King and pawns

Absolute monarchy may be benign but donors and neighbours don't like it

One of Africa's most traditional states may be in for the shock of a modern constitution. As pressure for change builds up both at home and abroad, a committee headed by Prince David Dlamini is due to publish the draft of a new constitution next month. Prince David, who is reputedly taking his job very seriously, is a former Ambassador to Denmark and a son of King Mswati III's father, King Sobhuza II, who died in 1982 after reigning for 62 years.

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