Mswati III

Mswati III
King of Eswatini
Reign	25 April 1986 – present
Coronation	25 April 1986
Predecessor	Sobhuza II
Prime Ministers	See list Bhekimpi Dlamini Sotsha Dlamini Obed Dlamini Andreas Fakudze (Acting) Jameson Mbilini Dlamini Sishayi Nxumalo (Acting) Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini Paul Shabangu (Acting) Themba Dlamini Bheki Dlamini (Acting) Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini Vincent Mhlanga (Acting) Mandvulo Ambrose Dlamini
Born	Prince Makhosetive (1968-04-19) 19 April 1968 (age 56) Raleigh Fitkin Memorial Hospital, Manzini, Swaziland
Spouse	15 wives
Issue	35 children
House	Dlamini
Father	Sobhuza II
Mother	Ntfombi Tfwala
Religion	Christianity[1]

Mswati III (born as Prince Makhosetive on 19 April 1968)^[2] is the King of Eswatini and head of the Swazi Royal Family. He was born in Manzini, Eswatini, to King Sobhuza II. Mswati was supported by apartheid South Africa early on during his rule.^[3] In the 21st century, he has been criticized by many activists for how he runs Eswatini.^[4] He is a polygamist who forced Swazi women to marry him^[5] and has put people in prison for being critical of his government in newspapers.^[6][7]

1. ↑ https://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/2005/51498.htm
2. ↑ Genealogy:SWAZILAND Archived 2018-05-19 at the Wayback Machine, World of Royalty
3. ↑ Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa Report, Volume Two (PDF) (Report). 29 October 1998. p. 528-529. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 November 2009. Retrieved 6 October 2020. Individuals were paid to establish relationships and information flow, particularly in Africa. … Project Swaziland is described as follows. "Young King Mswati III took it for granted that, like his father, he would be furnished with the part-time services of an attorney at the expense of the South African government." Pretoria lawyerMr Ernst Penzhorn was employed at an annual fee of around R50 000 to "advise the King generally, accompany him to conferences, draft speeches for him, persuade him not to act in undesirable ways, and protect him from the machinations of undesirable characters".
4. ↑ Davis, Rebecca (2013-05-10). "King Mswati to WEF: Swazi people don't want change". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
5. ↑ "Wedding Bell Blues in Swaziland". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
6. ↑ "Swaziland journalists harassed, threatened with treason charges over reporting on king". Committee to Protect Journalists. 2020-04-30. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
7. ↑ "Critics of Swazi govt sentenced to 2 years in prison". City Press - News24. 2014-07-26. Retrieved 2020-11-01.