Highlights:
- Eswatini’s Reed Dance: A Disturbing Display of Royal Excess
- Dance Highlights Monarchy’s Misrule
- Royal Extravagance Amidst Poverty
- King Reigns Over Poverty, Picks New Wife at Reed Dance
- People Struggle to Survive
In a troubling display of extravagance, hundreds of young women and girls paraded before Eswatini’s King Mswati III, who has ruled with an iron fist since 1986. This archaic coming-of-age ceremony in Africa’s last absolute monarchy is supposed to celebrate virginity and adulthood. However, the stark contrast between the lavish ceremony and the abject poverty experienced by nearly 60 percent of the population cannot be ignored.
Clad in colorful skirts and necklaces, these young women, referred to as maidens, marched to the royal residence in Mbangweni, offering reeds to the Queen Mother for use as windbreaks. But this seemingly benign ritual took a disturbing turn when the 55-year-old king, surrounded by traditional Swati warriors, selected a new wife from among the dancers. This practice raises serious ethical concerns, as some of the king’s 15 wives were married to him as minors.
Mswati, known as “the lion” in SiSwati, may engage in extravagant displays and maintain a luxurious lifestyle, but his people continue to suffer. With over half the population living on less than $1.90 a day, the monarchy’s priorities are shockingly out of touch. Eswatini’s Reed Dance might glitter, but the glaring wealth disparity and regressive practices are a somber reminder of the pressing need for change in the country.
