Swazi govt vows tight security

2008-09-05 22:26

Mbabane - Swaziland's government on Friday rejected accusations that King Mswati III was ignoring the plight of the poor and vowed a tight security cordon around a lavish birthday/independence celebration that is to be attended by several heads of state.

"Rest assured that nothing is going to happen. There's no way (protestors) are going to get near the stadium," government spokesperson Percy Simelane said a day after more than 2 000 people took to the streets of the capital Mbabane in protest over spending on the party, and the absence of political freedom.

Swaziland, a country of around one million people, mostly subsistence farmers, is the world's last absolute monarchy. The "40-40" celebrations on Saturday are being held to mark the 40th anniversary of Swazi independence from Britain and Mswati's 40th birthday.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Lesotho's King Pakalitha Mosisili and US assistant secretary for African affairs, Ambassador Jendayi Frazer, had already arrived in Mbabane for the festivities.

The presidents of Madagascar, Uganda, Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, Malawi were also expected to arrive later on Friday or Saturday, a spokesperson in the Foreign Ministry said.

Frazer, who was in southern Africa to attend the funeral of Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa earlier this week, met with the Swazi monarch on Thursday.

Mswati is the head of the 15-nation Southern African Development Community's body on politics, defence and security, which is dealing with the political deadlock in Zimbabwe.

Normally peaceable kingdom

Over 15 000 people are expected to attend the celebrations in Somhlolo stadium near the royal court outside Mbabane, where schoolchildren were practising on Friday using coloured cards to represent the flags of the countries that are sending guests.

The government says the party is costing 20 million emalangeni, but civil society estimates it is costing several times that.

The controversy comes against the backdrop of rising tensions in the normally peaceable kingdom in advance of legislative elections on September 19.

Striking workers and youths brandishing sticks and branches smashed car windows and looted shops in Mbabane on Thursday in some of the worst rioting in the country in decades.

Riot police used water cannon, tear gas and stun grenades to quell the protest.

Mswati, who is famous internationally for having 13 wives, has reigned over the landlocked kingdom for 22 years.

His spending on the party, which includes 20 new BMW 7 series cars and 120 cattle, has angered many in the country where around 70% of people live on less than a dollar a day and one in four adults is HIV-positive. - Sapa-dpa

- SAPA