King Mswati
latest news & developments
The despot next door: King Mswati’s greed and repression are a growing threat to southern Africa
As Swaziland descends deeper into dictatorship, the monarch’s influence is spreading, and his alliance with Jacob Zuma threatens the region’s democratic future
Unite to fight for human rights in eSwatini
The absolute monarchy has been declared ‘not free’ after it scored 17 out of 100 in the Freedom in the World 2024 report
The forgotten people of eSwatini
Dissidents are are being killed, detained and forced into exile for demanding human rights and freedom
Poverty in eSwatini has bred unapologetic freedom fighters
Unbearable poverty has finally ignited an uprising in the tiny kingdom and Mswati’s police and army officers are the first targets
Africans want consensual democracy – why is that reality so hard to accept?
It is both misleading and patronising to suggest that democracy has somehow been imposed by the international community against the wishes of ordinary people. Instead, it has…
‘Gross human rights abuses’ in Eswatini
Civil society has called for an investigation into King Mswati’s alleged crimes against humanity
The media is dead, long live the king
The state of King Mswati’s health is just one of many contentious issues that cannot be reported on in eSwatini
eSwatini says fake polygamy story ‘insult’ to king and country
The story, carried by the Zambian Observer said that Swazi men would have to marry several wives starting from June
New name, same flaws in eSwatini election, say critics
Opposition activists in the tiny southern African country formerly known as Swaziland say Friday’s election is a mockery of democracy
Clash of the cultures: The absolute monarchy and the music festival
The Bushfire festival is one place where Swatis can let their hair down and be themselves, and it is slowly sowing the seeds of change
Amos Mbedzi was wrongly convicted
Bheki Makhubu argues that Amos Mbedzi was wrongly convicted of the deaths of his two co-conspirators because of a misapplication of dolus eventualis.
A constitutional monarchy? Hardly
It is appropriate to group together the Moroccan and Swazi kings, but as authoritarian rulers, writes Keith Gottschalk.
‘King ruined me,’ says Swazi hotelier
King Mswati is said to owe millions, but a judicial directive has prevented court action against the Swazi monarch.
Cosatu unions share business interests with King Mswati III
Despite their campaign against Mswati’s despotic rule, Cosatu affiliates have been found to be involved in business deals with the Swazi king.