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Swaziland king acquires luxury jet
MBABANE, Swaziland (Reuters) -- Swaziland's King Mswati III appears set to acquire a $51 million luxury jet despite parliamentary opposition and criticism from donor nations seeking to stave off starvation in his poor kingdom. "The king needs the plane to get food for you," Natural Resources Minister Magwagwa Mdluli told drought victims at rural Macetjeni during a weekend visit. The plane, made by Canada's Bombardier Inc., is worth about a quarter of Swaziland's national budget. Officials at Execujet, the South African agent for the Canadian-built aircraft, declined to comment Tuesday on local media reports quoting the company as saying the jet would be delivered soon. But, a Reuters correspondent saw the jet land at the country's main international airport Saturday, apparently on a test flight. If the jet deal does go through, it is sure to spark fresh controversy in the landlocked, mountainous Southern African country where some 250,000 people, or a quarter of the population, need urgent food aid. Mswati, sub-Saharan Africa's last absolute monarch, has recently been embroiled in a string of controversies, including a legal case over allegations that an 18-year-old girl was abducted to become his 10th wife. The aircraft purchase was first proposed in August, but the idea quickly ran into criticism from foreign donors who said Swaziland might lose developmental and other assistance if the purchase went through. Swazi politicians and local media now say all signs indicate the plane is on its way, with the Times of Swaziland reporting that a Swazi national is already training in Canada to act as the royal pilot. Britain's ambassador to Swaziland, David Reader, warned Mswati in October that if the jet was purchased, Swaziland might lose some $30 million in European Union donor aid.
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