Swazi king a baffled soul
REDI'S TAKE: King Mswati III is really a piece of work. From his wobbly stomach to his puffed up cheeks, he is not a sight for sore eyes. But he is one of Southern Africa's most eligible bachelors.
TWO SIDES: King Mswati enjoys traditional and modern norms
SUITED UP: King Mswati and one of his wives at the 2009 inauguration of Jacob Zuma as SA presidentThe most fascinating and positive cultural change for me has been the modern black father
I know he is married but since that hasn't stopped him from acquiring more wives, he may as well be single and sought after.
According to Swazi custom, Mswati is within his rights to marry as many budding virgins as he pleases, but after 14 wives, you have to ask, what is he trying to achieve?
Instead of promoting Swazi culture, his behaviour is making a mockery and caricature of it.
As Africans, we are justifiably sensitive about ignorant foreigners who belittle our norms.
Colonialism has meant that many of our noble cultures have been eroded and spat out, but let us be honest and realistic.
Culture is dynamic and changes would have happened anyway, despite colonialism and apartheid.
It is hypocritical to claim that those who assert their African practices have not incorporated modernity and actually benefitted from it.
In this interface between African practices and modern norms, new cultures have been born.
We have kept what works and discarded what doesn't. The demands of modern life are such that a new global world has been born and to pretend we haven't benefitted from this is foolhardy.
Privately and collectively, our lives have changed. Take the opening of Parliament here in South Africa.
The whole pageantry, pomp and ceremony is so colonial, yet mainly elite black people wear their Sunday best and take part in this grand parade.
There is, of course, nothing wrong with that because partaking of it does not make one less black or African.
Our lifestyle as black people reflects the evolution that human beings everywhere go through and we should not be made to feel guilty about whatever we choose to become as a result of a myriad encounters with other cultures, norms and races.
The most fascinating and positive cultural change for me has been the modern black father.
They are very different from their predecessors.
Today's dad baby-sits, changes diapers, does homework, goes shopping with the children and is present in ways that are so refreshing and worthy of praise.
Raising children is no longer the role of mothers alone, and thank goodness for that.
King Mswati has also changed, but on his terms.
His whole journey from his childhood to his crowning reflects this dichotomy of tradition versus modernity. He left the kingdom in 1983 to continue his education in Sherborne, England.
Obviously the education in Swaziland was not good enough for him and his father King Sobhuza II felt Sherborne, with its sterling reputation for academic achievement, was fit for a future king.
His stay in Europe was not just for academic pursuits, but while there he engaged in purely Western extra-mural activities like darts, swimming and rugby.
He also developed a taste for sumptuous cuisine and luxury foreign-made cars.
The king is clearly a modern man - when it suits him.
So his insistence on picking and collecting wives like he is collecting stamps is baffling.
Don't shout "culture" and "tradition" because when it comes to other aspects of his lifestyle, he has happily discarded culture and embraced modern ways.
He is having his cake and eating it. Well, his former friend and confidante Ndumiso Mamba has decided to help him eat it.
King Mswati and his advisers must surely realise that it is not practical for any man to be a husband and father to so many and still make a success of it.
He is clearly an absent father because raising children in today's complex world requires a sustained presence and emotional intelligence.
The days when men simply left that sacred task to women are long gone.
The king and his disciples need to be practical and not see calls for change as an affront to their tradition.
It is human nature to seek succour, intimacy and validation from those who claim to love us and have pledged their lives to us.
For as long as they are human, the queens will continue to get their groove on elsewhere.
Modipadi
King Mswati and other African men must realize that "Marriage is a package - Love, Fun, caring, Kids, spending time with ur family and for ur wife - Sex( Making Love to ur chosen one) is the best gift that u can give her everyday" If U mary a lot of women- ur friends, bodyguards, gardeners to list a few will help u to eat that cake. Pleaseee Men, do not bite more than you can chew.Report Abuse
Strowza
Hey monna Modipadi, do you honestly want to tell me you don't have a mistress. If that is the case, then you should visit your nearest sangoma. o jele. Below, a simple joke to concientise you.GIRL: I have had sex with 4 boys & you have done it with 10 girls; still everybody calls me a SLUT & calls you a REAL MAN.
