Sikhanyiso Dlamini

Princess Sikhanyiso Dlamini (Swazi: [sikʰaɲiso ɮʱamini]; born 1 September 1987) is a Swazi princess and politician. She is the eldest daughter of King Mswati III of Eswatini, and is the country's current Minister of Information and Communication Technology.[1]

Sikhanyiso Dlamini
Princess Sikhanyiso Dlamini in 2015
Minister of Information, Communication and Technology (Eswatini)
Assumed office
3 November 2018
Prime MinisterAmbrose Dlamini
Preceded byDumisani Ndlangamandla
Personal details
Born (1987-09-01) 1 September 1987
Mbabane, Eswatini
MotherSibonelo Mngometulu (Inkhosikati La Mbikiza)
FatherMswati III
HouseDlamini

Early life and education
Princess Sikhanyiso Dlamini (centre), dancing at Umhlanga, 2006. She wears a red feather crown, distinguishing her as a royal female.

Sikhanyiso Dlamini was educated in Britain at a mixed private school, St Edmund's College, Ware, in Hertfordshire, where she was in Challoner House. She continued to study drama at Biola University in California.[2] In 2012, Princess Sikhanyiso graduated from the University of Sydney with a master's degree in digital communication. While in Australia, she resided in Glebe with her palace-appointed aide, Yemma Sholo.[3] She is the first child of Inkhosikati LaMbikiza and has more than two hundred blood-related uncles and aunts through her grandfather, King Sobhuza II, who had seventy wives and two hundred and one children. She is also one of his one thousand grandchildren in the Royal Swazi House of Dlamini.

She is the first-born of thirty children born to King Mswati III, her mother being Mswati III's young love, Inkhosikati LaMbikiza (Sibonelo Mngomezulu). She has two hundred aunts and uncles, not including their spouses.[4]

In 2001, Mswati III instituted the umchwasho—a traditional chastity rite—in Swaziland as a means of combating the AIDS epidemic. The princess became a focus of controversy because while she was staying abroad, she was not bound by the strictures of the umchwasho.[5] While studying abroad, Princess Sikhanyiso developed a reputation for ignoring or rebelling against her native country's traditions.[6] Sikhanyiso wears Western-style jeans and miniskirts, something women in Swaziland are banned from doing.[7]

Controversies
The princess at the Reed Dance Festival in 2006.

On 14 December 2003, a report appeared in the Times of Swaziland claiming that Princess Sikhanyiso had gone on a trip to the US and Britain, and that the Swazi government had spent close to E1 million (US$100,000) on her trip. The Prime Minister's office subsequently issued a press statement denying these claims.[8]

At the end of the ban in 2005, Princess Sikhanyiso, then seventeen years old, celebrated with a party involving loud music and alcohol at the Queen mother's residence. As punishment for the princess's disrespect of the royal residence, during which Mswati announced his engagement to a new wife-to-be, an official overseeing traditional affairs beat Princess Sikhanyiso with a stick.[9]

The following year, the Princess criticized the institution of polygamy in Eswatini, saying, "Polygamy brings all advantages in a relationship to men, and this to me is unfair and evil." The Princess was subsequently "gagged" by the Royal Palace and the press was not allowed to contact her.[10]

She was featured in a 2007 documentary titled Without the King about the monarchy in Eswatini, the disparity between the royals' wealth and the widespread poverty of their subjects, and Eswatini's HIV/AIDS crisis.[11][12]

In late September 2013 she had a three-hour-long Twitter conversation with a proscribed Swazi organisation, the People's United Democratic Movement.[13] Afterwards her Twitter account was deleted without explanation.

