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King Mswati III of eSwatini (previously known as Swaziland) is known to live in exclusive opulence, even when it is in complete contrast to the state of living for the people of his country.

Classic.

The Swaziland People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) expressed its dismay that the king decided to use a luxury plane to come for a working visit to South Africa.

King Mswati III used what SPLM described as a “palace in the air” to visit his neighbouring country, according to the NPO’s president Vusi Shongwe via The Citizen.

The king landed in the country on Sunday and met President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday to discuss matters related to the diaspora, including concerns about the former president of Botswana Ian Khama.

Unfortunately, the cost of hopping over here could have come at a fraction of the cost compared to what they apparently spent.

“Concerns have been raised on the cost effectiveness of using this large aircraft with huge flying cost implications for a less than an hour-long trip to the Republic for his meeting with President Ramaphosa,” Shongwe said.

A technical analysis and calculation of the flight and the fuel needed found that flying the plane for an hour would cost more than R350,000.

King Mswati’s high-flying mode of transport is an Airbus 340-300 aircraft, which was bought in 2018 from Taiwan by the king as a 50th birthday gift to himself. It cost a cool R2.6 billion.

“It was customised from a commercial aircraft into an ultra-luxurious flying palace,” Shongwe said, adding that the plane features a living area, meeting/dining area, a private bedroom and bathroom amenities for the king, among other features.

The audacity is ferocious on this one.

Shongwe said the king’s luxurious life extends well past his decked-out plane, with assets worth millions, including cars, property, jewellery and artwork.

Shongwe mentioned that the king possesses multiple properties throughout eSwatini, with the most extravagant being the Lozitha palace, known for its grand banquet hall adorned with gold decorations and luxurious chandeliers.

Additionally, the king recently received a delivery of at least 20 Mercedes-Maybach SUVs.

“The cars were for his wives and family members, there were other cars that he bought like Merc Klassen -VIP sprinters and V classes. These were custom made,” he said.

Indeed, King Mswati made headlines in 2019 when a video showed the arrival of the Rolls-Royce cars as gifts for his 13 wives.

HEARTBREAKING NEWS: Amidst all the economic challenges eSwazitini, King Mswati III yesterday decided to bless his wives with very expensive wheels pic.twitter.com/QzGTT1uvfC

— Mzilikazi wa Afrika (@IamMzilikazi) October 30, 2019

Furthermore, his impressive watch collection features some of the world’s most exclusive timepieces, such as the Jacob & Co Billionaire Ashoka watch, boasting 302 emerald-cut baguette diamonds set in 18k white gold. Alongside this masterpiece, the king’s collection includes a variety of Rolex watches.

King Mswati III of eSwatini owns 2 private jets. He got a $13.2 million private jet as his 50th birthday gift in 2018.

He owns a $625,000 Rolls Royce, a $500,000 Maybach 62, a Bmw X6 and 20 Mercedes Benz S600 Pullman. pic.twitter.com/e2I1r6P2VG

— Africa Facts Zone (@AfricaFactsZone) October 30, 2019

Apparently, the king receives at least R1 billion annually from the national treasury, so he can afford it. But it comes at the cost of the people in his country, who live in poverty.

“This man does not pay tax and he is not liable for any taxation from the government. Out of a national budget he gets R1bn from the government to him,” he said.

The monarchy’s opposition party, the People’s United Democratic Movement (Pudemo) general secretary Wandile Dludlu condemned the purchase of luxury items, per TimesLIVE:

“In Swaziland, public sector workers have not received salary adjustments in three years and the health system has totally collapsed, rendering the poorest of the poor vulnerable,” he said in a statement.

“Tertiary institutions have also closed down due to student unrest caused by the regime’s failure to cater for their tuition fees, text book fees, accommodation and other expenses.”

Dludlu accused Mswati of continuing to “spoil himself and his family”, seemingly oblivious to the problems afflicting citizens.

“He is basically showing them a middle finger and proving to all and sundry that he is a law unto himself.”

Yep, nothing has changed.

[source:citizen]