Swazi virgins think their king is hot stuff

Swazi virgins think their king is hot stuff

Thousands of bare-breasted young Swazi women paraded in front of their king to celebrate chastity and unity, dismissing criticism of the lavish ceremony in one of Africa's poorest countries for its last absolute monarch.

Clad in beaded mini-skirts and clutching machetes and mobile phones, women and girls as young as five danced and sang tributes on Sunday and Monday to the king and queen mother, also known as the Great She-Elephant, in a traditional Umhlanga Reed Dance meant to celebrate womanhood and virginity.

"I'm proud to be Swazi and to be a virgin. We are here to show unity with the king and with each other," said 18-year-old Gcebine Dlamini, bracing the cold of the southern hemisphere's winter in her skimpy outfit as scores of tourists had photos taken next to the topless women.

King Mswati III, who has about a dozen wives and a fortune estimated at US$200 million, faced unprecedented protests last year when his appointed administration ran out of money after a 2009 recession in neighbouring South Africa.

Despite the straitened times, the royal household has shown few signs of wanting to tighten its belt. In July, South Africa's Mail & Guardian newspaper reported that three of Mswati's wives joined a 66-strong royal entourage heading to Las Vegas on a shopping spree. There was no comment from the palace.

But women at the annual event gathered behind the monarch in the weeklong celebrations, even though police kept a close watch on what they might tell journalists and tourists roaming the grounds of the royal village, some 20km outside the capital.

In the past, the king has used the ceremony to choose a new wife, and some girls still hoped to catch the king's eye.

"If chosen, I would be able to live a better life than what I have, have a lot of money, live a queen's life and travel overseas," said Fakazile Dlamini, 14, who arrived on a lorry from her village 60km away to attend the ceremony.

New royal wives have often received a BMW and their own palace, fuelling criticism in a country where more than two-thirds of its 1.4 million people live in abject poverty.