Achievements

The King supported the Princess with her launch of the Imbali Foundation in April 2014.[14] The foundation focuses on the health, education, and spirituality of Imbali YemaSwati (the regiment of Swazi maidens headed by the Inkhosatana or Chief Maiden). The Princess runs the beauty pageant Miss Swaziland Tourism.[15] The Swaziland Deaf Association requested her patronage for Miss Deaf Africa and received the government's support.[16]

The Princess is an aspiring actress and rapper and is commonly known as "Pashu" in Eswatini.[17][18] During her brief stay in Malaysia for an internship program at Limkokwing University, she recorded a single titled "Hail Your Majesty" in honour of her father, The King. The debut of the tribute song received a standing ovation at Limkokwing during the conferment of an honorary doctorate to King Mswati III on 4 July 2013.[19]

The Princess is a member of the board of directors of MTN Swaziland, a multinational mobile telecommunications company.[20] She has appointed a businessman from Malaysia, the director of MyStartBiz Sdn Bhd, Muhammad Qadeer, as her Special Envoy for Investment Promotion in the Kingdom of Swaziland.[21]

Discography
  1. "Abeze Kim" (feat M'du and Prince Lindani)
  2. "Hail Your Majesty"

Ancestry
Styles of
Princess Sikhanyiso Dlamini of Eswatini
Reference styleHer Royal Highness
Spoken styleYour Royal Highness

References
  1. Ike Dibie, Michael (4 November 2018). "eSwantini appoints King Mswati's daughter as ICT Minister". Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  2. Busari, Stephanie (29 May 2008). "British blue blood top 'Hottest Royal' list". CNN. Retrieved 12 May 2011.
  3. Frost, Carleen (5 May 2012). "Royal rapper Princess Sikhanyiso Dlamini of Swaziland masters Sydney". Sydney Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  4. Matsebula, Bhekie (4 December 2001). "Profile: Troubled King Mswati". BBC News. Retrieved 12 May 2011.
  5. Matsebula, Bhekie (17 December 2001). "Swazi princess dons chastity tassel". BBC News. Retrieved 12 May 2011.
  6. "Swazi women fear losing their trousers". BBC News. 24 June 2002. Retrieved 12 May 2011.
  7. "Profile: Swaziland bans 'rape-provoking' miniskirts". The Age. 25 December 2012. Retrieved 25 December 2012.
  8. "The Issue of 'E1 Million Spent on Princess Sikhanyiso' and The Issue of 'Building' Royal Palaces" (Press statement). Swaziland Prime Minister's office. 26 January 26 2004.
  9. Domestic whippings in Swaziland, Aug 2005 - CORPUN ARCHIVE szd00508
  10. "The princess's polygamy slur". Mail & Guardian. 1 September 2006.
  11. Scheib, Ronnie (23 April 2008). "Without the King". Variety. Retrieved 12 May 2011.
  12. Catsoulis, Jeannette (25 April 2008). "An Extravagant Ruler of a Modest Kingdom". New York Times. Retrieved 15 June 2008.
  13. "Swaziland Princess tweets with terrorists". Royalty in the News. 3 October 2013. Archived from the original on 19 October 2014. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
  14. Tshabalala, Nontobeko (22 June 2014). "King approves Imbali Foundation". Times of Swaziland. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  15. Manyathela, Thobeka (22 June 2014). "Imbali Foundation to Host Miss Tourism SD". Times of Swaziland. Retrieved 19 November 2011.
  16. Masuku, Kwazi (30 June 2014). "DPM Pledges Support for Miss Deaf Pageant". The Swazi Observer. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  17. Princess Sikhanyiso P. Dlamini - Voice Over Talent
  18. Pashu - ReverbNation
  19. Yee, Pete (10 July 2014). "'Royal Rapper' Sikhanyiso shines". Limkokwing University. Retrieved 19 November 2011.
  20. Dlamini, Welcome (4 June 2012). "Sikhanyiso for MTN board". Times of Swaziland. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
  21. Motau, Phephile (10 November 2015). "Princess Sikhanyiso Appoints Malaysian to promote country". Times of Swaziland. Retrieved 26 November 2015. She recently recuse herself from being Miinister of ICT
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