Swaziland: King Took More As Spending Cuts Bit

As King Mswati III, Swaziland's absolute monarch, calls for public spending cuts to save his kingdom's damaged economy, we are reminded of a similar national crisis in 2011.

That year the King forced spending cuts in Government departments of up to 20 percent; but at the same time he awarded himself and the Royal Family a budget increase of 23 percent from public funds.

Then, as now, Swaziland was affected by cuts in income from the Southern African Customs Union (SACU). Successive governments that are not elected by the people but chosen by the King have failed to manage Swaziland's economy. The Swazi Government relies heavily on SACU income and when it falls, as this year, it has little alternative income.

In his speech opening Parliament on Friday (12 February 2016), King Mswati blamed falling SACU revenues for the crisis and called on everybody to help ensure the economy improved.

In 2011, when budgets controlled by the Swaziland Government were slashed by 20 percent King Mswati III got 23 percent more from the Swazi people for the upkeep of himself and his Royal Family. Jimmy Ghidinelli