Swazi king buys R3.5m car
2004-12-12 20:50
Mbabane - Swaziland's King Mswati III has bought himself a luxury sedan worth about R3.5m while his debt-ridden country continues battling Aids and crippling poverty, a newspaper reported on Sunday.
Southern Africa's last absolute monarch now joins an elite circle of four "super rich" people in the region who own the DaimlerChrysler flagship Maybach 62, according to the Mbabane-based Times on Sunday.
"Our customers are exclusive people that is the super rich, the kings and queens, oil rich countries, North Africans and massive lottery winners," DaimlerChrysler South Africa's spokesperson Fanyana Shiburi told the newspaper.
The other three customers in the region are South African business tycoons Cyril Ramaphosa, Tokyo Sexwale and Patrice Motsepe, Shiburi said.
The car features a television receiver, DVD player, 21-speaker surround sound system, refrigerator, cordless telephone, heated steering wheel, interior pollen and dust filter, golf bag and sterling silver champagne flutes.
"We feel great that the king of Swaziland has chosen our product, this shows that our product has arrived. This kind of car is the super high end of the luxury segment," Shiburi added.
Swaziland is a small country wedged between South African and Mozambique with a population of one million.
It has the highest Aids rate in the world at 38.8%, unemployment stands at 40%, almost 70% of the nation live on an average income of $11 per month and about a third rely on food aid for survival.
The 36-year-old King Mswati is no stranger to controversy and frequently hits the headlines with stories of his and his 11 wives' lavish lifestyles.
On his birthday in April this year, he bought 10 BMW seven series vehicles for himself and some of his wives.
He is also building 10 new palaces for his wives at a cost of $17m.