Swazi King demands R400m commission
2011-08-27 10:08
Johannesburg - Swaziland's King Mswati III has demanded that R400m be paid to him as commission, for getting the South African government to lend his cash-strapped country money, the Saturday Star reported.
Swaziland Solidarity Network spokesperson Lucky Lukhele said he had been informed that Mswati "arrogantly and stupidly" made the request.
"This is like the Mafia. He loves money and it is destroying our country," he said.
Earlier this month, South Africa agreed to lend Swaziland R2.4bn, with conditions.
These included Swaziland's undertaking confidence-building measures and implementing fiscal and related technical reforms required by the International Monetary Fund.
Mswati has often been accused of fiscal mismanagement and autocratic rule. He has also been criticised for his lavish lifestyle while his subjects live in abject poverty, exacerbated by high levels of Aids.
- SAPA
