Swaziland Constitutional Crisis + King Mswati Is Ridiculous

On October 3rd, the Swazi House of Assembly passed a vote of no confidence in the government.

What does this mean?

Yes, Swaziland is one of the tiny countries INSIDE South Africa

Constitutionally, within three days of a vote of no confidence, the Prime Minister has to step down or be fired by the King. The PM, Barnabus Dlamini, has stated he will not step down, as has the Deputy PM, claiming they will ignore the constitution until they "hear from the people." They have clearly not been listening very carefully, as Swaziland, as the last "real" monarchy in Africa has been ruled poorly for quite some time now. The King, Mswati III, rules with an iron fist and in his own interest. He has not done his constitutional duty to remove the government after the vote and instead his supporters have pressured the House of Assembly to take a re-vote.

A re-vote?

Yes, a re-vote. And guess how that went. Only 32 of its 65 members were present, if that gives you a guess. The repeal of the no confidence vote is quite concerning.

Random Kate Thoughts: This truly reveals what a facade democracy is in Swaziland. The King basically rules everything, as he appoints most of the legislative branch. Also he lives a ridiculously lavish lifestyle of cars, trips, wives, and palaces, when over 25% of his population is HIV positive and the unemployment is around 40%. (yes, 40%!)

King Mswati III, at the 2006 Reed Dance

Then again, the Kingdom of Swaziland is rather stereotypical in what the west sees of Africa. The King's first two wives are chosen by councillors and he cannot marry them until they're pregnant by him. There is a yearly reed dance where the virgins of the land dance in front of the king and he has used it as an opportunity to take other wives. When HIV first became a big deal, the King used his traditional power to impose a five-year chastity rule on all Swazis under 18, but two months into his five-year rule, he took a 17-year-old wife. Hypocrisy much? He currently has 13 wives, which might seem like a lot, but his father had more than 70 wives and almost 1,000 children, so he still has some fertility left in him methinks. :-/