An absolute monarch in his early 40s, who has 13 wives, an unknown wealth estimated at 100 million US dollars and absolute power over 1.2 million of his people. An enviable person indeed.... This is the last of the absolute monarchs in Sub-Saharan Africa, and one of the wealthiest monarchs in the world, despite the fact that his country is one of the poorest.
Introducing.... Mswati III of Swaziland.
Now, police has dispersed protests challenging Mswati III's absolute rule. This is 38 years after the former king and father of the current monarch Sobuza II banned political parties. Reportedly, labour unions organized this protest also with the help of an on-line campaign.
COSATU, the largest trade union in South Africa has stated that seven labor leaders have been arrested. There were reports of several arrests preceding the planned protests.
It is interesting to see that while the "Arab Spring" is becoming more a "scorched summer" with crackdowns, foreign troops, civil wars and air attacks, spring is moving on to new pastures. The "Spring" should not be an essentially "Arab" one. It should be a "Global" one. Otherwise, one may ask, what is the purpose of the so-called "globalization?"
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