African king buys jet

By JAMES CLENCH

THE king of an Aids-ridden African country is spending £31million of taxpayers’ cash on a private jet — DOUBLE his nation’s health budget.

A third of adults in Swaziland are HIV positive and two thirds live below the poverty line — but that has not stopped King Mswati III.

Elected MPs in the southern Africa kingdom — which gets £3.9million a year in aid from Britain — have not even been told of the absolute monarch’s shopping spree.

But a down-payment of £3million has already been made to Canadian manufacturers Bombardier for the 18-seater Global Express.

Last night Christian Aid spokeswoman Judith Melby blasted the king’s extravangance.

She said: “The people of Swaziland have been hard hit by Aids.

“That has led to school enrolment dropping by a third.

“When there is that kind of impact on the future of the country, you have to question spending so much money on a jet.” Plane crazy ... £31m jet like one king ordered

But a Swazi palace official said: “The king will have the plane because he must travel properly on his overseas trips.”

The tiny kingdom, in mountains between South Africa and Mozambique, has less than a million subjects.

Prime Minister Sibusiso Dlamini said it was premature to comment.

-- Anonymous, July 08, 2002

Answers

How much does he spend on his trips, I wonder?

Where does he go? Vegas?

-- Anonymous, July 09, 2002

Probly needs it to take foreign aid money to his Swiss bank account.

-- Anonymous, July 09, 2002