By Masimba Mukichi.
Harare, Zimbabwe (News of The South) – I really became a proud African when l saw King Mswati the third of Eswatini arrive at the SADC heads of state conference adorned in his traditional regalia. However the same pride and zeal I experienced the previous day eventually disappeared the following day.
I got goose bumps and I was sad as raindrops on a grave to see him attending the opening ceremony of the summit adorned in a western style suit.
It is my humble opinion that his dressing team should advise him properly. Wearing traditional regalia as a monarchy is a symbol of power and status in society no one will query that type of dressing especially being worn by the esteemed His Royal Majesty king Mswati the third,head of state of one of the still standing kingdoms in Africa.
He should not shy away from wearing what was inherited from his blue blood ancestors. Traditional dressing is part of his cultural jigsaw puzzlp. It is intricately intertwined to his existence and his royal duties. The Eswatini King’s thinking should not be diluted by western influence and dressing. A lion can never be a Zebra. Your Royal Majesty you can’t hide from your shadow. Be real, sell and market the traditional dress code to the world over. No matter how many times the crow baths it will never be white. Traditional dress code is a cultural art which must be taken to the highest level world over by people like you, your Majesty.
Myself and others who admire you and what you represent felt let down by your resistance to carry the torch of Royal Ubuntu by wearing and taking undiluted traditional regalia to modernity. Your admirers are saying this in hushed tones, ‘wearing suits as an African King is a sign of royalty enslavement,
A true African Royal should be confident in his own skin and hereditary traditional dressing taste’ A sparrow can never be a dove, his royal Highness king Mswati must not hacked by western suits. There is influence and symbolism in his Eswatini Royal Majesty’s traditional attire. In future I hope the king will take cue from this and trot the globe for Royal duties adorned in traditional regalia. Nomatter how the crow baths it will never be white.
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