King Plans to Jet Ahead, Despite Controversy
Swaziland’s King Mswati III plans to acquire a $51-million luxury jet, despite opposition in parliament and criticism from aid donors seeking to stave off starvation in his kingdom.
“The king needs the plane to get food for you,” Natural Resources Minister Magwagwa Mdluli told drought victims at rural Macetjeni last weekend.
The Canadian-made plane is worth about a quarter of the national budget in Swaziland, where about 250,000 people, or a quarter of the population, need food assistance urgently. Britain has said the purchase might jeopardize European aid.
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