Swazi king marries 11th wife
2005-05-29 21:36
Mbabane - Africa's last absolute monarch king Mswati III has married a young woman who has become his 11th wife, a newspaper report said on Sunday.
The 37-year-old monarch secretly married Noliqwa Ntentesa on Thursday, the Times on Sunday reported.
"Yes it is true that she is now Inkhosikati LaNtentesa and was officially married to the king on Thursday morning in a traditional function held at Ludzidzini Royal Residence," Jim Gama, governor of Ludzidzini told the paper.
Ntentesa, 21, joined the royal family about three years ago when she was still in school but later dropped out, the paper said.
Mswati, 37, has been singled out for his lavish livestyle as ruler of the southern African kingdom, which has one of the world's highest HIV/AIDS infection rates and where more than 65% of the 1.2 million inhabitants live on less than one dollar a day.
The king, who ascended to the throne at the age of 18, last month organised a million-dollar-plus bash for his 37th birthday.
The celebrations followed the highly-publicised purchase of expensive cars including the a half a million dollar Daimler-Chrysler Maybach 62 and a new fleet of Mercedes for him, his wives and two teenage fiancées.
- SAPA