Thumbs up for beating princess
01/09/2005 20:01 - (SA)
Mbabane - The royal family says the king's eldest daughter deserved the beating a household official delivered when he caught her holding a drinking party during Swaziland's annual royal bride-choosing festivities.
Jim Gama, governor of the queen mother's residence, said: "It was within the traditional overseer's right to discipline anyone - including princesses - who wanted to spoil the important ceremony.
"Swazi culture allows any parent to discipline any child for unruly behaviour in public."
Princess Sikhanyiso had raised eyebrows before in Africa's last absolute monarchy for flouting tradition with her Western-style short skirts and jeans.
Rite of spring
Last Friday, the official overseer of traditional affairs, Ntfonjeni Dlamini, stumbled across a party hosted by the 17-year-old and featuring loud music and alcohol.
Dlamini said he was so shocked, he beat the princess on her thighs with a stick as she fled.
The incident cast a pall over the annual reed dance festivities, a rite of spring at which thousands of girls gather reeds to build a wind break for Queen Mother Ntombi Thwala and to dance before King Mswati III.
According to tradition, the king was meant to select a bride at the festivities that culminated on Monday.
Prince Jahamnyama, one of Mswati's elder brothers, said: "Princess Sikhanyiso received what she had bargained for by turning such an important event into a social gathering."
Princess Sikhanyiso said the party was a private event to celebrate the end of a chastity decree.
Sexual relations banned
In 2001, Mswati temporarily revived the ancient "umchwasho" rite, which banned sexual relations for girls younger than 18 in a bid to fight Aids, which was at crisis levels in Swaziland.
But, the rite - symbolised by the wearing of woollen tassels - was ridiculed as old-fashioned and unfairly focused on girls.
Days before the reed dance, the king announced he was ending the ban a year early.
Mswati, who already has 12 wives, one bride-to-be and 27 children, is no stranger to controversy himself.
He has come under international pressure for resisting reforms to introduce more democracy in his tiny kingdom.
And his lavish lifestyle, including indulging a love of top-of-the-range cars, contrasts with the absolute poverty of most of his subjects.
Ntfonjeni Dlamini, the government's official overseer of traditional affairs, beat one of the princesses of Swaziland.

A daughter of HM , 17-year-old Princess Sikhanyiso was throwing a party with loud music and alcohol. The party was to celebrate the end of the chastity decree.

"It was within the traditional overseer's right to discipline anyone — including princesses — who wanted to spoil the important Reed Dance ceremony," claimed Jim Gama, governor of the queen mother's residence. The Reed Dance ceremony is an annual ritual in the culture.

Princess Sikhanyiso had already caused ire around Swaziland, as she broke traditions by wearing Western-style short skirts and jeans.