WATCH: King Mswati III dons watch worth over R16m at Ramaphosa inauguration

Swazi King Mswati III showed off his lavish lifestyle at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s inauguration donning a watch worth millions of rands.

The King and his wife Inkhosikati LaFogiyane were allocated seats next to Ramaphosa and Chief Justice Raymond Zondo during the inauguration in Pretoria on Wednesday.

Ramaphosa was sworn in for a second term in the newly formed Government of National Unity (GNU).

Watch King Mswati III’s watch collection

King Mswati's watch collection 👑⌚ pic.twitter.com/zbA3oYtwaR

— The Instigator (@Am_Blujay) June 20, 2024

While King Mswati III donned his traditional regalia, it was the timepiece on his wrists that caught all the attention.

Jacob & Co

The king wore a Jacob & Co. Brilliant Skeleton Tourbillon Ruby watch with green straps. The watch is estimated to cost at least $900,000 (about R16,180,695).

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According to SuperWatchMan, the Brilliant Skeleton Tourbillon Ruby watch, is “a watch originally made for women. The features of the timepiece are a skeletonized dial with a flying tourbillon leaf hands movement”.

It also has a hand-set 18k rose gold case with baguette-cut rubies and an inner case with baguette white diamonds, on a green alligator strap.

Where does King Mswati get money to a point that he can afford a watch that costs R16M ? 😭✋🏾Lord Mswati must plug us pic.twitter.com/4R5SkEBpCS

— ツ O R I (@Ori_RSA) June 19, 2024

The 55-year-old King has been widely criticised for his lavish lifestyle while nearly a third of the 1.2-million Eswatini population lives below the poverty line.

Flying palace

In April, Mswati’s mode of transport to a working visit to South Africa was the Airbus 340-300 aircraft, bought in 2018 from Taiwan by the king as a 50th birthday gift to himself. It cost a whopping R2.6 billion.

“It was customised from a commercial aircraft into an ultra-luxurious flying palace,” the Swaziland People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) President Vudi Shongwe said.

According to Shongwe, the plane features a living area, meeting/dining area, a private bedroom and bathroom amenities for the king, among other features.

The king does not take kindly to dissent in Africa’s last absolute monarchy, Eswatini. 

One misplaced word in Eswatini can lead straight to prison and the media is not allowed to report criticism of the monarch, according to AFP.

ALSO READ: The luxury life of King Mswati III: eSwatini monarch arrives in SA in ‘flying palace’