Zukile Majova
A recent reshuffle in two big South African kingdoms has turned the Eswatini ruler, King Mswati III, into the most powerful traditional leader in Southern Africa.
King Mswati has a very controversial track record in Swaziland – where he has led a regime which is undemocratic and oppressive of civil liberties and women’s rights. It is a big development to be now so influential in the region.
One of his nephews, King Mbusi Mahlangu, was declared the rightful ruler of the Amandebele people. Meanwhile, King Mswati’s other nephew, King Misuzulu Zulu kaZwelithini, now leads the 12 million-strong Zulu nation.
With a personal worth estimated at more than R3 billion, King Mswati is the third-richest monarch in Africa, with only King Mohammed VI of Morocco (R81 billion) and King Frederick Obateru Akinrutan of Nigeria (R4.2 billion) ahead of him.
Until now, King Mswati lacked the power and influence to prevent his authority being challenged by various groups of democrats in Eswatini.
For over five decades, pro-democracy groups and oppositional political parties were banned in Swaziland, now called Eswatini.
But in recent years, protestors in the small nation of 1.3 million people have been appealing for South Africans to stand in solidarity with them in their fight for democratic rule.
Now, with two of King Mswati’s nephews having been crowned kings of powerful ethnic groups in South Africa, it is likely Mswati will find it easier to go slow on any moves to democratise Eswatini.
The Swaziland Solidarity Network has already called on King Misuzulu to stop wasting Eswatini tax-payers’ money by hiring VIP protection from Eswatini state police.
“We wish to denounce and condemn the King’s Waste of Swazi taxes in his commitment to protect his nephew King Misuzulu from his detractors.”
The relatively young and educated kings of the Zulu and Ndebele nations are expected to modernise their kingdoms and do away with old traditions like polygamy, male chauvinism and traditional patriarchy.
But both kings effectively grew up under the tutelage of their uncle, and are susceptible to his influence.
So what lessons will the young Zulu and Ndebele rulers learn from King Mswati?
