 
September 9, 2008
Swaziland King’s Extravagant Birthday Raises HIV Concerns
Swaziland’s king Mswati III and his 13 wives are intent on spending millions to celebrate the country’s 40 years of independence and, coincidentally, the king’s 40th birthday. However, many of the country’s citizens are outraged and refuse to join in the festivities, reports the United Kingdom’s Sky News.
“What are we celebrating, poverty and AIDS?” Joyce Dlamini yelled out as she joined one of a series of mass street protests against the celebrations.
Not only is Swaziland one of Africa’s poorest nations, with two thirds of the 1 million citizens surviving on less than 89 cents a day (in U.S. currency), but the country also has the highest rate of infection in the world.
According to Sky News, despite Mswati’s ability to buy 20 new luxury cars and send his wives on overseas shopping excursions, his country lacks basic supplies needed to tackle AIDS, such as HIV testing kits and rubber gloves.
Mswati’s officials claim that his fortune—estimated at more than $176 million U.S. dollars—belongs to him and not the country.
Search: Swaziland, Mswati III, Africa
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