Did the Only Absolute Monarch of Africa Flee the Country?

The South African Broadcasting Corporation reported that Africa's last absolute monarch fled the country on Monday after protesters stormed the town of Matsapha, near the capital Mbabane.

The King is renowned for his polygamous and largely extravagant lifestyle despite Eswatini's struggling economy and high poverty rate.

Absolute Monarch

Eswatini is a landlocked state between South Africa and Mozambique, one of the smallest countries in Africa, with around 1.3 million people, known for its exports of sugar, soft drink concentrate and cotton.

The country is a lower middle-income, but its income distribution is highly skewed, with an estimated 20% of the population controlling 80% of the nation’s wealth. With an estimated 28% unemployment rate and about 63% of the population living below the poverty line.

Eswatini’s King Mswati III was crowned in 1986, aged 18. He is Africa's last remaining absolute monarch. He ruled the country for more than three decades.

The monarch notably renamed the country himself in 2018, formerly called Swaziland, by choosing Eswatini, which in Swati means “land of the Swazis.”

Mswati controls the parliament and appoints ministers. He refused to allow political parties in the landlocked country. Political parties were banned in the country in 1973 and are barred from participating in parliamentary elections.

The Eswatini opposition accuses the king of human rights violations and of running a repressive government.

Extravagant Lifestyle

In a country where many citizens live below the poverty line, Mswati III was rated by Forbes, in 2008, to be worth around $200 million.

His family, including 15 wives, is accused of enjoying a lavish lifestyle while most of the country's people are impoverished, according to human rights groups.

His expensive taste, from cars and planes to houses, outrage the Eswatini poor citizens. 

In 2019, the monarch was reported to have purchased 15 Rolls-Royces and other luxury vehicles for his 15 wives.

Pro-Democracy Demonstrations

The small kingdom has been rocked by pro-democracy demonstrations over the past three days and videos of people burning tires and barricading streets in the largest city, Manzini, and the central town of Matsapha have been circulating on social media.

The protests stem from a government decree issued last week banning petitions calling for democratic reform, including free elections, according to local media. 

Communist Party member Thokozani Kunene said the protest action would continue in the country until King Mswati stepped down and bowed to democracy. 

He also said the army and police were deployed to target protesters, adding that there were chaotic scenes.

The demonstrators are demanding a democratic government that will serve the interests of the people, said Sakhile Nxumalo of the Swaziland Youth Congress, which is involved in the demonstrations.

“People want a democratic government where they can elect their own leaders, in particular, they want a republic so that the country can be led by a president,” said Nxumalo.

In fact, The protest emerged first in 2019, when the country was rocked by a series of strikes by civil servants who accused the monarch of draining public coffers at the expense of his subjects.

Police-Protesters Clash 

The protests started a few days ago and escalated to the point that some shops were set on fire in Matsapha. 

Protesters clashed with police after setting fire to several shops in the city. Several people were injured and one person is believed to have died. 

To quell the unrest, the government on Tuesday ordered all businesses to close by 3:30pm and a strict curfew to have all residents off the streets from 6pm to 5am. Schools were told to close immediately.

“Unfortunately, the protests we are seeing of late have been hijacked by criminal elements. Such cannot be acceptable under any circumstances,” acting prime minister Themba Masuku said in a statement.

According to Thokozani Kunene, armed helicopters fired tear gas at the demonstrators and were supported by the police, who opened fire. 

Sakhile Nxumalo of the Swaziland Youth Congress, which is involved in the demonstrations, claimed that the army had been deployed by the royal family to attack protesters and quell the demonstrations.

“The people are tired of feeding certain families. The wealthy families are living through the poor’s hard work,” Nxumalo said, “so now they have taken it to the streets.”

Matshapa's factories and workplaces have been brought to a standstill and demonstrators are demanding that all businesses belonging to the royal family must be seized or destroyed.

“The 16-nation regional bloc, the Southern African Development Community, known as SADC, should intervene in Eswatini,” said Lucky Lukhele, a spokesman of the South Africa-based Swaziland Solidarity Network.

“While we stand by the people of Swaziland in this very difficult period, we wish to urge the international community once again to play a proactive role in minimizing casualties. The Swazi issue should now be the top priority of the SADC,” said Lukhele in a statement.

Did the King Flee?

Eswatini's Communist Party confirmed on Tuesday that King Mswati III had fled his country and said he was hiding in Johannesburg, South Africa. The king is said to have fled amid pro-democracy protests sweeping through the small kingdom.

“The special jet chartered for King Mswati was found to depart around 10:30pm last night, but we learned that it left earlier. He is hiding in Johannesburg, in the Sandton region,” Thokozani Kunene revealed.

The Eswatini government has denied that King Mswati III fled his country due to the pro-democracy protests that turned violent. “The king is in the country and continues to work with the government to advance the goal of the kingdom,” Acting Prime Minister Themba Masuku posted on Twitter.