Swaziland angry with King Mswati and his 13 wives (VIDEO)
Swaziland, with a stagnant economy, rampant poverty and a soaring HIV rate, has caught the Jasmine contagion. King Mswati III, pictured here in 2008, is one of the world’s richest royals. Despite the unrest, he isn’t expected to go the way of Mubarak or Ben Ali.
Are the Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street protests heading to Swaziland?
The people of this small nation in southern Africa have had enough, according to this Al Jazeera video below. Swaziland was hit hard by the global financial crisis, and the majority of the people live below the poverty line on less than $1.25 a day.
Their king and his 13 wives, on the other hand, live what the people consider a lavish lifestyle.
GlobalPost editor Andrew Meldrum wrote in August that King Mswati, Africa's last absolute monarch, bought a $500,000 Mercedes Maybach limousine and new BMWs for each of his wives in 2005. Meanwhile, each wife already has her own palace.
Tens of thousands of people in Swaziland are now demanding change, pressuring the king to spend less on his wives and more on the country.
More from GlobalPost: Why is South Africa bailing out Swaziland?
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