Swaziland - 13 May 2016

King Donates to Swazi Drought Relief King Mswati III the absolute monarch in Swaziland has ‘donated’ US$150,000 to help victims of drought in his kingdom. It came weeks after it was revealed the government he handpicked will spend US$13 million on a private jet aircraft for him. King Mswati came under intense criticism after a national drought emergency was declared in Swaziland in February 2016 and the Swazi Government announced it could not pay for necessary relief. It calculated it would need US$16 million in international aid by the end of April 2016. AllAfrica.com

  Outrage over Swaziland’s maize import ban The Swaziland government is enforcing a ban on buying and importing cheaper maize from South Africa amid worsening drought conditions in that country, the Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN) said on Wednesday. In a statement the SSN said the ban could not have come at a worse time as the drought continues to spread across the Southern African region. SSN Spokesman Lucky Lukhele said: “Food prices have escalated in Swaziland and the country’s staple food, maize meal, in particular has seen a 66 percent price hike since the beginning of the year.” IOL