A public
poll in Swaziland showed that 43% of the population disapproved of Africa's
last absolute monarch, King Mswati's III, earning a sharp rebuke from the
government on Monday.
The poll by
the US-based Gallup ranked Mswati among Africa's least popular leaders.
"Confidence
in institutions is strongly associated with approval of the chief executive's
performance," said Gallup in the survey.
But the
government rejected the results of the poll which covered leaders of 34
sub-Saharan nations.
"It is
like me coming to you and saying seven of your girlfriends say they no longer
love you," said Percy Simelane, the government spokesperson.
"What
assurance do you have that I am not telling you all this because I want your
girlfriends for myself," he added.
The
Swaziland Diaspora Platform, a human rights group based in South Africa,
welcomed the findings, saying they proved that the monarchy was not as loved as
it would like the world to believe.
"This
vindicates our own observation, together with our local counterparts, that the
monarchy is not such a darling to everyone as it would like everyone to
believe, hence the need for democracy and respect for human rights,"
spokesperson Ntombenhle Khathwane said.
The
impoverished kingdom of Swaziland is facing an economic meltdown, with
pro-democracy and labour unions blaming the crisis on Mswati's failure to
manage the economy.
The king,
who has 13 wives, is accused of using state funds to support his lavish
lifestyle.
Other
leaders who scored low approval rates were President Jose Eduardo dos Santos of
Angola, the late Bingy wa Mutharikla of Malawi, and Prime Minister Pakalitha
Mosisili of Lesotho.
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
0 comments:
Post a Comment