories of the lavish lifestyle he leads with his 11 wives and two teenage fiancees.

On his birthday in April last year, he bought 10 BMW seven series vehicles for himself and some of his wives. This year he is expected to spend some six million emalangeni (about R6-million) on his birthday party on April 25.

He is also building 10 new palaces for his wives at a cost of 100 million emalangeni.

Swaziland's government owes its suppliers more than 150 million emalangeni which dates back to 2002 and the country's budget deficit stands at 800 million emalangeni.

Swaziland, a small country wedged between South African and Mozambique with a population of one million, has the highest Aids rate in the world at 38,8 percent and about a third of the impoverished nation relies on food aid for survival. - Sapa-AFP

Quickwire

Published on the Web by IOL on 2005-02-13 14:50:13
© Independent Online 2004. All rights reserved. IOL publishes this article in good faith but is not liable for any loss or damage caused by reliance on the information it contains.

In his next life.....he'll be reincarnated as a tapeworm attached to the digestive system of a tapeworm.

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1974 240D 3.0L 4(M) - 250K -OM617.910 + 300D FW + Rajay turbo power!
1977 6.9 3(A) - 84k

Hmmm.......I don't even think they have roads over there, at least not the kind of road systems we have. Would it not a waste to drive a Maybach on some dirt road?

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95 R129
04 Infiniti G35.5 BS
10 X204

Swaziland has two main paved roads one running east and west and one running north and south. The north and south road between Mbabane and Manzini at one time was listed in Guiness as the world's most dangerous road. The rest are dirt except in town center of a few towns. How do I know this because I lived there in 1993 and 94. Drove both roads many times. About as fast as you can go safely is 60 miles per hour except on the dangerous stretch and I never got over 40.

Mswati was educated in England and once when he was 18 I was on a Swazi Airlines plane with him from Johannesburg when he was coming home for a visit. I was in the last seat in the back next to the bathroom. He came back a couple of times. Two massive hunks were with him each time. You think its is bad that he is spending money on cars you should see his palace. The local people say that his education in England is what ruined him. Swaziland is a wonderful country but is in trouble. I still have contact with many good Swazi friends there.

Well thats my contribution to this thread.

Sounds like a normal dictator. Power corrupts, he will probably eventually be overthrown.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Im gonna go throw up.

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Nate

1995 E420
1992 BMW 525i
1984 300D Turbo sold
1993 Volvo 244 sold
1995 Volvo 944T R.I.P!


"The details are not details. They make the product."
-Charles Eames

www.cbs.nu

except he is not a dictator.

his father, king sobhukazi, was the last of the great royals. a good man. a great man, respected and loved by all in his kingdom. this b!tch of a son of his, i dont know.

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'O=00=O'
bmw 2002.
long live the legend

Well we fought two wars to not be rulled by a king. Royalty isn't much better.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Those 10 shorties must have some extra-special FLASH booty.

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.