KING Mswati III has to face up to reality if he doesn't want to turn the Swaziland monarchy to end as one of the world's worst royal houses.

The world is drenched in the blood of monarchs who were so immovably against the will of the people.

It happened to Louis XVI in France in 1789, the Greek royalty after World War 2 and many more whose royal decrees warranted little or no respect at all.

Unfortunately for South Africa we might be bloodied by the revolt in neighbouring Swaziland.

The damage and hardship brought to South Africa by the continuing instability in Zimbabwe are a sad and historic example.

Swaziland might be a worse simulation. The landlocked little kingdom depends on us for virtually everything. Unlike the industry of Zimbabweans, Swaziland has never had an economy to speak of sans South Africa.

So it has always been imperative for us to make sure of stability in Swaziland.

President Jacob Zuma must have been around the globe two-fold trying to resolve problems in foreign lands.

By and large, he has been making the right noises, even telling President Robert Mugabe to embrace his sworn enemies for the sake of Zimbabwe - and South Africa, of course.

But Zuma's silence on Swaziland is not only deafening, it conjures up a worse scenario than Zimbabwe visited on us.

As the justice police and the breadbasket of the region, SA must call Mswati to order.

We cannot ignore the history of fallen monarchs - and Zimbabwe.