Growing concern over royal rule

An influential organisation of Swazi traditionalists and royal supporters has come out strongly against the palace-imposed exile of two chiefs and their followers for defying an order by King Mswati III. "We all know, as a nation, the problems the issue of the rule of law has caused, and that the problem is in the royal household," said a statement released Thursday by a 'cultural organisation' called Sibahle Sinje. King Mswati, sub-Saharan Africa's last absolute monarch, has insisted on his right to rule by decree, even though the country's highest court, the Court of Appeal, has ruled against him. In anticipation of the legalisation of political parties, Sibahle Sinje was formed as a cultural support organisation in 1996. Eight years later, a new draft constitution, drawn up by King Mswati's brothers, Prince Mangaliso Dlamini and Justice Minister Prince David Dlamini, perpetuates the ban on political parties. "We feel betrayed," a Sibahle Sinje official told IRIN. The organisation comprises prominent current and former officials, including former cabinet minister Isaac Shabangu, the group's chairman. In a statement in the local press, signed by Shabangu, he expressed regret at recent battles between the courts of law and the palace. "We, who have defended the institution of the monarchy so strongly, even turning against our fellow Swazis in the 90's, now feel betrayed." The Sibahle Sinje organisation warned of popular discontent with a monarchy that held absolute power, and urged the palace to examine its actions if it was to survive as an institution in Swaziland. "If the issue of the rule of law is not solved, the Swazi nation will face international hostility as a result of decisions from the throne," Shabangu said in the statement. "We have Zimbabwe as an example, whose head of state has been sanctioned for disregarding international opinion."