Please explain to me why??.
BOY:...Very simple. When a lock is opened by many keys, it becomes a BAD LOCK. But when a key opens many locks, it becomes a MASTER KEY!
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ThembaM
If you take that many wives they will cheat on you.Weee, mngani wami, yazi umuntu ungenelwa amanzi endlini ngempela. yazi?
Wemhlobo wamiiii, Mhlobo wamiii.
Azange ngibone int' enjena, imihlol' int' enjena.
Mhlobo wamiiii, im'hlolo yamiii
Azange ngibone int' enjena, imihlol' int' enjena.
Awu mina ang'sajabuli.
Ngathi khon' ong'moshel' umuzi
Kulamalanga umfazi akafuni nok'lala nami
Ngiyafunga noima bethinimina nangisem'sebenzini
kukhon' ongena la endlini ang'dlel' umz' wamiii
uMinister nom'kami badlala amaGames
Embhedeni izolo lom'fazi ungibize ngoNdums
Wemhlobo wamiiii, Mhlobo wamiii.
Azange ngibone int' enjena, imihlol' int' enjena.
Mhlobo wamiiii, im'hlolo yamiii
Azange ngibone int' enjena, imihlol' int' enjena.
REMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIX
Wemnaka wamiiii, Mnaka wamiii............
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cleve
Redi as a Swati woman, since I do not want to be Mswati's wife I do not go to the reed dances. Women go there willingly knowing the possibility of being one of his wives. If these women know that they are human they shouldn't put themselves in such situations. and everyone is mordern when it suits us and I don't see anything wrong with that. Therefore your tittle is not appropriate and judging othere people because of their beliefs and practices. No one understands and knows what goes on but calling him a baffled soul is just not on!Report Abuse
KasiKid
StrowzaLol, not everyone has a mistress, ga se sejeso...
Moswati is a disgrace to human kind, I don't know why people like him don't want to change some of the bad things that are in their culture, he want's to stick to the old custom of having many wives & yet wear suits & shoe, why doesn't he wear skins all the time to compliment his culture?
No wonder why young Swazi girls run to SA to give us punani,rather than to be raped by the so called king, I call this rape bcoz these ladies are forced to be married to him & have sex with them...
This is madness, polygamy is for sick pervets who can't resist punani, they will do anything in their power just to bonk someone, sick old perverts...Leaving bonking of chicks to the young lions who still can give a woman pleasure for the whole night, not this 3 minutes bouncing u normally do & u are done for the day, using viagra nogal...
Ba sa tlo le jela basadi lona, le tletse ka motshameko...
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molefeb
cleve i think ur ugly thats the reason u do not go to the reed dance..lol..i wish i was his close ally, so i can help him out
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mopedithwii
Redi, o opile kgomo lenaka....this guy will end up sharing a woman with his older sonsReport Abuse
Decolonised
Damn it is nice to be a King or President these days, you have the liberty and the loot to do as you please. Rona bo masokolara we'll keep on nyonyobing whilst these guys have it all! I want to come back as either a King or a President in my life time. Di a ja dintja tsena rona re bolawa ke tlala! We rae stuck with one menu whilst they are sitting with plenty...no wonder then there are 'helpers' like Honourable Mr Mamba...! Who by the way should be given free citizenship here in Mzantsi!Report Abuse
Menina11
Nice to see that there are still guys who think pollygamy is just an excuse.This king's disgrace.
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TKay
Marrying more than one wife deprives them the happiness they deserve. Where is Family time there, where do you get the time to bond with your wife and kids cause you have multiple of them. Men are not as a good as women when it comes to remembering special days like birthdays and sport days at school. Do they afford to love them equally and is there true happiness or getting along when it comes to the kids. A man with one Wife and 4 Kids find it difficult to remember their birthdays, what about one with multiple of them from different Mothers... No wonder this women end up sleeping with bodyguards-maybe some of the kids are not even his, he must stop being greedy maan... and he is too old to be taking ma under 25 years.Lets not do the wrongs in the name of culture. To a man of his position, his family responsiblities especially financial ones becomes the burdern of tax payers. While you as a tax payer are eating morogo, him and his family are eating lamb for supper and bacon for breakfast, nxa...
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