Shopping for wives or foreign investment?

Swazi king’s overseas trips draw criticism James Hall MBABANE - King Mswati was in Indonesia last week on his second overseas journey of the month, ostensibly to drum up foreign direct investment for Swaziland. Stories in the local press characterise the royal trips as little more than shopping excursions for the king’s nine wives, who charge expensive clothes to the national treasury. But the palace insists the journeys are reaping investment in the form of commitments from Asian garment and other manufacturers to set up shop in the country. “The king informed the businessmen about the peaceful environment in Swaziland, and our low crime rate. He also noted the country’s good infrastructure like rail and a good road network that stimulate trading and transport here,” a palace source told FTW. Mswati also emphasised Swaziland’s favourable trade links with the European Union and United States, saying investors in his kingdom would have access to other bigger markets through Swaziland