The 54 nations on the African continent are absolutely amazing and astonishing! And this particular country, according to our guide, is one of the only seven in this world still practising absolute monarchy.
I notice that what sets this kingdom apart from the others is that there is a Queen Mother besides the King, and it seems that these two people have the final say in everything big and small in this country!
Notably, the heir to the crown must always be the only son from the King’s last wife. Unbelievable, right? This means that many women have hoped they would be the last wife of the King so that they get to become the Queen Mother one day!
The thing is, the King is more than happy to boost the number of his wives. The 58-year-old current monarch of this particular country just married his 16th wife – the 22-year-old daughter of South Africa’s former president – barely two years ago!
Interestingly, it is rumoured that the King now already has over 40 children, and at least 210 siblings from his father and many half-mothers!
His father had a total of 70 wives, 210 children and over a thousand grandchildren throughout his 62-year reign since his coronation at the age of 21 in 1921. Amazing!
Our guide also told us that ordinary citizens can have as many wives as well (are you jealous of them now?), provided that the man has enough cows as bride price, which typically numbers four to 16 animals. Based on the local market rate, a cow costs approximately RM1,500.
By the way, our guide’s father has three wives and 20 children. As for the guide himself, he is now a father of three at the age of 41. According to him, he promised to give his wife’s family 12 cows for the marriage, and he has so far only paid four, therefore still owing his father-in-law eight cows! Looks like he may not have enough asset to have a second or third wife anytime soon!
Notably, women in this country have since their births accepted the reality that they might have to share their husbands with other women! As such, other than marriages solemnised in churches, no women married in traditional ceremonies have the right to ask for a divorce.
Luckily, this country set the youngest marriage age at 18 in 2001 (mainly to check the spread of AIDS then).
Nevertheless, the King himself broke the law barely a few months after the enactment of the new law by marrying a 17-year-old girl as his ninth wife. Sure enough the King broke a law, and he imposed a penalty of one cow on himself!
This nevertheless did not win him the approval of the international community, which called him a lavish ruler of destitute subjects!
As a matter of fact, universal education is never a priority in this country, with its citizens enjoying only seven years of free elementary education. They have to pay for their middle-school and university education! Surprisingly, there is a branch campus of Malaysia’s Limkokwing University here!
A student told me he loves Limkokwing University because it offers a convenient scholarship programme. This explains why the local residents have a lot of respect for the school’s late founder Tan Sri Lim Kok Wing!
Of course, there are also some international schools here, although many cannot afford them!
The African country that we are talking about is situated in the southeastern part of the continent, covering an area of 17,364 square kilometres with a population of 1.24 million. English is widely spoken in this country which gained independence from Britain in 1968. So, do you know which country we are talking about now? Never mind, just hold on…
Weirdly, for a country that used to be a British colony, constitutional monarchy should be a more appropriate system for this country, you might argue. That said, this country has opted for a unique system that gives the ruler absolute power – one that combines liberalism, conventionality, religion and superstition!
Since his coronation in 1986, the current King has commissioned his prime minister (CEO) to run the day-to-day affairs of this country, himself doubling as the nation’s “Chairman”.
The country goes to the polls once every five years, although the elected representatives are merely symbolic than having true powers, as most of the ministers and department chiefs are appointed by the King or the Queen Mother from the royal family.
Although 97% of the people here claim to be Christians, feudalism and superstition are still very much deep-rooted in the country. For example, if one side of a major stadium is facing the hills, this side will not have audience seating because the people believe that there are “royal spirits” in the hills and people cannot have their backs facing the spirits!
The infrastructure here is adequate, with many embassies and foreign missions set up in the capital city. The country even boasts a 200-kilometre four-lane expressway! However, the wealth gap remains immense, and the majority of the country’s citizens are still living below the poverty line, struggling to make ends meet!
The good thing is, the people here are very friendly and the country is generally safe. I found out from a local Chinese restaurant operator that there are about 100 Taiwanese living in the city, along with some 200 Chinese, Indians, Americans and South Africans residing or doing business here. They seem to feel safe and happy here!
As for tourism, I have observed that most of the tourists here are Caucasians from the West, who I guess might have been lured by the rare absolute monarchy practised here! With the influx of tourists come tourism-related investments and developments.
You can find luxurious resorts, casino hotels, handicraft centres, performing theatres and even the unique garden cafes here. On the surface, the tourism industry seems to be thriving here!
From tribal communities in prehistoric times to more civilised settlements, then falling into the hands of powerful colonial masters, African countries started to fight for their independence after the Second World War, many opting for democracy and constitutional monarchy for a handful others.
Unexpectedly, this particular country has decided to revert to antiquated absolute monarchy!
You might have got it by now that I am actually talking about Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland. You are welcome here to experience this unusual country yourself!
