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She sashayed onto the State House lawn and immediately the whole place lit up. Lit up with beauty and bling as she showed off her version of royal haute couture. Lit up with curiosity as the people around her whispered to each other, “Who is she?” The date was historical, 11 February 2009, but for a moment some forgot that they were gathered there for the inauguration of Prime Minister-elect Morgan Tsvangirai and his deputies.
Queen of fashion? Mrs Mswati pictured at State House during the inauguration last week. When the live broadcast of the inauguration began on ZBC and SABC to millions of viewers, they too were wondering: “Who is she?” She sat there, looking like a model from the pages of Cosmopolitan. Her mascara was perfect. So was her lipstick. Some wondered about her golden locks though. The rest of her was elegance personified. A two piece black ensemble and matching heels and bits of bling to complete the look. “She was the highlight of the event,” said one woman from Gweru. “I kept on wishing the camera would focus on her again,” said a Harare man. When she was introduced as King Mswati’s wife, there were murmurs here and there. “Wow,” I heard one young man whisper. “Wow.” Nearby Mai Grace Mugabe, Mai Susan Tsvangirai and Mai Jackie Mutambara were dressed in less controversial outfits. Smart, if not elegant, and attracting less attention. It seems people cannot agree on whether the young Mai Mswati was dressed to kill or if she killed the dressing. An older woman I spoke to later was not impressed. “She needed to tone it down,” was her assertion. “This was a state function and there is a need for a certain dignity.” Discussing it with a friend of mine later his comment was, “how do you tone down radiant beauty? She is a queen in Swaziland and was a queen here today.” King Mswati III is one of the world’s last remaining absolute Monarchs. As the head royal of Swaziland he is able to choose a new wife every year if he so wishes. At an annual reed dance ceremony, Swazi maidens from across the land parade themselves bare breasted in front of the King and he can pick a new wife from any of them. The King has come under fire from Women’s rights groups who say he should set an example to his kinsmen and not take any more wives, as polygamy encourages the spread of HIV. He has 13 wives. It is not clear who the wife he came with was. - Story by Styles Kadzere, Picture by Jekesai
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