King Mswati III and his new wife, Nomcebo Zuma, are shelling out a R200 million overseas royal trip.
Nomcebo Zuma, the 16th wife of King Mswati III and daughter of former President Jacob Zuma, landed in Samoa on Friday morning to attend the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
The billionaire king is currently on a whirlwind journey by private jet to attend state affairs and introduce new policies. Inkosikati (“Queen”) to the world.
King Mswati unveils Nomcebo Zuma to the world
First on the royal couple's itinerary was Italy, where King Mswati attended the World Food Forum.
This was followed by a stop in Serbia on Monday, where the 56-year-old monarch dropped R1 million on students at the University of Eswatini, including students from South Africa and Burundi, studying in the country.
The state-run Eswatini Broadcasting Information Service (EBIS) reported that students who attended the event organized by the King and Nomsebo received R8,000 each.
Billionaire king and new wife Nomcebo Zuma's 200 meter trip
According to an eSwatini-based publication, swaziland newsThe royal family's overseas trips are estimated to cost citizens of the small kingdom more than R200 million.
The expenses reportedly include allowances for the royal delegation and what is described as “pocket money for the king and his new wife.”
The hefty cost also includes the cost of flying the king's private jet, which has been described as a “palace in the air.”
Royal Robola: R2m, 100 cows
Nomsebo, 21, was recently introduced as the king's new wife at the annual reed dance ceremony.
The polygamous monarch is said to have paid R2 million and lobola worth 100 cows to secure the marriage between the former president and the daughter of the Umkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party leader.
Watch this space…
King Mswati is famous for spending big on luxury goods, and his obsession with exorbitantly expensive watches is not a state secret.
At President Cyril Ramaphosa's inauguration ceremony in Pretoria in June this year, the king unveiled a Jacob & Co Brilliant Skeleton Tourbillon Ruby watch worth more than R16 million.
Following in her husband's footsteps, Nomcebo was spotted flaunting a glamorous Jacob & Co. Epic X Tourbillon Baguette. Watch international travel.
The watch is estimated to be worth approximately R3.9 million.
“I don't know anything about her jewellery, but each wardrobe is privately funded,” said Percy Simelane, the king's spokesman. swaziland news when asked for comment Wednesday.
According to the luxury watchmaker's website, the bezel of Nomsebo's Epic .
Despite her being the “perfect everyday companion”, sources told the publication that Mr Zuma's daughter had a number of friends and relatives to ensure his young wife “didn't feel alone” during the trip. He said people were included in the delegation.
Also read: Is daughter's marriage to King Mswati a 'strategic political move' by Zuma's camp?
Eswatini – the kingdom on its knees
The royal couple's lavish overseas trip comes at a time when around 70% of the kingdom's population is estimated to be living below the poverty line.
Eswatini is also facing an education and health crisis due to shortages of medicines in public hospitals, and schools are facing a shortage of teachers and working equipment.
But apart from that, the government is struggling to pay suppliers in the small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) sector, resulting in the closure of various businesses and job losses.
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